Originally Posted by gums
If the pilot was originally gonna drop a LGB by himself ( twice), then the plane must have had some kinda pod for self-designation, huh? So why need a buddy to designate the tgt for the final attempt?
I’ve no idea of the specifics of this occurrence but in general terms it might go something like this. The range orders probably impose constraints on attack direction, altitude and release distance. When the pilot returned to the range, maybe the target was obscured by cloud from the permitted attack directions but remained visible from elsewhere. Or maybe a cloud layer had formed below the minimum permitted release altitude but had a base high enough for a buddy to operate below it. (Damn those coastal ranges!) Either of those situations could have been addressed with an ad-hoc buddy lase provided the bomb gets enough time in clear sight of the target to receive laser returns and guide properly. Dropping LGBs through weather is good sport and good training too; such situations are not unheard of on ops with all GPS weapons expended and restrictions on attack directions for protection of friendlies. The thicker the cloud, the better the initial ballistic aim needs to be due to the limited field of view of the seeker. 5km error is going to challenge the seeker in any weather! This is all speculation on my part but plausible enough; would have been good to have the detail in the report, as you say.