F-15E Fires New Air-Launched GBU-31 (JDAM) Anti-Ship Missile, Destroys Moving Vessel

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By Kris Osborn – President & Editor-In-Chief, Warrior Maven

An Air Force F-15E Strike Eagle destroyed a “full-scale” surface vessel in the Gulf of Mexico during a cutting edge demonstration of a new air-launched weapon able to target and destroy moving ships at sea, a development potentially introducing new attack options for Navy and Air Force commanders looking for a wider envelope of offensive possibilities against enemy ships.

QUICKSINK

The Air Force – Navy program, called QUICKSINK, fired a precision-guided GBU-31 Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) at the surface ship as part of what’s called a Joint Capability Technology Demonstration.

Some of the particulars related to the guidance systems of the weapon were not available in the report, yet an ability to attack with air dropped, precision-guided JDAMs against a moving ship represents a substantial step forward in the realm of maritime attack, according to an interesting Air Force report.

While torpedoes predominantly sink enemy ships via submarines, new methods explored through QUICKSINK may achieve anti-ship lethality with air-launched weapons, including modified 2,000-pound JDAM precision-guided bombs, the Air Force report said.

“Heavy-weight torpedoes are effective [at sinking large ships] but are expensive and employed by a small portion of naval assets,” said Maj. Andrew Swanson, 85th TES division chief of Advanced Programs. “With QUICKSINK, we have demonstrated a low-cost and more agile solution that has the potential to be employed by the majority of Air Force combat aircraft, providing combatant commanders and warfighters with more options. The Air Force report is also clear that the QUICKSINK program not only enables aerial attack on moving surface ships but also greatly expands the attack envelope or surface area for anti-ship operations, as compared with torpedo fire.