×
GreekEnglish

×
  • Politics
  • Diaspora
  • World
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Culture
  • Sports
  • Cooking
Monday
19
Jan 2026
weather symbol
Athens 5°C
  • Home
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • World
  • Diaspora
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Culture
  • Sports
  • Mediterranean Cooking
  • Weather
Contact follow Protothema:
Powered by Cloudevo
> World

Greek F-16s pack a serious punch with their super-rare twin JSOW weapon racks

The Hellenic Air Force uses multiple carriage racks for its Joint Stand-Off Weapons to provide a significant boost in long-range strike capability

Newsroom February 16 10:16

As the spearhead of Greece’s Hellenic Air Force, or HAF, the F-16 Viper is expected to fly a wide variety of wartime roles, from dogfighting over the contested Aegean Sea, to real-time tactical reconnaissance, and long-range strike over land or water with an array of precision weapons. In the overland strike category, the HAF has become one of the few air forces — perhaps the only one — that outfit its Vipers with twin launchers for the AGM-154 Joint Standoff Weapon (JSOW), a stealthy 1,000-pound class long-range glide bomb designed to hit some of the enemy’s most important targets.

Photos of the unusual twin-rack JSOW pylon attached to Greek F-16s have been gaining a fair amount of attention on social media recently, but the HAF has actually been exploiting this capability for some time now. Typically, an F-16, or any fighter jet, for that matter, might be expected to load a pair of JSOWs, or perhaps a heavy load of four on four individual pylons. Greece’s F-16s, however, use the BRU-57/A smart multiple carriage rack that allows a single pylon to carry two JSOWs or any other compatible 1,000-pound class weapons, for that matter.

See Also:

>Related articles

Marinakis: The four contracts for hydrocarbons have been approved, aiming to start exploration in 2026

Trump invited Putin to join the “Peace Council”: we are considering it, Moscow says

Karystianou: Abortions a matter of public consultation – I speak with people from all parties

“Worst-case” climate predictions are “no longer plausible”, study suggests

The BRU-57/A was originally developed to meet a U.S. Air Force requirement to boost the F-16’s weapon load for improved mission effectiveness, doubling the firepower (and the number of targets) that can be engaged using the weapons on one pylon. Seeing a pair of Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAMs) on a BRU-57/A rack is not altogether unusual for a U.S. Air Force Block 40/50 F-16C/D, but JSOWs are far less common. In fact, as far as we know, you might have to go all the way to Greece to see this load-out in real life.

Read more: The Drive

Ask me anything

Explore related questions

#analysis#diplomacy#f-16#greece#Hellenic Air Force (HAF)#military#photos#politics
> More World

Follow en.protothema.gr on Google News and be the first to know all the news

See all the latest News from Greece and the World, the moment they happen, at en.protothema.gr

> Latest Stories

Opinion Poll: New Democracy Rises to 30.2%, Leading by 16.8 Points — Karystianou draws from Hellenic Solution, Niki, SYRIZA, and Plevsi

January 19, 2026

Princess Irene was buried at Tatoi in a private family ceremony – Queen Sofia was devastated

January 19, 2026

The Italian fashion designer Valentino has died at the age of 93

January 19, 2026

Minor dispute at Maximos Mansion between the President of Kastoria Livestock Association and the Rector of the University of Thessaly regarding goat and sheep pox

January 19, 2026

Stocks climb to 16-year high as markets withstand global liquidations

January 19, 2026

Tatoi Estate: The rescue and restoration of 100,000 historic objects

January 19, 2026

Eurovision 2026: What the betting odds suggest about Greece’s song choice

January 19, 2026

Britain: New defection of a Conservative MP who defected to Farage’s party

January 19, 2026
All News

> Politics

Opinion Poll: New Democracy Rises to 30.2%, Leading by 16.8 Points — Karystianou draws from Hellenic Solution, Niki, SYRIZA, and Plevsi

The latest Opinion Poll shows a half-point gain for New Democracy (ND), reaching 30.2% in vote estimate

January 19, 2026

Minor dispute at Maximos Mansion between the President of Kastoria Livestock Association and the Rector of the University of Thessaly regarding goat and sheep pox

January 19, 2026

Marinakis: The four contracts for hydrocarbons have been approved, aiming to start exploration in 2026

January 19, 2026

Karystianou: Abortions a matter of public consultation – I speak with people from all parties

January 19, 2026

Farmers arrive at the Maximos Mansion for the meeting with PM Mitsotakis

January 19, 2026
Homepage
PERSONAL DATA PROTECTION POLICY COOKIES POLICY TERM OF USE
Powered by Cloudevo
Copyright © 2026 Πρώτο Θέμα