David
Wed December 11, 2002 10:05am
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Some of the Chinese 82mm
Some of the Chinese 82mm Type 65 recoilless rifle and 82mm High Explosive Anti Tank recoilless rifle rounds discovered near the Kandahar International Airport. Photo by PH1 Ted Banks, USN
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David
Fri December 20, 2002 4:26pm
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USS Normandy (CG 60) and
USS Normandy (CG 60) and its crew stand range guard, while members of the George Washington battle group's Naval Special Warfare liaison team and Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit Two, Detachment Two Four (EODMU2 Det. 24) remove a navigation hazard in international waters with explosives. Normandy is part of the George Washington battle group, which is on a regularly scheduled six-month deployment. U.S. Navy photo by Journalist 2nd Class David Valdez.
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David
Fri December 20, 2002 4:58pm
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Sailors aboard the mine c
Sailors aboard the mine countermeasures ship prepare to lower the AN/SLQ-48 ?Mine Neutralization Vehicle? into the water. The remotely operated vehicle uses sonar and video cameras to find and identify underwater objects. If the operators find a mine, the vehicle can place small explosive charges near the mine to neutralize it. USS Champion is participating in ?Gulf of Mexico Exercise 02-2? near Corpus Christi, TX. During the exercise, USS Champion was tasked with searching for and clearing exercise ?mines? from critical waterways in the area. U.S. Navy photo by Lieutenant Marc Boyd.
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David
Fri December 20, 2002 4:58pm
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Sailors aboard the mine c
Sailors aboard the mine countermeasures ship prepare to lower the AN/SLQ-48 ?Mine Neutralization Vehicle? into the water. The remotely operated vehicle uses sonar and video cameras to find and identify underwater objects. If the operators find a mine, the vehicle can place small explosive charges near the mine to neutralize it. USS Champion is participating in ?Gulf of Mexico Exercise 02-2? near Corpus Christi, TX. During the exercise, USS Champion was tasked with searching for and clearing exercise ?mines? from critical waterways in the area. U.S. Navy photo by Lieutenant Marc Boyd.
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David
Fri December 20, 2002 10:15pm
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Chief Engineman Robert Ru
Chief Engineman Robert Russell, attached to Explosive Ordinance Disposal Mobile Unit Six (EODMU-6) instructs Chief Loic Guillouzo, a French Explosive Ordinance Disposal Technician, on the MK-16 re-breather unit during a joint training exercise in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. U.S. Navy photo by Photographer?s Mate 2nd Class Jeffrey Lehrberg.
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David
Fri December 20, 2002 10:15pm
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The U.S. Navy's Trident n
The U.S. Navy's Trident nuclear powered submarine USS Alaska (SSBN 732) is guided into an explosives handling wharf at the Naval Station. U.S. Navy photo by Gene Royer.
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David
Thu January 16, 2003 10:55pm
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M1A1 MBT
Function: Main battle tank (MBT).
Description: The M1A1 is an improved version of the M1 Main Battle Tank (MBT). It includes a 120mm smoothbore main gun, an NBC overpressure protection system, improved suspension and powertrain and an improved armor package. In 1988 the M1A1 design was further improved by the addition of depleted uranium (DU) to the tank's armor matrix. M1A1s assigned to the Marine Corps' tank battalions were further modified to include a Position Location Reporting System (PLRS) as well as a Deep Water Fording Kit (DWFK.) As with all tanks in the M1 line, the M1A1 utilizes a 3x-10x primary sight with both ambient light and thermal (infra red) capabilities which allow the gunner to acquire, identify and engage targets in all weather conditions and at ranges out to 2.5 miles. Furthermore, crew safety is enhanced by storing all main gun ammunition in an armored compartment with specially built "blow out" panels which will redirect explosive energy away from the crew in the event the ammunition is damaged.
General Characteristics, M1A1
Inventory:
U.S. Army: 4,796
U.S. Marine Corps: 221
Manufacturer:
General Dynamics (Land Systems Division)
Transmission:
Allison X-1100-3B hydrokinetic transmission, fully automatic with four forward and two reverse gear ratios.
