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A shot over the arches of China? Incredible moment Air Force rips ship IN HALF with single 2,000lb bomb dropped by F-15E Strike Eagle with ‘torpedo’ accuracy
- The bomb, a JDAM, tested in the video is called a Quicksink because of the speed at which it sinks ships.
- The JDAM is a relatively inexpensive way to convert unguided bombs into all-weather precision-guided munitions.
- An F-15E Strike Eagle fighter dropped the modified bomb, successfully hitting the target by detonating a GPS-navigated bomb below the vessel.
Recently released footage shows the annihilation of a cargo ship by a 2,000-pound Joint Direct Attack munition launched by the Air Force from an F-15E Strike Eagle.
In the roughly minute-long video taken last April, a simple cargo ship, the Courageous, is seen floating in the Gulf of Mexico.
Moments later, a JDAM approaches from above and the Courageous is literally lifted out of the water and split in half, as waves begin to crash on the decks.
Once the water settles, the ship can be seen, thanks to a camera placed aboard the ill-fated ship, almost underwater.
A model of a 2000 lb bomb equipped with JDAM, at the Boeing JDAM factory in St. Louis, which turns dummy bombs into smart bombs
A 2,000-pound JDAM from the gun’s magazine to the hangar bay of the USS Harry S. Truman: The bomb provides the US military with a relatively inexpensive and low-risk way to attack ships.
The JDAM, which is being tested by the Air Force Research Laboratory in the video, is called the Quicksink because, according to the video, it sinks ships quickly.
According to the Air Force Research Laboratory, the Quicksink “aims to develop a low-cost method of achieving seaworthy airborne kills like torpedoes at a much higher rate and over a much larger area than canopy.” by a heavy submarine”.
The cost of the type of JDAM pump that is tested in the video is approximately $30,000.
An F-15E Strike Eagle fighter dropped the modified bomb, successfully hitting the target by detonating a GPS-navigated bomb below the vessel.
The new technology provides the US Air Force with destruction capabilities similar to that of a torpedo on US Air Force platforms.
The experiment used Joint Direct Attack Munition, a guidance kit that converts unguided bombs into all-weather precision-guided munitions.
While torpedoes are primarily used to sink enemy ships, such an attack gives away the location of the sub, making it vulnerable to counterattack.
Quicksink risks relatively low-cost aircraft compared to the danger of losing a submarine to enemy retaliation after a torpedo attack.
Ultimately, the weapon gives American fighters more options when in combat.
A single F-15E Strike Eagle costs $87.7 million per aircraft, while a US submarine can cost as much as $2.8 billion per unit, according to Aero Corner.
US maritime threats come primarily from China and Russia, with several incidents in the South China Sea prompting the deployment of US warships.
A Royal Air Force F-15E aircraft in flight
Video images aboard the ship show the close-up moment of impact with the JDAM.
The 2,000 pound JDAM is scene approaching the Brave
moment of impact
The simple cargo boat can be seen nearly jumping out of the water and literally breaking in two.
Last January, the People’s Liberation Army’s Southern Theater Command claimed that the USS Benfold “illegally” sailed into Chinese territorial waters without permission, violating the country’s sovereignty.
They added that Chinese naval and air forces had tracked the ship.
The US Navy rejected the idea that the Benfold had been warned to move away, but appeared to confirm that the ship was operating in the area, saying the mission reflected the US Navy’s commitment to defend the freedom of navigation. The navy frequently carries out such missions in the South China Sea to challenge Chinese territorial claims.