Air Weapons: Supersonic Bombing Breakthrough

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November 28, 2007: The U.S. Air Force has developed a new technology that enables bombs to be dropped from internal bomb bays while the aircraft is traveling at high speed (above the speed of sound). The test, using a rocket sled on the ground, going at about 2,000 kilometers an hour when the bomb was released. The new technology is a series of micro air jets in front of the bomb bay. These air jets manipulate the air flow over the bomb bay ("active flow control") so that when the bomb bay doors opened and the bomb was released, it would leave the bomb bay, and not be forced, by the air pressure moving across the skin of the jet, back into the bomb bay.

Supersonic bombing capabilities only became a problem with the appearance of GPS guided bombs. In the past, dumb, or laser guided, bombs required slower speeds to get some accuracy for dumb bombs, and to enable an aircraft to place the laser on the target for the guided weapons. But with JDAM (GPS guided bombs) all you got to do is drop that sucker, and be on your way. In situations where the air is hot with enemy fire (shells and missiles), you would want to get in there, drop the JDAM, and haul ass out ASAP. Now it is possible to do this. Best are being made within the air force concerning how long it will take the Chinese to steal this new technology.

 

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