Engine:
Lycoming Textron AGT-1500 (multi-fuel) gas turbine engine delivering 1500 horsepower
Length, Gun Forward:
385 inches (9.78 meters)
Width:
144 inches (3.66 meters)
Height:
114 inches (2.89 meters)
Combat Weight:
67.7 tons (61.4 metric tons)
Cruising Range:
289 miles (465.29 kilometers) without NBC system
279 miles (449.19 kilometers) with NBC system
Speed:
Maximum: 42 mph (67.72 kph)
Cross Country: 30 mph (48.3 kph)
Obstacle crossing:
Vertical: 42 inches (106.68 centimeters)
Trench: 9 feet wide (2.74 meters)
Slope: 60 degrees at 4.5 mph (7.24 kph)
Crew:
Four: driver, loader, gunner and tank commander
Armament:
Main: 120mm M256 main gun
Secondary:
.50 caliber .50 M2 machine gun
7.62mm M240 machine guns
Ammunition:
40 120mm Cannon rounds (combination of kinetic energy (SABOT) and High Explosive Anti Tank (HEAT) shaped charge)
1,000 Caliber .50 machine gun rounds
12,400 7.62mm NATO machine gun rounds
24 M8 red phosphorus smoke grenades
Sensors:
Cant sensor
Cross wind sensor
Laser rangefinder
Automatic lead input to ballistic fire control solution computer
Secondary armament:
TOW missile
7.62mm machine gun
Sight radius:
8 degrees at 10 power
Ground Clearance:
19 inches (48.26 centimeters)
Introduction date:
1985
Unit Replacement Cost:
$4,300,000
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David
Thu January 16, 2003 11:24pm
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AIM-54 Phoenix
Function: Long-range air-to-air missile, carried in clusters of up to six missiles on the F-14 Tomcat.
Description: The Phoenix missile is the Navy's only long-range air-to-air missile. It is an airborne weapons control system with multiple-target handling capabilities, used to kill multiple air targets with conventional warheads. Near simultaneous launch is possible against up to six targets in all weather and heavy jamming environments. The improved Phoenix, the AIM-54C, can better counter projected threats from tactical aircraft and cruise missiles.
General Characteristics, AIM-54 Phoenix Missile
Contractors:
Hughes Aircraft Corporation and Raytheon Corporation
Power Plant:
Solid propellant rocket motor built by Hercules
Length:
13 feet (3.9 meters)
Weight:
1,024 pounds (460.8 kilograms)
Diameter:
15 inches (38.1 centimeters)
Wingspan:
3 feet (.9 meter)
Range:
In excess of 100 nautical miles (115 statute miles, 184 kilometers)
Speed:
In excess of 3,000 mph (4,800 kmh)
Warhead:
Proximity fuse, high explosive
Warhead Weight:
135 pounds (60.75 kilograms)
Guidance System:
Semi-active and active radar homing
Date Deployed:
1974
Unit Cost:
$477,131
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David
Thu January 16, 2003 11:24pm
Rating: 10
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BLU-82 "Daisy Cutter
Function: 15,000 pound special purpose bomb.
Background: Introduced in March of 1970 as a field expedient method for carving out helicopter landing zones in the jungles of Vietnam (known as Commando vault airlift operations), the 15,000-pound BLU-82B, more popularly known as the "Daisy Cutter", is arguably the world's largest non-nuclear conventional airdropped munition. The BLU-82 is filled with 12,600 pounds of GSX explosive slurry and when detonated creates a blast wave of over 1,000 lbs. per square inch, which is sufficient to shear an 8" diameter tree off at its base and clear an area approxiamately 260 feet in diameter.
The BLU-82 is equipped with a 38" stand-off detonator fuse, which facilitates in the formation of the blast wave and can only be delivered by Special Operations MC-130 Combat Talon cargo aircraft. Because the BLU-82 must be dropped from at least 6,000 feet AGL (to avoid collateral damage to the dropping aircraft) and the aircraft itself is not equipped with an offensive air-ground radar system, accurate delivery of the weapon is dependent upon precise aircraft alignment (this can be achieved through either internal, on board navigational and positioning equipment or through steering cues provided by either ground or aerial radar control stations) and strict adherence to the bomb run profile.
Because of its blast potential, the Commando Vault is extremely effective in urban or built up areas as well as collapsing defensive fortifications and bunker complexes. The BLU-82 is also of limited effectiveness as a minefield clearing munition.
Description: The BLU-82 is essentially a large, explosive filled cylinder. The cylinder is olive drab in color, 4.5 feet in diameter, approximately 12 feet long, and equipped with a conical aerodynamic nose cone and tipped with a 38-inch standoff detonator. The bomb itself is unguided and utilizes a drogue parachute to both orient the weapon "nose first" and to control its rate of descent. Prior to deployment the BLU-82 is mounted on a sled-like loading/delivery pallet.
To launch the bomb, a cargo extraction parachute is deployed which, in turn, pulls the palletized bomb out of the aircraft. Once the bomb has left the aircraft a static line automatically deploys the bomb stabilization chute. The cargo extraction chute and delivery cradle are both discarded once the bomb stabilization chute deploys.
?General Characteristics, BLU-82 Commando Vault
Length:
11.8 feet (3.63 meters)
Diameter:
4.5 feet (1.38 meters)
Unit Cost:
$27,318 each
Weight:
15,000 lbs (6,818 kg.)
Filler type:
12,600 lbs GSX Aluminum-based slurry
Introduction date:
March 1970
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David
Thu January 16, 2003 11:24pm
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GBU-12 Paveway I/II
Function: Bomb with guidance support system.
Description: The Guided Bomb Unit-12 (GBU-12) utilizes a 500-pound general purpose warhead. The operator illuminates a target with a laser designator and then the munition guides to a spot of laser energy reflected from the target.
