F-104S.ASA

This page is about the Italian jet fighter F-104S.ASA. For other versions, see F-104 (Family).

F-104S.ASA

F-104S

▄F-16A ADF

F-104S.ASA

F-104S

▄F-16A ADF

Italy

VII Rank

Battle rating:

AB	RB	SB
12.0	12.0	11.7

Class:

Fighter

Jet fighter

Research:350 000

Purchase:950 000

Show in game

Description

The F-104S.ASA Starfighter is a rank VII Italian jet fighter with a battle rating of 12.0 (AB/RB) and 11.7 (SB). It was introduced in Update "Wind of Change".

The F-104S.ASA is an Italian supersonic interceptor based on the American Lockheed F-104 "Starfighter" series. The external appearance is much the same besides the additional ventral fins, but as the final variant of the Starfighter family, it boasts the best speed and payload capacity of any F-104. It can be used as a high-speed ground attacker with a sizeable load of assorted bombs and rockets. Alternatively, it can be a deadly interceptor if equipped with air-to-air missiles. Unique among Starfighters is its ability to carry a pair of Selenia Aspide semi-active radar homing missiles.

General info

Flight performance

Arrestor gear

Accelerates braking by grabbing the brake cable on the deck of the aircraft carrier

Air brakes

Allows you to dramatically reduce the flight speed by releasing special flaps

Drogue parachute

Reduces braking distance when landing on any runway

Max speed

at 15 240 m2 387 km/h

Turn time34 s

Max altitude16 000 m

EngineGeneral Electric J79-GE-19

Type

Cooling systemAir

Take-off weight24 t

Characteristics	Max Speed (km/h at 15,240 m)		Max altitude (metres)	Turn time (seconds)		Rate of climb (metres/second)		Take-off run (metres)
	AB	RB		AB	RB	AB	RB
Stock	2,344	2,316	16000	34.5	34.7	225.5	216.5	850
Upgraded	2,431	2,387		33.5	34.0	297.4	260.0

Details

Features
Combat flaps	Take-off flaps	Landing flaps	Air brakes	Arrestor gear	Drogue chute
X	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓

Limits
Wings (km/h)	Gear (km/h)	Flaps (km/h)			Max Static G
		Combat	Take-off	Landing	+	-
1,527	546	N/A	827	444	~12	~4

Optimal velocities (km/h)
Ailerons	Rudder	Elevators	Radiator
< 720	< 950	< 800	N/A

Engine performance

Engine			Aircraft mass
Engine name		Number	Basic mass		Wing loading (full fuel)
General Electric J79-GE-19		1	6,850 kg		562 kg/m2
Engine characteristics			Mass with fuel (no weapons load)				Max Takeoff Weight
Weight (each)	Type		9m fuel	20m fuel	30m fuel	32m fuel
1,740 kg	Afterburning axial-flow turbojet		7,710 kg	8,621 kg	9,506 kg	9,718 kg	24,000 kg
Maximum engine thrust @ 0 m (RB/SB)			Thrust to weight ratio @ 0 m (WEP)
Condition	100%	WEP	9m fuel	20m fuel	30m fuel	32m fuel	MTOW
Stationary	4,992 kgf	7,688 kgf	1.00	0.89	0.80	0.79	0.32
Optimal	5,044 kgf (1,200 km/h)	10,253 kgf (1,200 km/h)	1.33	1.18	1.07	1.06	0.43

Survivability and armour

Flares/Chaff

Aircraft countermeasures to distract IR and radar-guided missiles and also AA radar

Crew1 person

Speed of destruction

Structural0 km/h

Gear546 km/h

The F-104S.ASA is not equipped with any armour plating, and is therefore rather vulnerable to enemy fire, especially given the fact that most enemies at this rank sport high-calibre cannons. Taking any critical damage in the F-104S.ASA will almost instantly cripple it, to the point where you will have to fly back to base, or be a sitting duck for the enemy team. Taking a critical hit to the fuselage will disable you so badly you won't be able to reach supersonic speeds, which is your greatest advantage. The same goes for taking any sort of wing damage or tail damage: it will instantly result in a huge amount of drag on the air frame, reducing your already poor energy retention in manoeuvres making you an easy target to pick off from afar and in effective gun range. Lastly, the engine is a massive target for guns and missiles alike. Having a slightly orange engine will effectively put you out of the fight. And with the already heavy weight of the F-104S.ASA, you require the engine power to stay in the fight.

