Loading aviation ammunition into the fifth generation fighter F-35
Preparing a combat aircraft for a flight is a laborious process. It is necessary to refuel fuel tanks, load the necessary ammunition - and all this, depending on the nature of the task assigned to the crew.
Loading ammunition is a separate process that can take a significant amount of time. There are some nuances here as to whether ammunition will be placed on an external sling or will be loaded into internal compartments. Additional difficulties in arming an aircraft before performing a combat mission arise due to the impressive mass of individual aviation munitions, such as guided bombs or air-to-ground missiles. Their mass can reach hundreds of kilograms, and therefore loading without special airfield equipment is impossible.
The presented video demonstrates the process of loading weapons on board the fifth generation F-35 fighter of the US Marine Corps at the American military base in the Japanese province of Okinawa. Aviation ammunition is delivered to the runway using a special loader-transporter. Then a group of aviation technicians, with the help of tools, brings the bombs and missiles into a combat-ready state, and a special transporter-manipulator carries out the suspension of bombs and missiles on pylons, and also loads them, if necessary, into the internal compartment of the F-35.
Technicians check the reliability of the mounts by mechanical action on the ammunition suspended under the wings. Any shortcoming here can lead to the most unfortunate consequences, including for the airfield where aviation assets are based.
The process itself:
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