The GBU-12 Paveway II is a smaller version of the GBU-10 Laser Guided Bomb (LGB). Utilizing the same principles as the GBU-10, the GBU-1 uses the Mk. 82 500 pound bomb with the same seeker head technology as the GBU-10. Targets may be designated by either the launching aircraft or another aircraft in the area, by an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), or by personnel on the ground. In addition, since the GBU-12 orients itself on the reflected laser, rather than the target, it can be directed towards a different target after launch simply by pointing the designator at a different target.
The munition was used during Operation Desert Storm, and, according to the Air Force, hit 88 percent of its targets. During Desert Storm the GBU-12 was dropped by F-lllFs, F-15Es, and A-6s, mostly against fixed armor. It was the F-111F tank-busting weapon of choice. Of the 4,493 GBU-12s employed, over half were dropped by the F-lllF.
There are two generations of GBU-12 LGBs: Paveway I with fixed wings and Paveway II with folding wings. Paveway II models have the following improvements: detector optics and housing made of injec- tion-molded plastic to reduce weight and cost; increased detector sensitiv- ity; reduced thermal battery delay after release; increased maximum canard deflection; laser coding; folding wings for carriage, and increased detector field of view. (Paveway II's instantaneous field of view is thirty percent greater than that of the Paveway I's field of view).
Background: Precision-guided munitions (PGM) can trace their origins back to World War Two. These early weapons, such as the QB-17G "Aphrodite" were essentially airframes packed with explosives and guided via radio direction signals to their target, where they would crash and explode. While guidance was extremely crude by today's standards, these weapons were more accurate than conventional dropped munitions, and did not expose aircrews to deadly enemy anti-aircraft fire. Unfortunately, such weapons were unwieldy, unsuitable for small targets, and were themselves subject to defensive fire. The first truly precision-guided munitions did not appear until the Vietnam War. Serving as a major supply conduit for North Vietnam, the mile long Paul Doumer Bridge over the Red River was the most important ground target of the war. Unfortunately, it was also one of the most heavily defended, its approaches ringed with anti-aircraft guns and surface to air missile emplacements. While American pilots were able to attack the bridge using conventional munitions, such missions were extremely hazardous and casualties were high. In 1967 the Rockwell International Corporation was tasked with producing a precision munition using electro-optical guidance technology. The end result was the GBU (Guided Bomb Unit) 8 or Homing Bomb System (HOBOS), a conventional Mk. 84 2,000 pound bomb with a TV like electro-optical guidance package in the nose to provide direction and a modified tail fin assembly in the rear to provide lift. To launch the GBU-8 the pilot aligned the TV camera sight in the bomb with the target and the weapons officer locked the bomb's seeker onto the target. Once aligned, the bomb could be released well away from the target area and it would guide itself into the target with a high degree of accuracy.
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David
Thu January 16, 2003 11:24pm
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GBU-24 Paveway III
Description: The GBU-24 Paveway III represents the next step beyond the GBU-10 series of Laser Guided Bomb. Reacting to increased air defense lethality, which force attack aircraft to penetrate the target area in a nap of the earth (NOE) profile, as well as provide a low level LGB option in the event of poor battlefield visibility or low ceiling, the GBU-24 was specifically designed for low altitude deliveries. Utilizing the same principles as the GBU-10, the GBU-24 uses either the Mk. 84 2,000 pound bomb or the BLU-109 penetration bomb with an improved seeker head optimized for low-level release. To increase standoff range and improve low level glide characteristics, the GBU-24 is equipped with significantly larger guidance fins. As with the Paveway I and II, targets may be designated by either the launching aircraft or another aircraft in the area, by an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), or by personnel on the ground. In addition, since the GBU-24 orients itself on the reflected laser, rather than the target, it can be directed towards a different target after launch simply by pointing the designator at a different target.
The Guided Bomb Unit-24 (GBU-24) Low Level Laser Guided Bomb [LLLGB] consists of either a 2,000-pound MK-84 general purpose or BLU-109 penetrator bomb modified with a Paveway III low-level laser-guided bomb kit to add the proportional guidance in place of the bang-bang type used in the Paveway II. The LLLGB was developed in response to Sophisticated enemy air defenses, poor visibility, and to counter limitations in low ceilings. The weapon is designed for low altitude delivery and with a capability for improved standoff ranges to reduce exposure. The GBU-24 LLLGB/Paveway III has low-level, standoff capability of more than 10 nautical miles. Performance envelopes for all modes of delivery are improved because the larger wings of the GBU-24 increases maneuverability. Paveway III also has increased seeker sensitivity and a larger field of regard.
The operator illuminates a target with a laser designator and then the munition guides to a spot of laser energy reflected from the target. One way to deliver LGBs from low altitude is a loft attack. In this maneuver, the aircraft pulls up sharply at a predetermined point some miles from the target and the LGB is lofted upward and toward the target. However, if the LGB guidance system detects reflected laser energy from the target designator too soon after release, it tends to pull the LGW down below its required trajectory and the bomb will impact well short of the target.
