Air Weapons: March 1, 2003

Archives

The U.S. Naval Surface Weapons Center has developed what it calls a "flying plate weapon" that can "reduce concrete structures to rubble or perforate steel." This is something that has long been needed for destroying bridges. The major problem with destroying large concrete or steel bridges is not hitting them with a bomb, but hitting one of the incredibly robust portions of the bridge that holds the whole thing up, with a large enough bomb to do significant damage. The "flying plate weapon" weapon (no more information was released) appears to do just that, and would be useful against bunkers and large buildings as well. The "flying plate weapon" developed by the navy is apparently small enough to be carried by a UAV. This makes sense, as the navy has also developed a new, more powerful, explosive (CL-20) to make smaller bombs as effective as older ones using existing explosives. 

 


Article Archive

Air Weapons: Current 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 1999 


X

ad
0
20

Help Keep Us Soaring

We need your help! Our subscription base has slowly been dwindling. We need your help in reversing that trend. We would like to add 20 new subscribers this month.

Each month we count on your subscriptions or contributions. You can support us in the following ways:

  1. Make sure you spread the word about us. Two ways to do that are to like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.
  2. Subscribe to our daily newsletter. We’ll send the news to your email box, and you don’t have to come to the site unless you want to read columns or see photos.
  3. You can contribute to the health of StrategyPage. A contribution is not a donation that you can deduct at tax time, but a form of crowdfunding. We store none of your information when you contribute..
Subscribe   Contribute   Close