Recently, a photo of the Greek Air Force F-16 fighter jet mounting two JSOW missiles on a composite mount has attracted considerable attention on social media. As the main force of the Greek air force, the F-16 fighter carries out a variety of combat tasks, including combat over the Aegean Sea disputed with Türkiye, tactical reconnaissance, long-range ground attack and so on. When carrying out ground attack missions, the Greek Air Force may be the only one to mount two AGM-154 "Joint Exorcist Weapon (JSOW)" through composite pylons. This is a 1000 pound (454 kilogram) class stealth long-range glide bomb designed to attack some important enemy targets.

Greek Air Force F-16C Block 52+, equipped with four JSOWs mounted on two BRU-57/A pylons

In fact, the Greek Air Force's F-16 fighter jets have been using this type of mount for some time, but it has only recently gained attention from the outside world. Typically, an F-16 or other fighter jet may be equipped with two JSOWs, or four JSOWs mounted on four separate pylons. However, the Greek F-16 uses a BRU-57/A composite mount to mount two JSOWs, and in terms of this capability, it can also mount two other 1000 pound weapons.

On Bagram Air Force Base in Afghanistan, a US Air Force F-16 fighter jet is equipped with four JDAMs via the BRU-57/A mount

The BRU-57/A composite mount was initially developed to meet the operational requirements of the US Air Force, by enhancing the weapon mounting capability of the F-16 to improve its combat efficiency. In this way, an additional ammunition can be mounted on one rack, increasing the utilization rate of the rack by 100%. For the US Air Force's F-16C/D Block 40/50, it is not uncommon to mount two Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAM) simultaneously on the BRU-57/A mount, but it is much less common to mount two JSOW simultaneously. In fact, to the best of my knowledge, you may only be able to see this configuration of F-16 with your own eyes in Greece.

Greek Air Force's F-16C Block 52+fighter jets

The Greek Air Force typically equips JSOW units with the most advanced F-16 Block 52+fighter jets, also known as Block 52M, which were ordered by the Greek government under the "Peace Xenia IV" contract signed in December 2005, including 20 F-16C single seat and 10 F-16D twin seat fighter jets, as well as various accompanying weapons. At present, the Greek Air Force has a total of 150 F-16s, with the rest being older F-16A/B. Even without mounting four JSOWs, the F-16 Block 52+remains a powerful long-range attack aircraft, equipped with conformal fuel tanks that facilitate remote attack missions. In addition to being equipped with the German IRIS-T short-range air-to-air missile and AIM-120C-7 advanced medium range air-to-air missile for air combat, the F-16 Block 52+can also carry the enhanced "Jewel Road II" dual-mode guided bomb and JDAM.

However, JSOW provides a very special ability to attack enemy stationary targets by gliding. Despite lacking power, the AGM-154C used by the Greek Air Force F-16 has an effective range of over 113 kilometers. Of course, this depends on the flight altitude and speed of the carrier. Ideally, JSOW can be launched beyond the range of enemy air defense systems.Even when launched from a height of 150 meters, JSOW can still hit targets up to 19 kilometers away, which is a significant improvement in performance compared to JDAM. According to reports, JDAM needs to be launched from a height of 6000 meters to achieve a similar range.

According to the US Navy, the AGM-154C is equipped with an improved 500 pound high explosive/fragmentation/armor piercing warhead that can be used to strike industrial facilities, logistics systems, and robust tactical targets including command shelters. AGM-154C uses a combination of GPS and inertial navigation guidance to fly to the vicinity of the target, and then uses infrared thermal imagingsensorCapturing targets, this type of sensor is not affected by active electronic interference.Due to the lack of power in JSOW, its infrared characteristics are very small, and coupled with the stealth design of the missile body, intercepting such guided bombs is very difficult.

For the Greek air force, which has a long history of hostility to Türkiye, a NATO member, if the two countries fight again, JSOW will be one of the most important weapons. Under such circumstances, Türkiye, including air defense systems, headquarters and other high-value targets, will be the priority targets. Therefore, mounting the maximum number of JSOW on each F-16 is very tactical.根据与希腊空军保持密切合作关系的防务记者Ioannis Lekkas的说法，四枚JSLW的挂载方式在F-16战机执行的快速反应警报（QRA）任务中相对普遍。2020年希腊土耳其紧张局势升级以来更是如此，两国矛盾主要与控制东地中海的石油和天然气开采区和海洋权利有关。

The arrangement of JSOW through composite pylons also means that F-16 can use the pylons under the wings to carry more air-to-air missiles, thereby improving its survival rate in aerial combat. According to reports, the Greek Air Force has also equipped the F-16C/D with Wind Corrected Munition Dispenser (WCMD), which can be mounted on a BRU-57/A rack with one WCMD and one JSOW if needed.

The need for enhanced firepower for each fighter jet performing QRA missions is reflected in the F-16 fighter jets performing air-to-air missions. The Greek Air Force F-16 fighter jets more frequently carry five AMRAAMs and one Sidewinder missile during aerial combat missions. We can see that the US Air Force's F-16 fighter jets use similar weapon mounting methods in potential hotspots such as Eastern Europe.

The Greek Air Force has been equipped with F-16 fighter jets since 1988, and with the large-scale modernization upgrade plan in recent years, the F-16 will continue to be its main fighter jet for many years to come. The Greek Air Force F-16 Block 52+fighter jets will be upgraded to be equipped with AN/APG-83 Variable Agile Beam Radar (SABR) using Active Phased Array Radar (AESA) technology, Thor modular mission computer, advanced cockpit, and helmet mounted display system (JHMCS II).Through the BRU-57/A composite mount, Greek Air Force F-16 fighter jets can carry four JSOWs, which will ensure significant long-range strike capabilities in the Aegean Sea and other regions.

Source: Military of Strong Countries