This bomb is not nearly as delivery parameter sensitive as is the Paveway II LGB, nor is it affected by early laser designation. After a proper low altitude delivery, the LLLGB will maintain level flight while looking for reflected laser energy. If it does not detect reflected laser energy, it will maintain level flight to continue beyond the designated target, overflying friendly positions, to impact long, rather than short of the target.
Unlike the Paveway II LGB, the LLLGB can correct for relatively large deviations from planned release parameters in the primary delivery mode (low-altitude level delivery). It also has a larger delivery envelope for the dive, glide and loft modes than does the earlier LGB. The wide field of view and midcourse guidance modes programmed in the LLLGB allow for a "Point Shoot" delivery capability. This capability allows the pilot to attack the target by pointing the aircraft at the target and releasing the weapon after obtaining appropriate sight indications. The primary advantage of this capability is that accurate dive/tracking is not required to solve wind drift problems.
The Multi-Segment Hard Target Penetrator (MSHTP) concept has been designed to use the penetration capability of a BLU-113 or BLU-109 linked to the void counting hard target smart fuse. This weapon detonates a copper cutter charge upon entering the target and cuts the rear portion of the bomb off, which then detonates. The rest of the weapon continues down to the next level.
BLU-116 Advanced Unitary Penetrator [AUP] GBU-24 C/B (USAF) / GBU-24 D/B (Navy)
Air Force Research Laboratory Munitions Directorate engineers have completed development of a new warhead known as the Advanced Unitary Penetrator, or AUP. The warhead was successfully transitioned to the Precision Strike System Program Office at Eglin AFB, Fla. for Engineering Manufacturing Development (EMD) and production. The AUP was developed in less than three years at a cost of less than $8M. AFRL's emphasis on operational suitability as part of AUP weapon design will allow the EMD program to be completed in less than half the time of a normal EMD program.
The Advanced Unitary Penetrator [AUP] hard target penetrator features an elongated narrow diameter case made of a tough nickel-cobalt steel alloy called Air Force 1410. With the official designation of BLU-116, and designated the GBU-24 C/B (USAF) and GBU-24 D/B (Navy), is designed to provide at least twice the penetration capability of existing BLU-109 2000-pound bombs. The AUP is being demonstrated with Boeing as prime and Lockheed-Martin as subcontractor. Penetration capability is directly proportional to the warhead's sectional density--its weight divided by its cross section. The AUP maximizes sectional density by reducing the explosive payload and using heavy metals in the warhead case. Lower explosive payload will diminish dispersion of NBC agents to help reduce collateral effects. The AUP will retain the carriage and flight characteristics of the BLU-109, and it will be compatible with the GBU-24, GBU-27, and GBU-15/AGM-130 series of precision-guided bombs. Thus, the AUP will be capable of delivery from a wider inventory of aircraft, including stealth platforms, than the BLU-113/GBU-28. A proposal to replace the current CALCM warhead with an AUP warhead provides 2.5 times BLU-109 penetration capability.
The AUP development effort was conducted in support of the Counterproliferation Initiative (CPI) Advanced Concept Technology Demonstration (ACTD). The program objective was to develop and demonstrate a weapon that could be rapidly transitioned for Air Force and Navy use against hardened targets associated with the production, storage, and weaponization of chemical or biological agents. Normally, the introduction of a new weapon is a very long, expensive, and tedious process - as long as ten years or more. The associated cost may be tens of millions of dollars.
The 1700-pound AUP warhead is tucked inside a lightweight aerodynamic shroud. This "outer skin" gives the AUP the exact physical and aerodynamic characteristics of the BLU-109. The shroud strips away from the internal penetrator when the weapon impacts the target. Compared to the BLU-109, the AUP has thicker case walls, a tougher case material, an improved nose shape, and a smaller explosive charge. The cross-sectional area of the AUP penetrator, however, is only half as great as the cross-sectional area of the BLU-109. A smaller explosive charge reduces collateral damage potential by reducing blast overpressure that could expel chemical or biological agents from the target. A long testing series demonstrated AUP's compatibility with the Munitions Directorate-developed Hard Target Smart Fuze (HTSF). The HTSF allows the AUP to be detonated at the optimal point within a target to inflict maximum damage. That ability compensates for the reduction in explosive charge.
Because it is a "twin" to the BLU-109, the AUP can utilize a proven system of hardbacks, guidance units, and tail fin kits. The costs associated with developing new kits is eliminated. The operational users - pilots, weapon handlers and load crews - will gain the improved war fighting capabilities of the AUP without the costs associated with retraining support personnel or the acquisition of new delivery systems and support equipment. Battle commanders will also have increased ability to neutralize deeply buried hardened targets.
GBU-24E/B
GBU-24E/B, an Enhanced Paveway Laser Guided Bomb, is a precision-guided hardened target penetrator used to destroy hardened aircraft hangers and underground bunkers. It integrates a Global Positioning System and a ring laser gyro inertial measuring unit (IMU) to the already fielded GBU-24B/B "Paveway III" with the existing laser guidance. A new guidance and control unit has been modified to incorporate GPS electronics, GPS antenna, IMU and software for precision GPS/INS guidance. Testing of this system began in late 1999.