Modifications and economy

Repair costBasic → Reference

AB2 675 → 4 068

RB7 868 → 11 967

SB8 051 → 12 245

Total cost of modifications296 000

451 000

Talisman cost3 000

Crew training270 000

Experts950 000

Aces3 200

Research Aces1 210 000

Reward for battleAB / RB / SB

100 / 320 / 600 %

244 / 244 / 244 %

Modifications

Flight performance	Survivability	Weaponry
Compressor Research: 10 000 Cost: 15 000 330 New boosters Research: 13 000 Cost: 20 000 420 Wings repair Research: 19 000 Cost: 29 000 620 Engine Research: 19 000 Cost: 29 000 620	Fuselage repair Research: 10 000 Cost: 15 000 330 Airframe Research: 13 000 Cost: 20 000 420 G-suit Research: 19 000 Cost: 29 000 620 Cover Research: 19 000 Cost: 29 000 620	M60_belt_pack Research: 10 000 Cost: 15 000 330 BLU-1 Research: 10 000 Cost: 15 000 330 Mk82 Research: 10 000 Cost: 15 000 330 Flares/Chaff Research: 10 000 Cost: 15 000 330 LAU-3/A Research: 13 000 Cost: 20 000 420 M117 Research: 13 000 Cost: 20 000 420 AIM-9L Research: 13 000 Cost: 20 000 420 M60_new_gun Research: 19 000 Cost: 29 000 620 Mk83 Research: 19 000 Cost: 29 000 620 LAU-10/A Research: 19 000 Cost: 29 000 620 Mk84 Research: 19 000 Cost: 29 000 620 Aspide Research: 19 000 Cost: 29 000 620

Armaments

Ballistic Computer
CCIP (Guns)	CCIP (Rockets)	CCIP (Bombs)	CCRP (Bombs)

Offensive armament

The F-104S.ASA is armed with:

• 60 x countermeasures

Suspended armament

The F-104S.ASA can be outfitted with the following ordnance:

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10
20 mm M61A1 cannons (750 rpg)						1
500 lb LDGP Mk 82 bombs		1	1	1	1		1	1	1
500 lb Mk 82 Snakeye bombs		1	1	1	1		1	1	1
750 lb M117 cone 45 bombs		1	1	1	1		1	1	1
1,000 lb LDGP Mk 83 bombs			1		1			1
2,000 lb LDGP Mk 84 bombs					1
BLU-1 incendiary bombs		1	1	1			1	1	1
FFAR Mighty Mouse rockets		19	19					19	19
Zuni Mk32 Mod 0 ATAP rockets		4							4
AIM-9L Sidewinder missiles	1	1							1	1
Aspide-1A missiles		1*							1*
Aspide aim block						1*
Maximum permissible loadout weight: 3,400 kg Maximum permissible weight imbalance: 500 kg
* The Aspide aim block must be selected to use Aspide-1A missiles, replacing the 20 mm M61A1.

Default weapon presets

1 x 20 mm M61A1 cannon (750 rpg) 1 x 20 mm M61A1 cannon + 2 x AIM-9L Sidewinder missiles 1 x 20 mm M61A1 cannon + 4 x AIM-9L Sidewinder missiles 2 x Aspide-1A missiles 2 x Aspide-1A missiles + 2 x AIM-9L Sidewinder missiles 1 x 20 mm M61A1 cannon + 7 x 500 lb LDGP Mk 82 bombs (3,500 lb total) 1 x 20 mm M61A1 cannon + 7 x 500 lb Mk 82 Snakeye bombs (3,500 lb total) 1 x 20 mm M61A1 cannon + 7 x 750 lb M117 cone 45 bombs (5,250 lb total) 1 x 20 mm M61A1 cannon + 7 x 750 lb M117 cone 45 bombs + 2 x AIM-9L Sidewinder missiles (5,250 lb total) 1 x 20 mm M61A1 cannon + 3 x 1,000 lb LDGP Mk 83 bombs (3,000 lb total) 1 x 20 mm M61A1 cannon + 3 x 1,000 lb LDGP Mk 83 bombs + 2 x AIM-9L Sidewinder missiles (3,000 lb total) 1 x 20 mm M61A1 cannon + 1 x 2,000 lb LDGP Mk 84 bomb (2,000 lb total) 1 x 20 mm M61A1 cannon + 1 x 2,000 lb LDGP Mk 84 bomb + 2 x AIM-9L Sidewinder missiles (2,000 lb total) 1 x 20 mm M61A1 cannon + 76 x FFAR Mighty Mouse rockets 1 x 20 mm M61A1 cannon + 8 x Zuni Mk32 Mod 0 ATAP rockets 1 x 20 mm M61A1 cannon + 8 x Zuni Mk32 Mod 0 ATAP rockets + 38 x FFAR Mighty Mouse rockets 1 x 20 mm M61A1 cannon + 5 x BLU-1 incendiary bombs

Usage in battles

The one thing the F-104S.ASA does extremely well is speed, it is one of the vehicle's greatest advantage, and can be used to great effect if the pilot is careful about choosing which engagements to pursue. It is recommended to keep up a high air-speed at all times, which will allow the F-104S.ASA to swoop in and out of the combat zone while evading enemies. Sometimes, it is even possible to outrun enemy air-to-air missiles.

However, the F-104S.ASA struggles with manoeuvrability. With such small wings, it simply can't produce the lift necessary to throw itself around the sky, and therefore has a very poor turning circle. This means that any turning engagement is most likely futile, and also re-emphasises the utility of a boom and zoom playstyle.

