Earlier this week, the U.S. Air Force reported that one of its B-2 stealth bombers tested the new version of the QUICKSINK anti-ship bomb, which is notably lighter than those previously tested under the program. This is a significant project for the institution, as it could allow progress toward acquiring new armaments that require lower production investments while enabling Air Force aircraft to carry a greater number of them, thereby enhancing rapid-response capabilities against naval threats.
Delving into some of the details revealed by the U.S. Air Force, we can confirm that the new version of the QUICKSINK bomb is a 227-kilogram GBU-38 JDAM, which has been optimized for use in the aforementioned environments; previous tests involved the same type of aircraft but with bombs weighing more than 900 kilograms. Although no specific test date was disclosed, it is known that the trials were conducted by the 53rd Wing of Air Combat Command, which operates from Eglin Air Force Base, located near the Gulf Test Range.
On this matter, the unit’s commander, Colonel Dan Lehoski, stated: “QUICKSINK offers an affordable, game-changing solution to rapidly and efficiently sink maritime targets (…) AFRL’s 500-pound QUICKSINK variant adds options for the warfighter and enhances operational flexibility.” Meanwhile, Colonel Matthew Caspers, current commander of the Air Force Research Laboratory’s Munitions Directorate (AFRL), remarked: “QUICKSINK is the result of a Joint collaboration that rapidly prototyped an affordable concept for holding surface targets at risk.”
It is useful to recall, in that sense, that previous tests with the 900-kilogram bombs already represented a considerably more affordable alternative for the Air Force than its anti-ship missiles, such as the LRASM AGM-158C system. According to U.S. defense media citing previous AFRL statements, the estimated cost of a QUICKSINK program bomb was around $200,000, while LRASM missiles are priced at approximately $3 million per unit. Even so, there was an intention to reduce the bomb’s cost to one-fourth of that figure, which partly explains the motivation behind testing smaller bombs.
Reinforcing the initial point about the number of bombs aircraft could carry, reports indicate that a B-2 bomber like the one used in the tests could load up to 80 227-kilogram JDAM units, while F-15E fighters seen in previous tests could carry up to 9 GBU-38 bombs. In the case of smaller aircraft like the F-16 fighter, reducing the size of these bombs could also expand their ability to strike naval targets, a task currently handled with two Harpoon missiles mounted under their wings; each of those costs over a million dollars.
Finally, to briefly review the operation of these bombs—based on the previously tested 900-kilogram models—they are guided munitions featuring an inertial navigation system assisted by GPS, which leads them to the target area, and an infrared seeker that identifies targets through a data-matching process with preprogrammed internal references. It is this seeker that enables final-course adjustments, aiming specifically for an impact below the waterline of the enemy ship’s hull, even if the vessel is in motion.
Image credits: USAF
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