Background: Precision-guided munitions (PGM) can trace their origins back to World War Two. These early weapons, such as the QB-17G "Aphrodite" were essentially airframes packed with explosives and guided via radio direction signals to their target, where they would crash and explode. While guidance was extremely crude by today's standards, these weapons were more accurate than conventional dropped munitions, and did not expose aircrews to deadly enemy anti-aircraft fire. Unfortunately, such weapons were unwieldy, unsuitable for small targets, and were themselves subject to defensive fire. The first truly precision-guided munitions did not appear until the Vietnam War. Serving as a major supply conduit for North Vietnam, the mile long Paul Doumer Bridge over the Red River was the most important ground target of the war. Unfortunately, it was also one of the most heavily defended, its approaches ringed with anti-aircraft guns and surface to air missile emplacements. While American pilots were able to attack the bridge using conventional munitions, such missions were extremely hazardous and casualties were high. In 1967 the Rockwell International Corporation was tasked with producing a precision munition using electro-optical guidance technology. The end result was the GBU (Guided Bomb Unit) 8 or Homing Bomb System (HOBOS), a conventional Mk. 84 2,000 pound bomb with a TV like electro-optical guidance package in the nose to provide direction and a modified tail fin assembly in the rear to provide lift. To launch the GBU-8 the pilot aligned the TV camera sight in the bomb with the target and the weapons officer locked the bomb's seeker onto the target. Once aligned, the bomb could be released well away from the target area and it would guide itself into the target with a high degree of accuracy.
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David
Thu January 16, 2003 11:24pm
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Joint Direct Attack Munit
Description: The Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) GBU-31 is a tailkit under development to meet both USAF and Navy needs, with the Air Force as the lead service. The program will produce a weapon with high accuracy, all-weather, autonomous, conventional bombing capability. JDAM will upgrade the existing inventory of general purpose and penetrator unitary bombs, and a product improvement may add a terminal seeker to improve accuracy. JDAM can be launched from approximately 15 miles from the target and each is independently targeted.
JDAM is not intended to replace any existing weapon system; rather, it is to provide accurate delivery of general purpose bombs in adverse weather conditions. The JDAM will upgrade the existing inventory of Mk-83 1,000- and Mk-84 2,000-pound general purpose unitary bombs and the 2,000-pound hard target penetrator bomb by integrating a guidance kit consisting of an inertial navigation system/global positioning system guidance kit. The 1,000-pound variant of JDAM is designated the GBU-31, and the 2,000-pound version of the JDAM is designated the GBU-32. JDAM variants for the Mk-80 250-pound and Mk-81 500-pound bombs are designated GBU-29 and GBU-30, respectively. Hard Target penetrators being changed into low-cost JDAMs included the 2,000 pound BLU-109 and 1,000 pound BLU-110.
The JDAM will be continuously updated by aircraft avionics systems prior to release. Once released, the bomb's INS/GPS will take over and guide the bomb to its target regardless of weather. Guidance is accomplished via the tight coupling of an accurate GPS with a 3-axis INS. The Guidance Control Unit provides accurate guidance in both GPS-aided INS modes of operation and INS-only modes of operation. This inherent JDAM capability will counter the threat from near-term technological advances in GPS jamming. The weapon system allows launch from very low to very high altitude and can be launched in a dive, toss, loft or in straight and level flight with an on-axis or off-axis delivery. JDAM also allows multiple target engagements on a single pass delivery. JDAM provides the user with a variety of targeting schemes, such as preplanned and inflight captive carriage retargeting.
Potential Upgrades
The JDAM product improvement program may add a terminal seeker for precision guidance and other system improvements to existing JDAMs to provide the Air Force with 3-meter precision and improved anti-jamming capability. The Air Force is evaluating several alternatives and estimates that the seeker could be available for operations by 2004. The seeker kit could be used by both the 2,000-pound blast fragmentation and penetrator JDAMs.
The Advanced Unitary Penetrator (AUP), a candidate to be integrated with a GBU-31 guidance kit, is a 2000 lb. class penetrator warhead intended as an upgrade/replacement for the BLU-109 warhead in applications requiring increased penetration. The AUP is designed to provide increased penetration capability over the BLU-109 warhead while maintaining the same overall weight, mass properties, dimensions, and physical interfaces associated with the BLU-109 warhead. This concept integrates the AUP warhead with the GBU-31, the JDAM tail kit for 2,000 lb class warheads. This concept uses the Hard Target Smart Fuze (HTSF), an accelerometer based electronic fuze which allows control of the detonation point by layer counting, distance or time. The accelerometer senses G loads on the bomb due to deceleration as it penetrates through to the target. The fuze can distinguish between earth, concrete, rock and air.