When used in conjunction with its speed, the available armaments really allow the F-104S.ASA to shine. The AIM-9Ls, already difficult to dodge with their good manoeuvrability and flare-resistance, become nigh-on impossible to avoid when launched at supersonic speeds, particularly against much slower targets. The Selenia Aspide can also be a welcome addition in a high-altitude, long-range, all-aspect engagement however you will have to compromise for the 20mm Vulcan. Speaking of which, the extremely accurate and powerful M61A1 Vulcan cannon can be used instead for quick head-ons and to mop any remaining opponents at close-range.

The F-104S.ASA is able to bring countermeasures to give it a fighting chance against the top dogs of the air. Your main enemies will be aircraft such as the F-14 Tomcat or the MiG-27, it's best to try and avoid close engagements and instead focus on picking people from afar. As previously mentioned, you will not be able to turn well at high speeds so make sure that every person you engage won't become a threat if things don't go your way.

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Excellent top speed and acceleration
• Fantastic climb rate
• All-aspect AIM-9Ls have very good tracking, range, and turning capability
• Equipped with Aspide-1A SARH missiles with great tracking and range as well as a look-down/shoot-down radar
• Equipped with 60 countermeasures

Cons:

• Very poor manoeuvrability
• M61A1 cannon cannot be carried when Aspide missiles are equipped
• No guided air-to-ground weaponry
• RWR only alerts you of radar pings/locks; it does not show what direction they come from
• The ACM mode of the radar only has a range of 4KMs,being difficult to lock in head ons or environments with a lot of interference from the other planes
• The radar does not have an adjustable horizontal scan angle,and having a slow scan

History

An upgrade program was carried out in the 1980s while the Italian military was working on the Eurofighter Typhoon, resulting in the F-104S-ASA (Amodernamento Sistema Arma; "Weapon Systems Upgrade"). The ASA is differentiated by the additions of the AIM-9L Sidewinder missile and the Italian Selenia Aspide semi-active radar homing missile. The avionics, countermeasure systems, and weapons were improved, however the cannon could not be carried along with the missile guidance equipment due to improvements in avionics. The ASA was also tested with Flare and Chaff pods, which was also one of the notable improvements over the S variant. The ASA would be updated once more beginning in 1995-1997 to the ASA/M standard. The changes were relatively minor and limited to the addition of modern AIM-9Ls, overhauling the electrical system, and adding new navigation features. These changes also resulted in a pure interceptor and therefore could not carry rockets or bombs.

Media

Skins

• Skins and camouflages for the F-104S.ASA from live.warthunder.com.

Videos

The Shooting Range #300 - Metal Beasts section at 01:11 discusses the F-104S.ASA.

See also

Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:

• F-104S
• F-104G (Italy)

External links

• https://forum.warthunder.com/index.php?/topic/548752-f104-s-asa-and-its-missing-capabilities-wrong-radar-loadouts-and-more/
• https://www.lockheedmartin.com/en-us/news/features/history/f-104.html

Fiat Aviation (Fiat Aviazione)
Fighters	CR.32 · CR.32 bis · CR.32 quater
	CR.42 · Marcolin's C.R.42 CN · ▀Marcolin's C.R.42 CN
	G.50 serie 2 · G.50 AS serie 7
	G.55 sottoserie 0 · G.55 serie 1 · G.55S
	G.56
Jet fighters	G.91 pre-serie · G.91 R/1 · G.91 Y · G.91 YS
	▄F-86K*
	▄F-104G* · F-104S* · F-104S.ASA* · ▄F-104S TAF*
Strike aircraft	F.C.20 Bis
Bombers	B.R.20DR · B.R.20M M1
Export/Captured	J11 · ▀CR.42
	▀G.50 serie 2 · ▀G.50 AS serie 7
	◄G.91 R/3 · ◄G.91 R/4 · G.91 R/4
	*Licensed
See also	North American Aviation · Lockheed Martin

Italy jet aircraft
Aerfer	Sagittario 2 · Ariete
Fiat	G.91 pre-serie · G.91 R/1 · G.91 R/4 (Portugal) · G.91 Y · G.91 YS
AMX International	AMX · AMX A-1A (Brazil)
Panavia	Tornado ADV · ▄Tornado IDS · ▄Tornado IDS (1995)
	Foreign:
Vampire	Vampire FB 52A
F-84	▄F-84F · ▄F-84G-21-RE
F-86	CL-13 Mk.4 · ▄F-86K
F-104	▄F-104G · F-104S · ▄F-104S TAF (Turkey) · F-104S.ASA
F-16	▄F-16A ADF
AV-8	▄AV-8B Plus
Hungary
Mikoyan-Gurevich	◔MiG-15bis · ◔MiG-17PF · ◔MiG-21MF · ◔MiG-21bis-SAU · ◔MiG-23MF · ◔MiG-29
Ilyushin	◔IL-28
Sukhoi	◔Su-22M3
Saab	◔JAS39EBS HU C