F-104G (France)

This page is about the Belgian jet fighter F-104G (France). For other versions, see F-104 (Family).

▄F-104G

▄Mirage 5BA

▄F-16A

▄F-104G

▄Mirage 5BA

▄F-16A

France

VII Rank

Battle rating:

AB	RB	SB
10.7	11.0	10.7

Class:

Fighter

Jet fighter

Research:300 000

Purchase:830 000

Description

The ▄F-104G Starfighter is a rank VII French jet fighter with a battle rating of 10.7 (AB/SB) and 11.0 (RB). It was introduced in Update "Seek & Destroy".

The Belgian Starfighter is an aircraft that constitutes the last gasps of an era of supersonic interceptors where speed was of utmost importance, and thus often faces adversaries of the next generation of fighters, carrying high performance missiles, both infrared and radar guided. As such, the tremendous engine power of the F-104G becomes an obsolete asset. The tactics based on hit-and-run, flaking the enemy group, and passing through furballs still work, they yield moderate results.

Belgium operated a fleet of around 100 F-104Gs between 1963 and 1983. Except for the very first aircraft, all F-104Gs for the Belgian Air Force were produced locally in Belgium by SABCA who also produced some for the German Air Force. The F-104G would be the main fighter of the Belgian Air Force until they were replaced by the F-16A. After retirement, they were mainly placed into storage, with around 20 being sold to Turkey and a couple sold to Taiwan.

This specific F-104G, FX-99, was the last flying Belgian F-104G during its retirement. It is currently privately owned and was recently restored back to flying conditions.

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-11

Type

Cooling systemAir

Take-off weight24 t

As with all the Starfighters, the airplane is characterised by it's enormous engine and stubby wings, and demonstrates a good capability for acceleration, but an abysmal manoeuvrability.

The engine power that was the main advantage of the F-104s of previous generations is neutralised on this particuliar version, not because it is worse in any way, but because at the Battle Rating of 11.0, nearly all adversaries are supersonic, and a few of them can out-accelerate the aircraft. Mig-21s and F-5Cs and Es are of that breed and are a dangerous opponent to the Belgian Starfighter.

Manoeuvrability wise, turning should nearly never be considered as a combat option. The F-104 turns miserably, has a very low nose authority, and when turning trades of it's only remaining viable defense mechanism, it's speed. It is less manoeuvrable than the F-4 family, the A-10, Su-25 family, or even the F-111.

Characteristics	Max speed (km/h at _,___ m)		Max altitude (metres)	Turn time (seconds)		Rate of climb (metres/second)		Take-off run (metres)
	AB	RB		AB	RB	AB	RB
Stock	___	___	16000	__._	__._	__._	__._	___
Upgraded	___	___		__._	__._	__._	__._

Details

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

Limits
Wings (km/h)	Gear (km/h)	Flaps (km/h)			Max Static G
		Combat	Take-off	Landing	+	-
0	546	___	___	___	~__	~__

Optimal velocities (km/h)
Ailerons	Rudder	Elevators	Radiator
< ___	< ___	< ___	-

Engine performance

Engine			Aircraft mass
Engine name		Number	Basic mass		Wing loading (full fuel)
_____		_	_,___ kg		___ kg/m2
Engine characteristics			Mass with fuel (no weapons load)			Max Gross Weight
Weight (each)	Type		_m fuel	__m fuel	__m fuel
___ kg	___		_,___ kg	_,___ kg	_,___ kg	_,___ kg
Maximum engine thrust @ 0 m (RB/SB)			Thrust to weight ratio @ 0 m (___%/WEP)
Condition	100%	___%/WEP	_m fuel	__m fuel	__m fuel	MGW
Stationary	___ kgf	___ kgf	_.__	_.__	_.__	_.__
Optimal	___ kgf (_ km/h)	___ kgf (_ km/h)	_.__	_.__	_.__	_.__

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 Belgian F-104G carries a pair of armour plates in the pilot seat, as well as a pane of bulletproof grass in from of him. Compared to the caliber, velocity and explosive mass of the aircrafts it faces, these protections are virtually useless.

The two gameplay facets that ensure this aircrafts survival are it's speed, to reduce the enemy reaction and engagement time, and the use of flares, that the aircraft comes equipped with.

It is to be noted that at it's battle rating, this Starfighter can face opponents equipped with advanced radars and SARH missiles. As such, staying in the ground clutter and avoiding to appear as a sore thumb on their scopes is a necessary survival tactic.

In general, not being the center of attention increases the Starfighter lifespan.

