Posted on 06/16/2023 7:36:42 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
A recent live-fire test saw an F-15E Strike Eagle destroy a “full-scale surface vessel” in the Gulf of Mexico with a new, experimental anti-ship munition—a unique foray into anti-ship warfare.
The test, carried out by the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), demonstrated the feasibility of using a GBU-31 Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) as a low-cost solution to quickly get mass into the fight against ships. The Air Force has dubbed its effort QUICKSINK, a nod to the modified JDAM’s role against ships and the rapidity with which the Air Force would like to validate this munition.
“QUICKSINK is an answer to an urgent need to neutralize maritime threats to freedom around the world,” said Col. Tony Meeks, director of the AFRL's Munitions Directorate, said in a statement covering the test. “The men and women of this directorate consistently find ways to solve our nation’s greatest challenges.”
QUICKSINK’s JDAM is essentially a 2,000-pound unguided bomb, modified with a bolt-on precision guidance kit for an anti-ship role. For that role, the weapon features a tail section with four control surfaces as well as a guidance unit. In the past, other munitions, such as torpedoes and anti-ship missiles, have been favored to take out enemy ships. Though now, QUICKSINK’s modified JDAM munition could offer commanders greater ordnance flexibility.
“Heavy-weight torpedoes are effective [at sinking large ships] but are expensive and employed by a small portion of naval assets,” said Maj. Andrew Swanson. “With QUICKSINK, we have demonstrated a low-cost and more agile solution that has the potential to be employed by the majority of Air Force combat aircraft, providing combatant commanders and warfighters with more options,” Major Swanson explained.
The AFRL program member explained that U.S. Navy submarines, the wolves of the ocean, pose a considerable threat to surface vessels. Still, submarines are costly, as are their anti-ship missiles and torpedoes. “A Navy submarine has the ability to launch and destroy a ship with a single torpedo at any time, but the QUICKSINK JCTD aims to develop a low-cost method of achieving torpedo-like kills from the air at a much higher rate and over a much larger area,” said Kirk Herzog, AFRL program manager.
“The development of this technology is critical to maintaining U.S. technological superiority and addressing defined national security challenges,” said Gerry Tighe, OUSD(R&E) oversight executive for the JCTD. “This successful demonstration represents an important milestone.”
They won’t need ships to carry their people across the ocean, they’re already crossing over the border illegally. We’ve got a multi-million man army of military age men that have crossed. It’s a standing army being put in place. Being paid for by our idiot politicians.
There was some photos posted a while back
The bomb explodes underwater and adjacent to the ship at midships....the resulting hydro-static impulse splits the ship in half and it promptly sinks.
Doesn't sound like anything groundbreaking. I was hoping it might have some type of hypersonic weapon or some radical new design. lol
Pretty soon we are going to have trains crossing the oceans too.
These bombs should put a stop to those.
We just brag that we have what we don’t have.
Let me guess? uh China!
You have to get a $50 million aircraft awfully close to use an inexpensive JDAM. And what happens post-release when the ship begins evasive maneuvers?
With the AF down about 12% on recruiting (quick math)...will they have enough PC folx to fly the aeroplanes?
Description
The Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) is a guidance kit that converts existing unguided bombs into precision-guided “smart” munitions. The tail section contains an inertial navigational system (INS) and a global positioning system (GPS). JDAM improves the accuracy of unguided bombs in any weather condition and is fully integrated on Navy fighter-attack aircraft such as the AV-8B, F/A-18 and F-35. JDAM with the addition of a Precision Laser Guidance Set (PLGS) becomes Laser JDAM (LJDAM), a flexible dual mode weapon utilizing Laser and GPS aided INS to guide the weapon.
The Navy can use them. The modifications were just developed by the USAF. The BLU-117 is an American general-purpose bomb that has been around since the Vietnam war.
“A Navy P-3C patrol aircraft...”
That’s funny. Are you sure they didn’t drop 50 sonobouys on the ship?
(Full disclosure...we dealt with bunches of P-3s when I was USN in Europe. Real workhorses!)!
We were dropping JDAM before I retired in 2004. Just a dumb bum with GPS guidance strapped to it.
Admirals are going to be pissed! Looks like Billy Mitchell's at it again.
And I have a bridge I’d like to sell you.
“for busting something other than bunkers”
Catchy name, you should submit it for the new version.
So the AF already has the Chinese AF beaten and now has gone to rescue the Navy? I will sleep better tonight.
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