British Ordnance Collectors Network
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GPS guided
- Thread starter Slick
- Start date
They are combined GBU-49 GPS enhanced Paveway II Laser guided. They are primarily Laser with GPS assist. There is another model that is laser assisted GPS, the Laser guided JDAM GBU-54. You can't see it in the photo, but there is a wire conduit that runs down the side of the JDAM, that carries the laser seeker signal back to the fins in the back. The laser guided bombs (paveway) steer from the front, while the JDAMs steer from the back.
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Lou
Well-Known Member
Rick,
I wasn't insinuating anything bad. I had studied these up last Summer when I took the photo of the conduit that I attached above, because I do collect bombs. Yeah, the drone thing is cool. The drones that carry the ordnance are named "Reaper" drones as in grim reaper, whereas the others are called Predator drones. It's like George Patton talked about push-button bombing in WWII. Right now there are guys sitting in a building at Nellis dropping those bombs and firing Hellfire missiles over in the sandpile.
The new replacement for the Mk 81 is the SDB (small diameter bomb), and they are fielding a Mk 81 low collateral damage bomb.
I wasn't insinuating anything bad. I had studied these up last Summer when I took the photo of the conduit that I attached above, because I do collect bombs. Yeah, the drone thing is cool. The drones that carry the ordnance are named "Reaper" drones as in grim reaper, whereas the others are called Predator drones. It's like George Patton talked about push-button bombing in WWII. Right now there are guys sitting in a building at Nellis dropping those bombs and firing Hellfire missiles over in the sandpile.
The new replacement for the Mk 81 is the SDB (small diameter bomb), and they are fielding a Mk 81 low collateral damage bomb.
Slick
Well-Known Member
John
No offense taken on this end. I know very little about the details on these but do appeciate their photogenic qualities. The first bomb pic in your series is most interesting in that regard. My lack of these in the collection is in direct proportion to their weight. The gizmoishness of the add-ons makes for an interesting device.
Rick
No offense taken on this end. I know very little about the details on these but do appeciate their photogenic qualities. The first bomb pic in your series is most interesting in that regard. My lack of these in the collection is in direct proportion to their weight. The gizmoishness of the add-ons makes for an interesting device.
Rick
Oh, I understand the gizmo factor. That's why I like them so much. Here are some photos of loading dummies of the GBU-39 SDB that I took last Summer, and a few from the net or the real thing, and some computer graphics. Even though they are so tiny they have the penetration of a BLU-109.
Info from the net:
"The Small Diameter Bomb system includes two variants of the Small Diameter Bomb, a bomb carriage system, a mission planning system and logistics support. The GBU-39 variant of the 250-pound class bomb is equipped with an INS/GPS guidance system suitable for fixed and stationary targets. The GBU-40 second variant adds a terminal seeker with automatic target recognition capabilities more suitable for mobile and relocatable targets.
At just 5.9 feet long and 285 pounds, the bomb's small size increases the number of weapons an aircraft can carry, therefore raising the amount of targets it can kill in one sortie. Because of its size and precision accuracy, it also reduces collateral, or unintended, damage in the target vicinity. In the urban conflict in Iraq, the warfighter struggles at times to find a weapon that gives them a desired effect on a target without an excessive effect, so the small diameter bomb will be a nice addition. Complementing the weapon is a smart miniature munitions carriage system. This system can carry four small diameter bombs, enabling an aircraft to quadruple its load out. The carriage system functions similar to an aircraft stores management system by communicating with and controlling up to four weapons.
A small diameter bomb can be used in adverse weather and has a standoff range of more than 60 nautical miles. Once released, the weapon uses its inertial navigation and an anti-jam Global Positioning System to fly to the target. Its guidance is further augmented by a differential GPS system, which provides corrections to enhance accuracy.The Small Diameter Bomb system includes two variants of the Small Diameter Bomb, a bomb carriage system, a mission planning system and logistics support. The GBU-39 variant of the 250-pound class bomb is equipped with an INS/GPS guidance system suitable for fixed and stationary targets. The GBU-40 second variant adds a terminal seeker with automatic target recognition capabilities more suitable for mobile and relocatable targets.
At just 5.9 feet long and 285 pounds, the bomb's small size increases the number of weapons an aircraft can carry, therefore raising the amount of targets it can kill in one sortie. Because of its size and precision accuracy, it also reduces collateral, or unintended, damage in the target vicinity. In the urban conflict in Iraq, the warfighter struggles at times to find a weapon that gives them a desired effect on a target without an excessive effect, so the small diameter bomb will be a nice addition. Complementing the weapon is a smart miniature munitions carriage system. This system can carry four small diameter bombs, enabling an aircraft to quadruple its load out. The carriage system functions similar to an aircraft stores management system by communicating with and controlling up to four weapons.
A small diameter bomb can be used in adverse weather and has a standoff range of more than 60 nautical miles. Once released, the weapon uses its inertial navigation and an anti-jam Global Positioning System to fly to the target. Its guidance is further augmented by a differential GPS system, which provides corrections to enhance accuracy."
Info from the net:
"The Small Diameter Bomb system includes two variants of the Small Diameter Bomb, a bomb carriage system, a mission planning system and logistics support. The GBU-39 variant of the 250-pound class bomb is equipped with an INS/GPS guidance system suitable for fixed and stationary targets. The GBU-40 second variant adds a terminal seeker with automatic target recognition capabilities more suitable for mobile and relocatable targets.
At just 5.9 feet long and 285 pounds, the bomb's small size increases the number of weapons an aircraft can carry, therefore raising the amount of targets it can kill in one sortie. Because of its size and precision accuracy, it also reduces collateral, or unintended, damage in the target vicinity. In the urban conflict in Iraq, the warfighter struggles at times to find a weapon that gives them a desired effect on a target without an excessive effect, so the small diameter bomb will be a nice addition. Complementing the weapon is a smart miniature munitions carriage system. This system can carry four small diameter bombs, enabling an aircraft to quadruple its load out. The carriage system functions similar to an aircraft stores management system by communicating with and controlling up to four weapons.
A small diameter bomb can be used in adverse weather and has a standoff range of more than 60 nautical miles. Once released, the weapon uses its inertial navigation and an anti-jam Global Positioning System to fly to the target. Its guidance is further augmented by a differential GPS system, which provides corrections to enhance accuracy.The Small Diameter Bomb system includes two variants of the Small Diameter Bomb, a bomb carriage system, a mission planning system and logistics support. The GBU-39 variant of the 250-pound class bomb is equipped with an INS/GPS guidance system suitable for fixed and stationary targets. The GBU-40 second variant adds a terminal seeker with automatic target recognition capabilities more suitable for mobile and relocatable targets.
At just 5.9 feet long and 285 pounds, the bomb's small size increases the number of weapons an aircraft can carry, therefore raising the amount of targets it can kill in one sortie. Because of its size and precision accuracy, it also reduces collateral, or unintended, damage in the target vicinity. In the urban conflict in Iraq, the warfighter struggles at times to find a weapon that gives them a desired effect on a target without an excessive effect, so the small diameter bomb will be a nice addition. Complementing the weapon is a smart miniature munitions carriage system. This system can carry four small diameter bombs, enabling an aircraft to quadruple its load out. The carriage system functions similar to an aircraft stores management system by communicating with and controlling up to four weapons.
A small diameter bomb can be used in adverse weather and has a standoff range of more than 60 nautical miles. Once released, the weapon uses its inertial navigation and an anti-jam Global Positioning System to fly to the target. Its guidance is further augmented by a differential GPS system, which provides corrections to enhance accuracy."
