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.”
Why the U.S. Army Practices Sinking Warships
https://nationalinterest.org/blog/reboot/why-us-army-practices-sinking-warships-199045
Appears to be a great adaptation of an existing weapons system, given that our Navy is downsized, unprepared, and outnumbered. And if it works, cheaper is always better.
Does the Air Force have exclusive use of 2000 lb JDAM bombs? It seems to me, an ignorant civilian, that the Navy, being the Navy and all, is more likely to be in the vicinity of ships that need sinking than the land-based Air Force.
The tonnage sunk of WWI,II will pale to what’s coming. Ocean crossing torpedoes can’t be stopped.
Wiki says “JDAM-equipped bombs are guided by an integrated inertial guidance system coupled to a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver, giving them a published range of up to 15 nautical miles.”
I don’t think that will reach the middle of the Pacific.
The F16 has a combat range of 295 nmi (339 mi) on a hi-lo-hi mission carrying four 1,000 pound bombs.
So this article extols this as a “low-cost” munition, but the cost of delivering it to an enemy ship is huge.
That's the spirit.
What exactly would you propose to counter a ccp threat at sea?
Chinese troops do parades well. But that’s all.
With the range limited to a little more than a dozen miles, the planes will be lucky to get off a shot before being shot down by a ship launched missile.
Full size - https://news.usni.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Liaoning-16-Chinas-first-aircraft-carrier.jpg
Not many of them look like they’re really into it. One looks like he’s about to cry and others look like they’re not happy to be there.
I wonder how many smart munitions Musk’s Starship can loft into near Earth orbit at one time?
But a B2 bomber can get into range of whatever needs sinking, anywhere in the world, faster than a surface ship can get there.
And a Falcon rocket, launched from the US, can get there even quicker.
China’s threat to Taiwan is overwhelming ship numbers at an instant.
Let me explain. China can put ships in its waters but off Taiwan. In great numbers those ships can then attack Taiwan all at once. This now gives our joint air defense of Taiwan the ability to use land based aircraft launching or in rotating on-guard positions over the island coast, the ability to take out large numbers of ships from large numbers of aircraft circling over Taiwan. 150 Chinese ships, 50 US/Taiwanese defense planes with 6 bombs and 50% accuracy and hit rate. The planes will still be over Taiwanese coastal waters as the Chinese are entering same. The planes will be at altitude above most deadly naval gun range.
China got the blueprints before General Dynamics, or whoever the contractor is on this one.
Hi.
My bad, I read the article.
Is it 2000 lbs of Cemtex, RDX or TNT?
5.56mm
The Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) is a joint U.S. Air Force and Department of Navy program.
So it is weird the article only mentions it being used on Air Force jets. Either the original press release said that or perhaps the author didn’t do much research.
Just a JDAM with a different guidance system bolted on.
If you haven’t seen the blast of a JDAM, you’ll be surprised at how powerful they are.
I don't know about Quicksink capabilities, but on the civilian side we have a transportation secretary with four breastages!
And if the military learned about staring at goats, imagine the power of prayer in the Holy Spirit. Love makes them run screaming.
Every agency, department, bureau, etc. of the Federal government are constantly looking for ways to protect their existing turf, expand that turf and footprint, and increase their budget. It seems in the Defense Department that readiness, recruiting, maintaining current equipment, etc. always seems to fall down the list of priorities due to all the new stuff, new tech, new whatever. Expanding the kingdom always gets top priority.
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