America's new 2000lb "quicksink" bomb
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America's new 2000lb "quicksink" bomb
Trials show it taking down a merchant ship in under 40 seconds. Film in the link, though as they are sinking a ship one would imagine it has been gutted to remove dangerous items, Asbestos and wiring etc, so the internal structure may have been compromised.
https://www.maritime-executive.com/a...hip-in-seconds
The U.S. Air Force has released new and startling footage of a test of its new "Quicksink" anti-ship bomb kit, which adapts a standard 2,000-pound smart bomb for the purpose of targeting and destroying large vessels. It is an inexpensive alternative to a heavyweight torpedo or an anti-ship missile, which deliver the same effect but at much higher cost.
To create Quicksink, the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory started out with a GBU-31 Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM), the standard guided-bomb tail kit compatible with all American strike aircraft. In its normal configuration, JDAM uses GPS and inertial navigation to maneuver a standard bomb with enough precision to land within about eight feet of the target. Quicksink adds a smart guidance package and sensors onto the bomb's nose, giving it the ability to home in on a ship-shaped target. The bomb drops beside the ship and detonates underwater, breaking the keel with a massive pressure wave without ever actually striking the hull.
The newly-released video shows the perspective of a camera mounted on a target ship. Almost immediately after detonation, the camera flies off its mount, falls to the deck, and is immersed in the water flooding over the vessel's side - emphasizing the extreme rapidity of the sinking. Based on the timeline in the first video released by the Air Force, the stern section of the target ship went under in about 20 seconds, followed by the bow some 17 seconds later.
To create Quicksink, the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory started out with a GBU-31 Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM), the standard guided-bomb tail kit compatible with all American strike aircraft. In its normal configuration, JDAM uses GPS and inertial navigation to maneuver a standard bomb with enough precision to land within about eight feet of the target. Quicksink adds a smart guidance package and sensors onto the bomb's nose, giving it the ability to home in on a ship-shaped target. The bomb drops beside the ship and detonates underwater, breaking the keel with a massive pressure wave without ever actually striking the hull.
The newly-released video shows the perspective of a camera mounted on a target ship. Almost immediately after detonation, the camera flies off its mount, falls to the deck, and is immersed in the water flooding over the vessel's side - emphasizing the extreme rapidity of the sinking. Based on the timeline in the first video released by the Air Force, the stern section of the target ship went under in about 20 seconds, followed by the bow some 17 seconds later.
[QUOTE=NutLoose;11301362]Trials show it taking down a merchant ship in under 40 seconds. Film in the link, though as they are sinking a ship one would imagine it has been gutted to remove dangerous items, Asbestos and wiring etc, so the internal structure may have been compromised.
Thanks, missed that.
Thanks, missed that.
It's only a little ship - and quite an old one too by the looks, subject to a ton of HE going off adjacently, when stationary. That was always going to end badly.
Whether that guidance package could deal with a more realistic target would be an interesting exercise.
Still useful demo should one wish to sink merchant shipping quickly.
Whether that guidance package could deal with a more realistic target would be an interesting exercise.
Still useful demo should one wish to sink merchant shipping quickly.
Below the Glidepath - not correcting
Remembering that real ships are moving targets. I'm sure predictive algorithms are good, but it's not going to be as easy as the demo suggests.
The ROKS Cheonan was taken out by cavitation or something similar.
From Wiki: “The explosion might have created a bubble jet that eventually generated an enormous shock wave and caused the ship to break in two.“
From Wiki: “The explosion might have created a bubble jet that eventually generated an enormous shock wave and caused the ship to break in two.“
Interesting that the only competitor mentioned the USAF promo is the MK48 torpedo. No mention of anti-ship missiles, which can be launched from sub, surface, and air platforms.
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here:Video: Royal Navy and US Navy Conduct SINKEX - Naval News
https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news...onduct-sinkex/
Ex ATLANTIC THUNDER RAW Footage Original Video m19179
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[MORE] story: U.K. and U.S. Conduct SINKEX during Atlantic Thunder 22 - Seapower (seapowermagazine.org)
Another story about NORF 'Lantic SankEx: Royal Navy participates in SINKEX – destroying a decommissioned US frigate in the North Atlantic. | Navy Lookout
Another story about NORF 'Lantic SankEx: Royal Navy participates in SINKEX – destroying a decommissioned US frigate in the North Atlantic. | Navy Lookout
Last edited by SpazSinbad; 23rd Sep 2022 at 20:31. Reason: xtra story
Ship is less dense than water, hence it floats. Any explosion is going to seek the path of least resistance, which from under a ship is through the ship.
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Taiwan will be ordering a few thousand
A bit of open source material about JDAM.
I doubt that they would discuss in open source its effectiveness versus moving targets.
I doubt that they would discuss in open source its effectiveness versus moving targets.
I can only say, having been on and landed upon a number of Perry class frigates, that it does my heart good to see one of them blown up. We referred to them as the Helen Keller class. The CORT mod was only done on about a dozen, and it did not take long for those to also be retired.
A bit of open source material about JDAM.
I doubt that they would discuss in open source its effectiveness versus moving targets.
I doubt that they would discuss in open source its effectiveness versus moving targets.
"Quicksink adds a smart guidance package and sensors onto the bomb's nose, giving it the ability to home in on a ship-shaped target. The bomb drops beside the ship and detonates underwater, breaking the keel with a massive pressure wave without ever actually striking the hull."
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USMC Adds More Anti-Ship Munitions To Its Arsenal 26 Sep 2022 Peter Ong "...Two munitions are delivered from tactical aircraft (Harpoon and QUICKSINK).... [Brig. Gen. Joseph Clearfield, Deputy Commander, U.S. Marine Corps Forces Pacific] We got a tactical air, fixed wing, we got two that can sink a ship...." https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news...o-its-arsenal/