According to new atlas, the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) demonstrated the ability of air drop bombs to sink ships. Its effect is the same as that of submarine launched torpedoes, but the cost is very low. On April 28, an F-15E Strike Eagle fighter sank a full-size target vessel in the Gulf of Mexico using a 2000 pound (907 kg) quicksink gbu-31 Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM)**
Bombing ships is not new. In 1921, Brigadier General Billy Mitchell launched a revolution in naval warfare. He carried out an experimental bomber attack and sank a captured German warship. However, sinking a ship, especially a large ship with a double hull and watertight compartments, is not simply throwing explosives on the deck, but placing the charge where one launch can cause the greatest damage.
This is why the first choice of anti-ship weapons is a heavy torpedo launched by submarines such as the US type 46. It can launch 96.8 pounds (43.9 kg) of highly explosive pbxn-103 to the target. Ideally, the fatal point is directly below the keel, although at a distance from the hull. When the torpedo arrives here, the magnetic force, timer or remote detonator will detonate the explosive and produce a shock wave, breaking the back of the hull and sinking it to the seabed.
The disadvantage is that submarines are not always available in a short time, and torpedoes cost $1.2 million per launch. As an alternative, AFRL and Elgin Air Force Base's integrated test team established quicksink joint capability technology demonstration (jctd) to test a potentially more cost-effective and flexible alternative based on JDAM system.
Simply put, JDAM is a suite that turns unguided "dumb" gravity bombs into precision guided munitions. It includes a collar around the main body of the bomb and a tail device using GPS and inertial guidance system.
For quicksink, the JDAM package has been modified to use a new seeker unit and weapon open system architecture (WOSA) to provide the required accuracy to sink the target ship at a cost of only $300000 per round. In addition, the system will allow more attacks on stationary or moving targets in a larger area, which can be done by submarines in the same time frame.
"The development of this technology is crucial to maintaining the technological advantage of the United States and addressing clear national security challenges," said Gerry Tighe, oversight executive officer of ousd (R & amp; E) in charge of jctd. "This successful demonstration represents an important milestone."