AGM-62A Walleye I ER (510 kg)
| This page is about the "extended-range" AGM-62A Walleye I ER (510 kg). For the original TV-guided munition of the same designation, see AGM-62A Walleye I (505 kg). |
Contents
Description
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The AGM-62A Walleye I ER is an American guided bomb for aircraft use. It is one of the first guided bombs introduced into War Thunder in Update "Ground Breaking".
Vehicles equipped with this weapon
General info
| Bomb characteristics | |
|---|---|
| Guidance | TV |
| Mass | 510 kg |
| Explosive mass | 201.8 kg |
| Explosive type | Composition B |
| TNT equivalent | 264.36 kg |
The Walleye is physically large, as big as a the 2,000 lb LDGP Mk 84 bomb. This is due to the guidance system in the ordnance, with the explosive amount more analogous to a 1,000 lb bomb. In fact, while its appearance and Tri-Service missile designation (AGM-62) makes the Walleye seem like a missile, that's actually a misnomer as it's unpowered (simply gliding itself to the locked target using guidance avionics, like all other guided bombs).
Effective damage
As mentioned earlier, the explosive amount in the Walleye is closer to equivalent to the 1,000 lb LDGP Mk 83 bomb. The Walleye contains a TNT equivalent of 264.36 kg in its warhead, compared to the LDGP Mk 83's 272.43 kg TNT equivalent. However, its combat utility can be much higher than a LDGP Mk 83 due to the TV guidance in the Walleye, allowing precise targeting of ground targets from a high-altitude.
Comparison with analogues
Give a comparative description of bombs that have firepower equal to this weapon.
Usage in battles
The AGM-62A has a TV guidance sensor similar to the AGM-65B missile. It's most effective against ground targets, with the guidance system allowing the bomb to target both static and moving targets due to its tracking ability after a lock. However, an issue with the AGM-62A is that it can be difficult to discern whether the AGM-62A locked onto the vehicle or just the ground, which would leave one wondering if the lock is on the vehicle (in which case the guidance system will track it if moving), or just the ground where it will not adjust for the moving target. This is especially problematic in ground realistic battles if the AGM-62A is trying to lock onto a static target and it moves after release (as there is no way to verify whether the lock was made on the target or on the ground).
During Ground Realistic Battles, it is important to check whether the enemy has SAM units present. SAMs are a big threat to players trying to utilize the AGM-62A, as in a SAM heavy environment the launching aircraft will likely get shot down by the time it: gets to a proper release altitude and speed, found a target, and then dropped it. SAMs and radar-guided AAA may even destroy a falling AGM-62A if they spot it due to the bomb's slow moving, predictable nature.
Some considerations when spawning with a AGM-62A loadout. First, if the battle is a night battle the AGM-62's sensors cannot lock onto anything and so their capabilities are useless (choose a different, non-Walleye loadout during the night). Second, set the bomb fuse to "0.0s" on Walleye loadouts to make sure the bomb will explode once it hits the ground, as there is no purpose for a precision-guided bomb to have a delay after landing.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Good for precision drops on static targets and can lock onto moving targets
- Explosive payload is large enough for close hits to do devastating damages to ground targets.
- Can be lobbed onto a target from quite a long distance if deployed at high speed and altitude
- Can be dropped onto slow moving/hovering helicopters
Cons:
- Locking onto targets (especially moving ones) can be difficult due to distance and/or ground obstructions
- Cannot be dropped without lock
- Large size means only a few can be carried by aircraft
- Will undershoot the target if the release speed/altitude is too low
- Cannot lock targets at night (even if the target is illuminated)
- Cannot adjust its magnification level
- Is relatively easy to intercept with radar guided AAA/SAMs
- The TV-sensor views from the aircraft's frontal arc, requires pointing the aircraft at the general location of the enemy to begin targeting
- Said sensor is also in black and white only, hindering target identification
History
Examine the history of the creation and combat usage of the weapon in more detail than in the introduction. If the historical reference turns out to be too long, take it to a separate article, taking a link to the article about the weapon and adding a block "/History" (example: https://wiki.warthunder.com/(Weapon-name)/History) and add a link to it here using the main template. Be sure to reference text and sources by using <ref></ref>, as well as adding them at the end of the article with <references />.
Media
Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.
See also
External links
| Guided bombs | |
|---|---|
| USA |
|
| 500 lb | GBU-38(V)2/B JDAM (500 lb) |
| 1,092 lb | GBU-16 Paveway II |
| 505 kg | AGM-62A Walleye I |
| 510 kg | AGM-62A Walleye I ER |
| 1,970 lb | GBU-31 JDAM |
| 2,000 lb | GBU-8 · GBU-15(V)1/B · GBU-15(V)2/B |
| 957 kg | GBU-10 Paveway II |
| Germany | |
| 1,400 kg | PC 1400 X (Fritz X)* |
| USSR | |
| 50 kg | KAB-50L · KAB-50TV |
| 500 kg | KAB-500Kr · KAB-500Kr-E · KAB-500L · KAB-500S |
| 1,500 kg | KAB-1500Kr · KAB-1500L |
| Britain | |
| 277 kg | GBU-12 Paveway II |
| 546 kg | Mk.13 |
| 2,000 lb | GBU-24 Paveway III |
| China | |
| 250 kg | GB250 · LS-6 250 |
| 500 kg | GB500 · LS-6 500 |
| 1,000 kg | GB1000 |
| Italy | |
| 277 kg | BA-FG-230-Lizard-2 |
| France | |
| 400 kg | BGL-400 |
| 970 kg | BGL-1000 |
| * Armour-piercing bomb | |
| See also | List of unguided bombs · List of armour-piercing bombs · List of retarded bombs |
