Developers from the USA presented an autonomous stealth bomber capable of sinking an amphibious assault ship
During the Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2024 exercise, the US Air Force conducted tests of the Quicksink guided bomb , which affects sea vessels like a torpedo. As part of the exercises, live firing exercises were conducted, during which the decommissioned ships USS Dubuque (LPD 8) and USS Tarawa (LHA 1) were sunk at a depth of 4.5 km, writes Interesting Engineering.
Units from Australia, Malaysia, the Netherlands, South Korea, as well as the US Air Force, Army and Navy participated in the exercise, gaining skills in tactics, aiming and combat firing at naval targets.
During the stealth tests – the B-2 Spirit bomber demonstrated the method of destroying surface ships with the help of Quicksink. The experiment is funded by the Office of the Undersecretary of Defense for Research and Engineering and aims to provide options for neutralizing maritime threats with minimal losses.
Historically, torpedoes have been used to hit naval targets, but they are expensive and require special naval assets and submarines. Therefore, the Air Force used the Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) guided bombs to provide a cheaper and more flexible solution to the stealth bomber. ammunition with the help of inertial navigation system (INS) and global positioning system (GPS). This allows them to be used in any weather conditions and ensures the ability to release several ammunitions on one or several targets at the same time. The JDAM has a range of 15 miles (24 km).