The boosted penetrator concept is based on achieving maximum penetration without sacrificing operational flexibility. Total system weight will be less than 2,250 pounds so that it can be carried by all AF tactical aircraft and bombers as well as the Navy?s F/A-18. The goal is to achieve greater penetration than the GBU-28 with a near term, affordable design. A dense metal warhead will be used with a wraparound rocket motor to allow internal carriage in the F-117. Advanced explosives will be used to compensate for the reduced charge weight. This concept integrates the boosted penetrator warhead with a JDAM guidance kit with an adverse weather Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR).
The Ballasted Penetrator in GBU-32 concept is a 1000 pound dense or ballasted penetrator integrated with a GBU-32 guidance kit using compressed carriage for internal carriage in advanced fighters (F-22, JSF) or carriage in cruise missiles (JASSM, CALCM, ACM, ATACMS, Tomahawk.) The warhead would either be designed with a dense metal case or contain dense metal ballast for maximum penetration. The warhead will be filled with an advanced insensitive explosive to compensate for the reduced charge weight. The warhead will be integrated with the GBU-32, the JDAM tail kit for 1,000 lb class warheads.
The Boosted Unitary Penetrator concept is based on achieving maximum penetration in a weapon that will fit internally in the F-22. Total system weight will be less than 1300 pounds. A dense metal warhead will be used with a wraparound rocket motor. Use of next generation compressed seekers and aero-control designs along with reaction jet control will allow the size to shrink sufficiently to fit inside F-22 and JSF. Advanced explosives will be used to compensate for the reduced charge weight. This concept integrates the boosted penetrator warhead with a JDAM guidance kit with an adverse weather Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR).
The JDAM/BLU-113 concept improves the GBU-28 by enhancing the nose design of the BLU-113 warhead for improved penetration. The warhead nose reshape will improve BLU-113 penetration by more than 25%. The penetration could potentially be further improved by replacing the traditional HE fill with a dense explosive. The design involves integrating the improved BLU-113 warhead with a JDAM tail kit.
The Compressed Carriage GBU-32, J1K, enhanced fill concept is a JAST-1000 warhead with enhanced fill integrated with a GBU-32 guidance kit using compressed carriage for internal carriage in advanced fighters (F-22, JSF) or carriage in cruise missiles (JASSM, CALCM, ACM, ATACMS, Tomahawk.) The warhead is a combined penetrator and blast/fray warhead. The warhead shape is optimized for penetration and the enhanced fill and internal liner provide blast and controlled fragmentation capability. The warhead is shrouded to match the MK-83 mass properties and interfaces. The warhead will be integrated with the GBU-32, the JDAM tail kit for 1,000 lb class warheads. Use of aero-control designs along with reaction jet control will allow the size to shrink sufficiently to fit inside F-22 and JSF. This concept uses the Hard Target Smart Fuze (HTSF).
The Direct Attack Munitions Affordable Seeker (DAMASK) Fleet Advanced Demonstration (FAD) accuracy enhancement kit is a seeker of the lowest possible cost that will improve JDAM accuracy to three-meter circular error probability (CEP). The three-year FAD began in FY 98 and continued through FY 00. DAMASK includes a very low-cost sensor mounted to the front of a JDAM and an off-the-shelf signal processor mounted in the existing JDAM tail kit. It uses an uncooled imaging-infrared focal plane array (UIIFPA) sensor and low-cost optics, both developed for the consumer automobile market. An off-the-shelf, commercially available signal processor is the final component of the accuracy upgrade kit, estimated to cost less than $12.7 thousand per seeker in quantity. During the final stages of weapon flight, DAMASK's unique guidance system will image the target area, locate a mission-planned aimpoint and update the JDAM target location. The mission-planning image can come from satellite, uninhabited air vehicles or reconnaissance aircraft. A template is then automatically produced from the mission-planning image and loaded on board the aircraft with the baseline JDAM mission plan. Organic targeting is possible because the target area can be imaged with onboard synthetic aperture radar (SAR) or forward looking infrared (FLIR) sensors, and the pilot can then select the desired impact point using a heads-down display.
History: JDAM is being developed by Lockheed Martin and Boeing [McDonald Douglas]. In October 1995, the Air Force awarded a contract for EMD and for the first 4,635 JDAM kits at an average unit cost of $18,000, less than half the original $40,000 estimate. As a result of JDAM's pilot program status, low-rate initial production was accelerated nine months, to the latter half of FY 1997. On April 30, 1997, the Air Force announced the decision to initiate low-rate initial production (LRIP) of JDAM, with the first production lot of 937 JDAM kits. The JDAM Integrated Product Team achieved a phenomenal 53 guided JDAM weapon releases in the six months prior to the LRIP decision. JDAM demonstrated high reliability and outstanding accuracy. Twenty-two of the weapon releases were accomplished during an early Air Force operational assessment. Over a four-week period operational crews put JDAM through an operationally representative evaluation, including targets shrouded by clouds and obscured by snow. All 22 weapons successfully performed up to their operational requirements including overall accuracy of 10.3 meters, significantly better than the 13 meter requirement. Early operational capability JDAMs have been delivered to Whiteman Air Force Base, MO, and low-rate, initial production JDAM deliveries begin on 02 May 1998. McDonnell Douglas Corporation of Berkeley, MO, was awarded on 02 April 1999, a $50,521,788 face value increase to a firm-fixed-price contract to provide for low rate initial production of 2,527 Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) kits. The work is expected to be completed by January 2001.
