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WARPLANES: Robotic Aircraft Drops First Smart Bomb
StrategyPage.com ^ | 4/21/04

Posted on 04/22/2004 8:57:33 AM PDT by Tallguy

April 21, 2004: The U.S. Air Forces X-45A combat UAV (UCAV, or unmanned combat air vehicle) dropped it’s first smart bomb on April 19th. During the test, the X-45 was flying at 35,000 feet, and moving at about 700 kilometers an hour. The bomb was an SDB (Small Diameter Bomb), a new type of smart bomb that weighs only 250 pounds (and is six inches in diameter and six feet long). A human operator on the ground authorized the release of the bomb when the X-45 signaled that it was within range. The bomb, which carried no explosives, hit the target (that is, landed within a 30 feet of it, as GPS guided bombs are supposed to do.)

The current version of the X-45 (the X-45A) is for development only, and has flown several dozen times. A larger version, the X-45C, will begin flight testing in two years. The X-45C will weigh 19 tons, have a 2.2 ton payload and be 39 feet long (with a 49 foot wingspan.) The X-45A is 27 feet long, has a wingspan of 34 feet and has a payload of 1.2 tons. The X-45C will be able to hit targets 2,300 kilometers away and be used for bombing and reconnaissance missions. Each X-45C will probably cost about $30 million and will be able to carry up to 24 SDBs. These bombs are carried internally, to maintain the UCAV's stealthy profile. The aircraft can also carry air-to-air missiles, but the testing of the UCAVs for air-to-air combat is not planned in the near future (next five years or so.) That is, unless some other country starts mucking about with this sort of thing. UCAVs fighting each other is technically possible, but the pilots who run the air force don't like the idea of fighting robots.

The X-45C is a spin-off from the X-45B project, which was dropped last year when it was decided to design a UCAV that met both air force and navy needs. This became the X-45C. The navy model will will be different than the air force one (mainly in the usual ways; stronger landing gear for carrier landings, better resistance to salt water corrosion and sensors optimized for finding ships at sea.)


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: miltech; smalldiameterbomb; ucav; x45c
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Looks like the Air Force is getting closer to eliminating pilots from the SEAD mission. Something about landing what amounts to a fully armed cruise missile onto an aircraft carrier still makes me nervous.
1 posted on 04/22/2004 8:57:35 AM PDT by Tallguy
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To: Tallguy; spetznaz; Gunrunner2
They need to hurry the hell up!
2 posted on 04/22/2004 9:27:10 AM PDT by VaBthang4 (-He who watches over Israel neither slumbers nor sleeps-)
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To: Tallguy
Something about landing what amounts to a fully armed cruise missile onto an aircraft carrier still makes me nervous.

They've had a hands off landing system for fighters for years that does a better job of hitting the wire then the pilots. The day is coming.....
3 posted on 04/22/2004 9:30:49 AM PDT by Kozak (Anti Shahada: " There is no God named Allah, and Muhammed is his False Prophet")
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To: Kozak
The sad thing here is that they will still have pilots sitting in padded leather seats, in some air conditioned cabin somewhere 500 miles away...as master of the joystick. And they will say it takes a trained, college educated professional to perform missions on robotic aircraft. The truth is that my 13-year old son could be a master in less than six months and fly circles around these "pilots".
4 posted on 04/22/2004 9:34:53 AM PDT by pepsionice
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To: Tallguy
A friend of mine works in the industry. He says the bomb dropping was for pure PR, as it really doesn't prove anything--remotely guided bombs are old news. It is amazing though having a supersonic (700mph) full sized bomber flying.

More amazing, according to my friend, is Boeing's robot controlled land vehicle. Lots more to bump into on the ground, than in the air.
5 posted on 04/22/2004 9:39:09 AM PDT by AnalogReigns
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To: pepsionice
The sad thing is that there are pilots who would rather have a seat in a plane than do what the country most needs. However that said it is refreshing that we have more young men who want to get their wings than we have planes for them to fly. The solution is more planes and more UAVs.
6 posted on 04/22/2004 9:40:23 AM PDT by KC_for_Freedom (Sailing the highways of America, and loving it.)
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To: AnalogReigns
It is amazing though having a supersonic (700mph) full sized bomber flying.

Just curious. What aircraft are you refering to in ths statemen?

