Journal of Aerospace and Defense Industry News
Journal of Aerospace and Defense Industry News
Jan. 12th, 2001
Business News [pic]
Wing adapter kit educates dumb bombs
by Alan Radecki
Special to Aerotech News
The stellar success of computer- and laser-guided bombs in the Persian Gulf war made the term "smart bomb" a household phrase in the early 1990s. At the time, some questioned the need for future "dumb" bombs, but as was found then and since, there still is a role for this type of munitions to play. But can it be played better?
Leigh Aerosystems of Carlsbad, Calif., believes it can. Leigh is in the process of testing and marketing their LongShot guidance and range-extension package for a variety of "dumb" munitions, including the 1,000-pound CBU-87 cluster bomb and the venerable
500-pound Mk 82 bomb. The "kit," as they refer to it, is a GPS-based guidance and targeting system, along with a pair of flight controlling wings, which, after bolting onto the bomb, transforms the weapon from a ballistic chunk of iron into a targetable stand-off glide bomb. The LongShot package is designed to bolt onto any munition with a standard 14-inch lung pattern, thus creating standoff weapons of unprecedented cost effectiveness
when attached to munitions already in a user's inventory.
The wings, which extend from a compact folded position upon deployment, give the bomb a great deal of maneuverability, as well as glide ratio of 8:1 or higher, depending on the model. This translates into the ability to attack from an altitude of 30,000 feet and hit a point target more than 40 miles away with an accuracy of better than 15 meters. The guidance system, which uses GPS data for navigation, can be pre-programmed for targeting prior to launch, or as an option, can be re-targeted as needed by the flight
crew using a small knee-mounted data pad, which transmits over the aircraft's common UHF comm. radios, alleviating the need to provide hardwire communications to the weapon.
But such "smartening" is not just limited to dumb bombs. Leigh also offers a LongShot package for the 500-pound GBU-12 laser-guided bomb. In its standard production state, the GBU-12 uses a set of moveable canards to navigate under laser guidance to its impact point, the caveat being that though the canards provide the directional guidance, they don't really extend the bomb's range. With the LongShot kit installed, the GBU-12 now sprouts a pair of glider wings, greatly extending the stand-off ability of the carrier aircraft. LongShot allows the weapon to fly with GPS navigation to a "basket" in the sky, from where the laser targeting system takes over and guides the bomb to its final destination.
The LongShot kit is designed to be compatible with all combat aircraft, and requires no aircraft interface modification. It has been successfully flight tested on a number of aircraft including the F-16 and F/A-18. Testing of an improved guidance system is underway, using the Saab F- and TF-35 Drakens operated by Flight Research Inc., of Mojave, Calif.
Following the Gulf War, there was a lot of talk - especially amongst the press and the politicians - focusing on the need to greatly expand America's arsenal of smart weapons. Unfortunately, the inevitable budget conflict largely limited such expansion in past years. What Leigh Aerosystems hopes to do with their LongShot package is to make the promise of precision accuracy more affordable for the United States and its allies.
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