The JDAM program is nearing the end of its development phase. More than 250 flight tests involved five Air Force and Navy aircraft. JDAM will be carried on virtually all Air Force fighters and bombers, including the B-1, B-2, B-52, F-15E, F-16, F-22, F-117, and F/A-18.
JDAM was certified as operational capable on the B-2 in July 1997. Limited Initial Operational Capability was achieved on the B-52 in December 1998.
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David
Thu January 16, 2003 11:24pm
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AGM-88 HARM
Function: The AGM-88 HARM (high-speed antiradiation missile) is an air-to-surface tactical missile designed to seek and destroy enemy radar-equipped air defense systems.
Description: The AGM-88 can detect, attack and destroy a target with minimum aircrew input. The proportional guidance system that homes in on enemy radar emissions has a fixed antenna and seeker head in the missile nose. A smokeless, solid-propellant, dual-thrust rocket motor propels the missile. The F-16C has the capability to employ the AGM-88, and is the only aircraft in the current inventory to use the AGM-88.
History: The Defense Systems Acquisition Review Council approved the AGM-88 missile for full production in March 1983. The Air Force equipped the F-4G Wild Weasel with the AGM-88 to increase the F-4G's lethality in electronic combat. The missile worked with the APR-47 radar attack and warning system on the aircraft. The missile is operationally deployed throughout the Air Force and in full production as a joint U.S. Air Force-U.S. Navy project.
General Characteristics, AGM-88 HARM
Contractors:
Texas Instruments
Power Plant:
Thiokol dual-thrust rocket motor
Thrust:
Dual thrust
Length:
13 feet, 8 inches (4.14 meters)
Launch Weight:
800 pounds (360 kilograms)
Diameter:
10 inches (25.40 centimeters)
Wingspan:
3 feet, 8 inches (101.60 centimeters)
Range:
30 plus miles (48 plus kilometers)
Speed:
Supersonic
Aircraft:
Used aboard the F-16C
Warheads:
High explosive
Guidance System:
Proportional
Date Deployed:
1984
Unit Cost:
$200,000
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David
Thu January 16, 2003 11:24pm
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AIM-9 Sidewinder
Function: The AIM-9 Sidewinder is a supersonic, heat-seeking, air-to-air missile carried by fighter aircraft. It has a high-explosive warhead and an active infrared guidance system. The Sidewinder was developed by the U.S. Navy for fleet air defense and was adapted by the U.S. Air Force for fighter aircraft use. Early versions of the missile were extensively used in the Southeast Asia conflict.
Description: The AIM-9 has a cylindrical body with a roll-stabilizing rear wing/rolleron assembly. Also, it has detachable, double-delta control surfaces behind the nose that improve the missile's maneuverability. Both rollerons and control surfaces are in a cross-like arrangement.
The missile's main components are an infrared homing guidance section, an active optical target detector, a high-explosive warhead and a rocket motor.
The infrared guidance head enables the missile to home in on target aircraft engine exhaust. An infrared unit costs less than other types of guidance systems, and can be used in day/night and electronic countermeasures conditions. The infrared seeker also permits the pilot to launch the missile, then leave the area or take evasive action while the missile guides itself to the target.
History: The AIM-9A, a prototype of the Sidewinder, was first fired successfully in September 1953. The initial production version, designated AIM-9B, entered the Air Force inventory in 1956 and was effective only at close range. It could not engage targets close to the ground, nor did it have nighttime or head-on attack capability. These shortcomings were eliminated on subsequent versions.
The AIM-9J, a conversion of the AIM-B and E models, has maneuvering capability for dogfighting, and greater speed and range, giving it greater enhanced aerial combat capability. Deliveries began in 1977 to equip the F-15 and other Sidewinder-compatible aircraft.
The AIM-9L added a more powerful solid-propellant rocket motor as well as tracking maneuvering ability. An improved active optical fuse increased the missile's lethality and resistance to electronic countermeasures. A conical scan seeker increased seeker sensitivity and improved tracking stability. The L model was the first Sidewinder with the ability to attack from all angles, including head-on. Production and delivery of the AIM-9L began in 1976.
The AIM-9P, an improved version of the J model, has greater engagement boundaries, enabling it to be launched farther from the target. The more maneuverable P model also incorporated improved solid-state electronics that increased reliability and maintainability. Deliveries began in 1978.
The AIM-9P-1 has an active optical target detector instead of the infrared influence fuse; the AIM-9P-2 added a reduced-smoke motor. The most recently developed version, the AIM-9P-3, combined both the active optical target detector and the reduced-smoke motor. It also has added mechanical strengthening to the warhead as well as the guidance and control section. The improved warhead uses new explosive material that is less sensitive to high temperature and has a longer shelf life.
