Posted on 10/14/2004 3:32:53 PM PDT by dennisw
Wednesday, October 13, 2004
The U.S. military has used Iraq to test a precision bomb designed for targets in urban areas and producing minimal collateral damage.
The U.S. Air Force has conducted the first successful drop of a GBU-38 bomb in combat during a recent mission in Iraq. The bombs were deployed on two F-16 multi-role fighters, which performed a simultaneous GBU-38 release on the same target in central Iraq.
Officials said the 500-pound bombs precisely hit a two-story building occupied by the Tawhid and Jihad group in Faluja with minimal collateral damage. They said this was the first time a GBU-38 was deployed in a demonstration of a smaller munition meant to reduce collateral damage in urban areas, Middle East Newsline reported.
"This was the right weapon for the job," the lead pilot who carried out the mission, identified only as Lt. Col. Mitch, said. "If we used any bigger of a bomb, we would have caused unnecessary damage."
Officials said the GBU-38 provides the U.S. military with a smaller precision weapon for use against urban targets. They said the bomb, which could be deployed on the F-16, would allow for precision strikes at night.
The GBU-38 is composed of an MK-82 with the Joint Direct Attack Munitions guidance system. Officials said the GBU-38 was regarded as much lighter and easier to assemble than most of the other munitions loaded on F-16s. The GBU-38 was said to be significantly smaller and lighter than the GBU-12 and the GBU-31.
"This is a relatively easy bomb to drop," Mitch said. "We simply set the coordinates and deliver the bomb. There's a slight shake in the jet as the bomb is released because [of] the sudden weight reduction, which happens after every drop."
The bomb has been sought by Middle East allies.
Nice to see my AF show up.........cool
Well come on! If you are going to use that logic then the atom bomb was to little to late.
Weapons development and testing always spikes during times of war. And this is another bomb that was developed to combat the current fighting enviroment that we are in. If it saves 1 us soldiers life, or one iraqi civillians life with improved accuracy. Then I say it was right on time.
Did Kerry vote for or against this weapon?
Crack up the plant.
And now they have to worry about night meetings.....very good.
Pretty Bomb! :)
I have read a little about these new, smaller precsion-guided weapons and there was something on TV about a 250 lb
weapon the Air Force plans to roll out next year. Much smarter for urban areas as they can land on a dime but not take out the whole block when they detonate. Kind of expensive but in the long run very much worth the money.
dennisw,
It is NEVER EVER too little too late. Never. Advances in technology and weaponry keep moving ahead. If you don't have it in conducting operations...you just plain and simply don't have it.
You can't say I wish we had Abrams Tanks and JDAMS at Normandy. It just doesn't make sense. Likewise here.
Crank up the plant .....for us
\crack up the plant..... for them....
I was hoping it was the MOAB - the Mother Of All Bombs.
If it is a weapon, I'm sure Kerry voted against it.
You are absolutely, this simply demonstrates the flexibility of our military. something that no other great country in the world ever has or ever will come close to.
It's the Clear and Present Danger special....
lets hope it made the human sh.. into molten shi.
"The bomb has been sought by Middle East allies."
When will our government learn that today's allies could very well be tomorrow's enemies. Don't sell it to them, but promise to deliver it to them if they cross us. Hear that Chirac?
I wonder what a bowling ball from 60,000 feet would do?
Gotta love our big beautiful war machine. They don't call it the 'Art of War' for nothin'.
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