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Air Force rolls out 'smarter' smart bombs
October 18, 1996
Web posted at: 12:45 a.m. EDT
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The U.S. Air Force Thursday made public the results of tests done on a new generation of "smart bombs" that sail to their targets while being guided by the Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) system.
The bombs are the first non-nuclear weapons designed for use by the delta-winged B-2 Stealth Bomber, which has been largely without a mission since the end of the Cold War.
Sixteen of the precise 2,000 pound bombs were dropped on dummy targets at a Nevada desert test range on October 8th. They were dropped by three of the giant bombers flown from Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri. (24 sec./ 925K QuickTime movie)
A press conference was held at the Pentagon to demonstrate for the news media the accuracy of the new weapons, known as the GPS-Aided Targeting System (GATS)/GPS Aided Munition (GAM).
Video tapes of the test run show that the bombs were accurate to within 20 feet of their targets after being dropped from 41,000 feet at a distance of more than six miles from a Stealth Bomber. The bombs can function in any weather because of their GPS guidance systems. Other "smart bombs" depend on laser guidance systems that can be adversely affected by clouds and foul weather.
The video tape of the test shows the bombs destroying rows of 8 by 20 foot "trailers" spread out across the desert with remarkable accuracy.
The once top secret B-2 "Spirit" was first shown to the public in 1988 but has never been used by the United States for anything other than air shows.
Originally designed to carry nuclear weapons into hostile territory without being detected by enemy radar, the end of the cold war left the $2. billion plane virtually without a role.
Critics have called the B-2 program a $44 billion waste of taxpayer money, but the plane still has strong support on Capitol Hill.
Proponents of the plane argue that its stealth capability allow it to operate without the large number of support aircraft that other heavy bombers require such as radar jamming planes, fighter aircraft for protection and all the in flight refueling planes that are needed to keep those planes aloft.
The next batch of B-2's would come in at a cost of about $600 million per copy.
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- U.S. military dogged by air accidents - July 11, 1996
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