BAD-WEATHER BOMBS\B-1B tests satellite targeting system.Byline: Jim Skeen Daily News Staff Writer A B-1B bomber successfully conducted the first release of a bomb that uses satellite technology to find its way through fog or haze to its target, Air Force officials said Friday. On three passes, the B-1B dropped three joint direct attack munitions Noun 1. Joint Direct Attack Munition - a pinpoint bomb guidance device that can be strapped to a gravity bomb thus converting dumb bombs into smart bombs JDAM test bombs on an Edwards range Thursday. The bombs were dropped while the aircraft was traveling at about 6,500 feet at more than 550 mph. JDAM Noun 1. JDAM - a pinpoint bomb guidance device that can be strapped to a gravity bomb thus converting dumb bombs into smart bombs Joint Direct Attack Munition bombs are being developed as a result of experience from the Persian Gulf War Persian Gulf War or Gulf War (1990–91) International conflict triggered by Iraq's invasion of Kuwait in August 1990. Though justified by Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein on grounds that Kuwait was historically part of Iraq, the invasion was presumed to be that showed a need for low-cost, autonomously controlled, bad-weather guidance systems for 1,000- and 2,000-pound bombs. During the Gulf War, smoke and haze from burning oil wells obscured targets. "If a target area is obscured a JDAM can hit that target," said Maj. Rich Stuckey, Block B JDAM program manager for the B-1B. JDAM is actually a kit that attaches to the tail of 1,000- and 2,000-pound bombs. The kit includes a global positioning system Global Positioning System: see navigation satellite. Global Positioning System (GPS) Precise satellite-based navigation and location system originally developed for U.S. military use. , which uses information from satellites to determine the location of a target. A navigational system Noun 1. navigational system - a system that provides information useful in determining the position and course of a ship or aircraft Global Positioning System, GPS - a navigational system involving satellites and computers that can determine the latitude and manipulates the bomb's tail fins to fly the bomb to its target. "It knows when it leaves the aircraft where it needs to go," Stuckey said. Developers of the JDAM system want it to hit within 50 feet of the programmed target. "JDAM is flexible," Stuckey said. "You can put many JDAMs on a target or individual targets on one pass." The B-1B, which is being converted from a nuclear weapons carrier to a conventional warfare Conventional warfare is a form of warfare conducted by using conventional military weapons and battlefield tactics between two or more states in open confrontation. The forces on each side are well-defined, and fight using weapons that primarily target the opposing army. bomber, will be able to carry 24 JDAM bombs. The bombs were to be mounted in groups of eight on rotary launchers in each of the bomber's three weapons bays. The test conducted Thursday was to determine whether JDAM-equipped bombs can be safely released from the B-1B bomber. Five more tests will be conducted this year and in 1997. Testing of actual operations with the JDAM system will be conducted next year. JDAM is being developed for the Air Force, Navy and Marines. It will be compatible with 11 different aircraft, including the B-2 and B-52 bombers, the F-117 stealth stealth Any military technology intended to make vehicles or missiles nearly invisible to enemy radar or other electronic detection. Research in antidetection technology began soon after radar was invented. fighter, and the Navy's P-3 submarine hunter. In October, the Air Force awarded a $126 million contract to McDonnell Douglas McDonnell Douglas was a major American aerospace manufacturer and defense contractor, producing a number of famous commercial and military aircraft. It merged with Boeing in 1997 to form The Boeing Company. to begin manufacturing and testing of the JDAM guidance kits. The B-1B used for the testing is one of two B-1B bombers being used by the 419th Flight Test Squadron at Edwards. The 360-member squadron is at the front of a $2 billion, seven-year effort to turn the B-1B into a conventional weapons carrier. CAPTION(S): PHOTO Photo (1--AV and SAC--color in AV) Maj. Rich Stuckey, program manager for the B-1B bomber, explains the workings of the tail-mounted guidance system of JDAM bombs. (2--AV and SAC--color in AV) Experimental JDAM bombs rely on a satellite-controlled global positioning system to locate their target. Jeff Goldwater/Daily News |
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