Thu, Sep 18, 2003
22 Seconds of 'Get-Ready-for-Hell'
Boeing and the U.S. Air Force successfully completed their first
80 guided weapon flight test demonstration of the MK-82 500-pound
Joint Direct Attack Munition. The drop took place from a B-2A
bomber on September 10 at the Utah Test & Training Range, Hill
Air Force Base (UT).
The B-2A aircraft, based at Edwards AFB (CA), flew to the test
site and released the 80 weapons in a single 22-second pass. The
weapons were released from four Boeing-designed and built "smart"
bomb racks, flew their planned flight paths and attacked all 80
targets.
"Placing maximum steel on the target is what we get paid to do
as Air Force bomber pilots and that happened today in a big way,"
said Major William Power, 419th Flight Test Squadron B-2A project
pilot. "Dropping 80 JDAM MK-82s in less than 30 seconds, with each
attacking their own individual targets, is truly
revolutionary."
JDAM is a low-cost guidance kit that converts existing unguided
free-fall bombs into accurately guided "smart" weapons. Boeing
produces kits for 2,000 and 1,000-pound warheads and recently
completed development for the 500-pound JDAM. The U.S. Air Force
has awarded Boeing a production contract to produce the first 5,800
MK-82 JDAMs which will be available next year.
"This historic drop clearly demonstrates the incredible
capability of the MK-82 JDAM," said Mike Marks, vice president and
general manager of Air Force fighter, bomber and weapons programs,
for Boeing. "This smaller warhead allows the warfighter to increase
the number of weapons and subsequent targets while reducing
collateral damage."
The B-2 flight test program began in February 2003 as part of a
separate contract to integrate the MK-82 JDAM and concluded with
the 80-weapon demonstration.
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