Modifications and economy

Repair costBasic → Reference

AB3 135 → 4 235

RB9 174 → 12 394

SB9 411 → 12 714

Total cost of modifications264 800

414 000

Talisman cost2 900

Crew training240 000

Experts830 000

Aces3 000

Research Aces1 140 000

Reward for battleAB / RB / SB

120 / 320 / 600 %

238 / 238 / 238 %

Modifications

Flight performance	Survivability	Weaponry
Compressor Research: 8 800 Cost: 14 000 300 New boosters Research: 12 000 Cost: 19 000 410 Wings repair Research: 13 000 Cost: 20 000 440 Engine Research: 29 000 Cost: 45 000 980	Fuselage repair Research: 8 800 Cost: 14 000 300 Airframe Research: 12 000 Cost: 19 000 410 Cover Research: 13 000 Cost: 20 000 440 G-suit Research: 13 000 Cost: 20 000 440	M60_belt_pack Research: 8 800 Cost: 14 000 300 BLU-1 Research: 8 800 Cost: 14 000 300 Type 25C Research: 8 800 Cost: 14 000 300 Flares/Chaff Research: 8 800 Cost: 14 000 300 LAU-32 Research: 12 000 Cost: 19 000 410 Mk82 Research: 12 000 Cost: 19 000 410 AIM-9B Research: 12 000 Cost: 19 000 410 M60_new_gun Research: 13 000 Cost: 20 000 440 M117 Research: 13 000 Cost: 20 000 440 Mk83 Research: 29 000 Cost: 45 000 980 AIM-9J Research: 29 000 Cost: 45 000 980

Armaments

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

Offensive armament

The F-104G (France) is armed with:

• 1 x 20 mm M61A1 cannon, cheek-mounted (750 rpg)
• 60 x countermeasures

Suspended armament

The F-104G (France) can be outfitted with the following ordnance:

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
250 kg Matra 25E bombs		1		1*		1
500 lb LDGP Mk 82 bombs		1		1*		1
500 lb Mk 82 Snakeye bombs		1		1*		1
750 lb M117 cone 45 bombs		1		1*		1
1,000 lb LDGP Mk 83 bombs		1		1*		1
BLU-1 incendiary bombs		1		1*		1
Hydra-70 M247 rockets		7				7
AIM-9B Sidewinder missiles	1		1*		1*		1
AIM-9E Sidewinder missiles	1						1
AIM-9J Sidewinder missiles	1		1*		1*		1
Maximum permissible weight imbalance: 500 kg
* Ordnance on hardpoint 4 cannot by carried in conjunction with missiles on hardpoints 3/5

Default weapon presets
Without load 2 x AIM-9E Sidewinder missiles 4 x AIM-9B Sidewinder missiles 4 x AIM-9J Sidewinder missiles 14 x Hydra-70 M247 rockets 3 x 500 lb LDGP Mk 82 bombs (1,500 lb total) 3 x 500 lb Mk 82 Snakeye bombs (1,500 lb total) 3 x 750 lb M117 cone 45 bombs (2,250 lb total) 3 x 1,000 lb LDGP Mk 83 bombs (3,000 lb total) 3 x 250 kg Matra 25E bombs (750 kg total) 3 x BLU-1 incendiary bombs

The F-104G in the french tech tree is the first aircraft to propose as it's onboard armament the M61 Vulcan revolving canon. As such, pilots will not be used to it's characteristics, rather being aquainted to the slower firing, but very harder hitting DEFA canons. Where a single DEFA hit redered any adversary unable to keep fighting at the very least (more often than not exploding like a grenade), the Vulcan hits are less catastrophic in terms of damage. On the other hand, multiple hits can be registered on the target in a single pass.

The main Air-to-Air armament of the Belgian Starfighter, the AIM-9J, is a relatively capable missile at it's tier, even if it's manoeuvrability is mediocre with regard to the closing speeds of the engagements.

Usage in battles

The F-104G should be used as what it is, a last version a style of aircraft based on an obsolete paradigm. Supplanted in 1v1 scenarios by basically any other fighter, the pilote must read the sway of the battle consistently to discover flanking routes and engaged furballs to attack, and notable ennemies to avoid. Overall, the Belgian Starfighter is stuck in a support role for other aircrafts, harrassing high energy state ennemies, and destroying lower energy state ones.

In Air-to-Air roles, maintaining the upper hand on the enemy team requires a lot of focus. Flanking routes should be prioritised, and extended as far as possible, even up to attacking from behind.

In Mixed battle, the F-104G is a poor choice, being completely outclassed by aircrafts and weapons decades mode modern, such as the Jaguar A/E, or the Super Etendard, or even the Milan and Etendard IVM.

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Has access to stock flares

Cons:

• Terrible manoeuvrability
• No radar missiles
• Mediocre IR missiles, unslavable to the radar
• Radar is poor for Air-to-Air roles
• Operating altitudes severely hampered by Fox 1 carriers.

History

Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the aircraft 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 vehicle and adding a block "/History" (example: https://wiki.warthunder.com/(Vehicle-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 />. This section may also include the vehicle's dev blog entry (if applicable) and the in-game encyclopedia description (under === In-game description ===, also if applicable).

Media

Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.

See also

Related development

• F-104 (Family)
  • F-104G (Germany)
  • F-104G (Italy)
  • F-104G (China)

External links

• [Devblog] Dutch and Belgian Aircraft are Joining the French Tree!
• [Belgian Wings] Lockheed F-104G Starfighter

Belgian Limited Company of Aeronautical Constructions (SABCA)
Jet Fighters	▄Mirage 5BA*
	▄F-104G*
	▄F-16A* · ▄F-16AM*
	* Licensed Production / Variants
See also	Dassault · Lockheed · General Dynamics