Posted on 09/19/2013 6:12:55 AM PDT by artichokegrower
The U.S. Air Force proved this month that laser guided bombs can, in fact, hit moving targets at sea when dropped from supersonic bombers like the B-1B Lancer.
On Sept. 4, a B-1 from the 337th Test and Evaluation Squadron took off from Dyess Air Force Base bound for the Gulf of Mexico. Their goal was to better understand and improve their maritime strike capabilities while using a laser guided 500-pound bomb GBU-54, as well as 500 and 2,000-pound joint direct attack munitions.
(Excerpt) Read more at gcaptain.com ...
Nice to know our $600 billion defense budget is being used to bomb pirates. WTF?
I have no problem with that
The governemnt should be making the seas safe
Well, fighting pirates was the original mission that established the United States Marine Corps.
The munition is bigger than the target. What a waste.
Remember Obama wants to retire the B-1 to save $$$$.
What’s wrong with a drone strike? I guess when you’re a bomber wing 2 billion dollar hammer, everything is a nail.
Why don’t they use a smaller aircraft and strafe them.
I’m sure the gunex events could be useful.
Less expensive too.
Talk about using a sledge hammer to kill a gnat.
Why can’t we make some good old WW2 era subs and shoot them with Mk 48’s? We don’t need a blue water navy to fight coastal pirates. Another rub is why fight anything that is not in our hemisphere. Stop policing the world.
Pirate these days basically use 30 foot long open boats. You dont need to actually hit them with a 500 # bomb. Anything within 50 yards will blow them to bits.
Drop a bunch of 1000 lb concrete slugs with no explosives.
That would work just as well on the boats they have and would save a lot of money. Sunk is sunk.
Its nice to know that we have the accuracy and capability to hit fast moving targets on land or water. From more then one platform style.
A 500 pound bomb direct hit on a 1,000 pound boat? Yes, that’ll do the job. Like dear old Dad used to tell me: “Son, if a job’s worth doing, it’s worth doing right.”
yar? Argh!
I used to be proud of our military and it’s technology.
I don’t know about everyone else, but these days, when I read about a new military innovation, the first thought that comes to me is something along the lines of “What happens if the government decides we’re the enemy and turns those weapons on us?”
When the definition of “terrorist” can be expanded to include granparents demonstrating at TEA party gatherings, how long do you think it will take for the definition of “pirate” to be expanded to include anyone with a boat who doesn’t tow the statist line?
When they are OUR ships at risk, it becomes our business.
LGT's (Large Grey Targets): 
image from Ken Cuccinelli's Facebook page, 7 September 2013
for American ships
The Panamanian navy can protect the ships registered in Panama.
“What happens if the government decides we’re the enemy and turns those weapons on us?”
That decision has already been made. The weapons are at the ready.
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