The AIM-9M, currently the only operational variant, has the all-aspect capability of the L model, but provides all-around higher performance. The M model has improved defense against infrared countermeasures, enhanced background discrimination capability, and a reduced-smoke rocket motor. These modifications increase ability to locate and lock-on a target and decrease the missile's chances for detection. Deliveries of the M model began in 1983.
The AIM-9M-9 has expanded infrared countermeasures detection circuitry. AIM-9X is a future variant currently under development.
General Characteristics, AIM-9 Sidewinder
Contractors:
Raytheon and Loral Martin
Power Plant:
Hercules and Bermite Mk 36 Mod 11
Thrust:
Classified
Length:
9 feet, 5 inches (2.87 meters)
Launch Weight:
190 pounds (85.5 kilograms)
Diameter:
5 inches (0.13 meters)
Finspan:
2 feet, 3/4 inches (0.63 meters)
Warhead:
Annular blast fragmentation
Guidance System:
Solid-state, infrared homing system
Inventory:
Classified
Introduction Date:
1956
Unit Cost:
Approximately $84,000
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David
Thu January 16, 2003 11:24pm
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GBU-10 Paveway I/II
Function: Bomb with guidance support system.
Description: The Guided Bomb Unit-10 (GBU-10) utilizes the 2,000-pound general purpose or penetrating warhead. The operator illuminates a target with a laser designator and then the munition guides to a spot of laser energy reflected from the target. The GBU-10 consists of an MK-84 2,000 pound bomb with an added laser guidance package. The GBU-1OI mates a BLU-109B weapon with a Paveway II laser guidance kit. This improved 2,000-pound bomb is used against targets requiring deeper penetration.
The GBU-10 Paveway represents the next phase in precision-guided munition (PGM) technology. Utilizing the same principles as the GBU-8, the GBU-10 uses the same Mk. 84 2,000 pound bomb but with a seeker head which homes in on laser energy reflected off of a "designated" target. Targets may be designated by either the launching aircraft or another aircraft in the area, by an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), or by personnel on the ground. In addition, since the GBU-10 orients itself on the reflected laser, rather than the target, it can be directed towards a different target after launch simply by pointing the designator at a different target. There are currently two versions of the GBU-10 in the American inventory; the original Paveway I, which has fixed guidance fins on the bomb's tail section, and the improved Paveway II, which has an improved seeker head and low profile "pop out" retractable guidance fins.
The munition was used during Operation Desert Storm, and, according to the Air Force, hit 78 percent of its targets. In Operation Desert Storm, GBU-10/10Is were used extensively by F-15Es and F-111Fs mainly against bridges, Scuds, C3I (command, control, communications, intelligence) nodes, and bunkers. Of the 2,637 expended,'44 over one- third were dropped by F-111Fs, and the rest by F-117s, F-15Es, and Navy and Marine Corps aircraft.
There are two generations of GBU-10 LGBs: Paveway I with fixed wings and Paveway II with folding wings. Paveway II models have the following improvements: detector optics and housing made of injec- tion-molded plastic to reduce weight and cost; increased detector sensitiv- ity; reduced thermal battery delay after release; increased maximum canard deflection; laser coding; folding wings for carriage, and increased detector field of view. (Paveway II's instantaneous field of view is thirty percent greater than that of the Paveway I's field of view).
Background: Precision-guided munitions (PGM) can trace their origins back to World War Two. These early weapons, such as the QB-17G "Aphrodite" were essentially airframes packed with explosives and guided via radio direction signals to their target, where they would crash and explode. While guidance was extremely crude by today's standards, these weapons were more accurate than conventional dropped munitions, and did not expose aircrews to deadly enemy anti-aircraft fire. Unfortunately, such weapons were unwieldy, unsuitable for small targets, and were themselves subject to defensive fire. The first truly precision-guided munitions did not appear until the Vietnam War. Serving as a major supply conduit for North Vietnam, the mile long Paul Doumer Bridge over the Red River was the most important ground target of the war. Unfortunately, it was also one of the most heavily defended, its approaches ringed with anti-aircraft guns and surface to air missile emplacements. While American pilots were able to attack the bridge using conventional munitions, such missions were extremely hazardous and casualties were high. In 1967 the Rockwell International Corporation was tasked with producing a precision munition using electro-optical guidance technology. The end result was the GBU (Guided Bomb Unit) 8 or Homing Bomb System (HOBOS), a conventional Mk. 84 2,000 pound bomb with a TV like electro-optical guidance package in the nose to provide direction and a modified tail fin assembly in the rear to provide lift. To launch the GBU-8 the pilot aligned the TV camera sight in the bomb with the target and the weapons officer locked the bomb's seeker onto the target. Once aligned, the bomb could be released well away from the target area and it would guide itself into the target with a high degree of accuracy.
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