The RAF has used its biggest bomb in an attack against an IS tunnel
 

Ah the paveway ordnance, was it designated by buccaneers?


(sorry checked my watch, I'm 25 years behind)

Cue lots of posts about how much bigger the bombs were in days gone by. <sigh>

Nice work. More of the same, please.

Now if you put a guidance package on a Tallboy and had an aircraft that could lift it and fly high enough . . .

BBMF might just have the thing ...............

Can't get a Tallboy in city of Lincoln without removing the bomb bay doors (617 and 9 Sqn lancs had the deep bay doors). Could always lob it out of the back of a cargo aircraft like a C-17 or a Herc though.

Yep ... Best 'use' of my income tax contributions this year ... Very happy for the MOD to spend more :ok:

That's got to be value for money.

Happy to chip in a few 'Pension Quid" if they need some more ;)

The fact that it's a 2,000 bomb is a bit of a yawner. A decade and more ago our Vipers were flying routine missions, on call or planned strike, over Iraq with GBU-31 JDAM: 2000-lb bomb, GPS guided. It was part of a standard load out.

What interests me about the Paveway and this strike is its "bunker buster" feature since getting at things under ground/in caves is a different weaponeering problem. That's been an interesting nut to crack over the years.
Nice job, RAF, and looking forward to more good news.

This isn't even the first time the RAF has used PWIII, I don't see the fuss...?

Lonewolf

The 2000lb PW3 (and EPW3) was similarly carried by UK forces over Iraq. The point the article makes is its the biggest used against ISIS (so far). Not such a yawner this side of the pond!

True enough, but reading between the lines this is the first time in a generation, ie the last combat use was before many current crews had ever strapped in to a jet

Were they not used in Libya? The Mod was certainly advertising their being 'deployed' for that mission.

as tallboy and grandslam (now THATS a bomb) had fins to impart spin...just how fast was the bomb spinning on impact?

FISH.

Has there been an post-attack intelligence regarding the number of daesh scum turned into hamburger by the PWIII attack?

I thought that FAE thermobaric devices were the weapon of choice to jellify such cave dwellers?

Anyway, good to see another successful attack!

I transfer my pension cash donation to FAE ... for the psychological impact ;)

A voice heard from above...
"I say, Mohammed - Organise us another few truckloads of virgins, will you? There's a good chap.

Its hardly working as a strategy to end the war..... or conflict. This sort of news is dribbled out every few weeks. The UK public are yawning and wondering what it is all about. Those that can be bothered to listen or read about it, that is. Or post about it. How much does a mission to drop one totally cost in cash?

What do you want Hangarshuffle? Do you want news, or don't you? One minute you're complaining that there's not enough being broadcast about our boys and girls efforts out east:

...the next minute, you're moaning and picking holes when it does come out. If you really must question the need, or effectivity, in bombing the enemy (yes, they are our ENEMY!), may I politely suggest you do it with some consideration for those away from their families, keeping the "wolf" from your very door?

I always thought about the vast amount of wasted energy in a surface bomb blast. So much energy goes upwards and into the atmosphere and is totally wasted. A bomb that goes off inside a tunnel system or other underground cavity seems so much more effective.

Personally, I'd set the bomb up so it didn't go off on impact - but I'd have it wired with audio or camera so one could watch the increasing crowd of IS terrorists and their supporters gathering around it, filming, and celebrating the "total failure of the Crusaders bomb".
When the crowd increased to a sizable number of terrorists, then I'd set it off. Yes, I know, I'm an evil bastard! :E It must be my military engineer experience. :)

But they just don't have the personal touch these days...

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com...e05b09ebc4.jpg

That is why I didn't post this on Facebook/Twitter/Instagram/social media etc.

Yeah, FAE seems a good weapon of choice on some such targets, as using overpressure to good effect can really make a difference. Depends on the target ...

Certainly used paveway 3s in desert fox in 98 and Iraq 2003. Don't think any used in Libya. Old girls now, surprised they are still available. Not much more HE than the old 1000lb pave way 2 but a lot more metal to go deep.....

This will likely be one of the last times that EPWIII is used, in future it will be replaced by a penetrator-warhead version of the PWIV (which will apparently have "similar" effects to the 2000lb EPWIII, despite PWIV being only 500lb).

https://www.flightglobal.com/news/ar...y-iv-b-416761/

My first thought, on reading the thread title, was "I wonder how long it will take them to save up and get another one?"

HP90, I suspect not. 2019 could be just over 3 years and more likely nearer 5 years away.

Open a crowdfunding account and the money would soon be there.

2000lb weapon, low radar signature, sounds like a job for the Mosquito..........hat, coat...

I worked on weapon carriage equipment for V bombers, pretty sure 10,000lb items were around then.

Exnomad, be interesting to compare sizes of Blue Danube and Grand Slam. The latter going for 40k would deliver some bang though I believe Tallboy was better as it was stronger. If you had a BD bomb body you could pack a lot more RDX in it although I guess not as strong for penetration.