BRITISH AEROSPACE is to carry out flight trials of a GEC-Marconi thermal-imaging airborne laser-designator (TIALD) pod, fitted with telemetry equipment, on a BAe Harrier GR7 fuselage station, to ensure that it can withstand the hostile vibration environment.
The company has a contract from the UK Ministry of Defence to integrate the TIALD on the GR7, and around a half dozen pods are on order for the application.
The Royal Air Force wants to use one of the two fuselage stations normally used to carry Aden 25mm gun packs in preference to using a wing station.
Using a wing pylon means that the aircraft can carry less ordnance and also incurs increased airframe masking of the laser designator.
The concern in placing the TIALD pod on the fuselage is its location, near the forward set of engine nozzles. The flight tests will be used to discover whether the vibration and sonic-shock levels can be sustained by the pod.
The Harrier GR7 is cleared to carry the Texas Instruments Paveway II laser-guided bomb, and the aircraft will also be cleared to carry the Paveway III.
Source: Flight International