7 posted on 04/22/2004 9:58:04 AM PDT by scooter2
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To: Kozak
Yeah, I hear ya. But the pilot is there, just in case there's a glitch in that automatic landing system. I guess it's a little like taking the bayonet off the automatic weapon. You probably will never need it. But when you need it, you REALLY need it.
8 posted on 04/22/2004 10:02:12 AM PDT by Tallguy (Cannot rate this Reserve Freepers fitness: Not observed on this thread.)
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To: scooter2; AnalogReigns
700mph

Maybe that should have been KPH ?

9 posted on 04/22/2004 10:07:04 AM PDT by fourdeuce82d
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To: pepsionice
Well, yeah. BUT I wouldn't want a 13 year old at the controls of UCAV carrying a load of JDAM's. Alittle maturity is useful in that situation...
10 posted on 04/22/2004 10:07:43 AM PDT by Kozak (Anti Shahada: " There is no God named Allah, and Muhammed is his False Prophet")
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To: Tallguy
Skynet's air force is born :)
11 posted on 04/22/2004 10:08:00 AM PDT by Centurion2000 (Resolve to perform what you must; perform without fail that what you resolve.)
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To: Tallguy

I wonder how long until someone builds a UCAV dogfighter with the turning capability of an air to air missile.

12 posted on 04/22/2004 10:10:53 AM PDT by Centurion2000 (Resolve to perform what you must; perform without fail that what you resolve.)
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To: Centurion2000

SPECIFICATIONS
Wingspan: 34 ft (10.4m)
Length: 27 ft (8.2m)
Height: 7 ft (2.1m)
Weight, gross: 15,000 lb (6,804kg)
Weight, empty: 8,000 lb (3,628.8kg)

Anyone have an idea about how many of these would fit into an aircraft carrier ?

13 posted on 04/22/2004 10:12:23 AM PDT by Centurion2000 (Resolve to perform what you must; perform without fail that what you resolve.)
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To: Tallguy
The bomb, which carried no explosives, hit the target (that is, landed within a 30 feet of it, as GPS guided bombs are supposed to do.)

I believe the actual miss distance was only a couple of feet...

14 posted on 04/22/2004 10:13:27 AM PDT by r9etb
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To: Tallguy
The bomb, which carried no explosives, hit the target (that is, landed within a 30 feet of it, as GPS guided bombs are supposed to do.

How effective is a skinny little 250-pound bomb (say, 180 actual pounds of TNT) that lands 25 feet from its zero point, especially if the target has any hardening at all?

15 posted on 04/22/2004 10:18:52 AM PDT by VadeRetro (Faster than a speeding building! Able to leap tall bullets in a single bound!)
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To: Tallguy

More images HERE

Hope you don't mind me posting the pics.

See the X-45 HERE

See the X-47 Pegasus HERE

Pilots are DOOMED

16 posted on 04/22/2004 10:30:13 AM PDT by Centurion2000 (Resolve to perform what you must; perform without fail that what you resolve.)
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To: VadeRetro
How effective is a skinny little 250-pound bomb (say, 180 actual pounds of TNT) that lands 25 feet from its zero point, especially if the target has any hardening at all?

It's about twice the size of a 155mm artillery shell. Those have a casualty radius of 100 meters.

Of course they could build out a 250lb FAE bomb and use overpressure too.

17 posted on 04/22/2004 10:32:03 AM PDT by Centurion2000 (Resolve to perform what you must; perform without fail that what you resolve.)
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To: Centurion2000
Those have a casualty radius of 100 meters.

Radius? Kewl! But that's probably for infantrymen in the open.

18 posted on 04/22/2004 10:34:04 AM PDT by VadeRetro (Faster than a speeding building! Able to leap tall bullets in a single bound!)
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To: Centurion2000
It's about twice the size of a 155mm artillery shell. Those have a casualty radius of 100 meters.

How about a 250 lb shaped charge? That might punch a hole through a fair amount of armor or concrete. Besides, the payload is about 2000 lbs. Bet they can load a 2000 lb JDAM if the mission calls for it.
19 posted on 04/22/2004 10:38:39 AM PDT by Kozak (Anti Shahada: " There is no God named Allah, and Muhammed is his False Prophet")
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To: Kozak

Projected possible weapons loadouts for the X-45C

A 250# shape charge would kill almost anything.

A good write up on the X-45C is HERE

20 posted on 04/22/2004 10:49:53 AM PDT by Centurion2000 (Resolve to perform what you must; perform without fail that what you resolve.)
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