The Air Force has tested a new variation of its ship-killing Quicksink guided bomb to expand its options for taking out enemy vessels in a future war.
In a June 4 statement, the service said it dropped a 500-pound version of Quicksink, made from a GBU-38 Joint Direct Attack Munition, or JDAM, from a B-2 Spirit stealth bomber at Eglin Air Force Base’s Gulf Test Range off the coast of Florida. Previous Quicksink tests were conducted with 2,000-pound bombs.
Quicksink is the Air Force Research Laboratory’s effort to strengthen its ability to take out enemy ships. This capability would be particularly important in the event of a conflict with China over Taiwan, which would likely involve grueling fighting in the Pacific Ocean and require U.S. forces to destroy Chinese ships.
Previous tests used modified GBU-31 JDAMs to destroy target vessels. Those JDAMs are guided by GPS and use fins to steer towards the target as they fall.
AFRL previously said that it redesigned the JDAM’s nose plug to better suit it for maritime strikes. A stock JDAM nose might cause the bomb to carom off the surface of the water in unexpected directions instead of striking its target, AFRL said, but the Quicksink redesign is meant to keep it on target.
Quicksink bombs do not travel under the water towards their target like traditional torpedoes. The Air Force says modifying existing guided bombs into Quicksink weapons would provide anti-ship capability at a lower cost than weapons like torpedoes.
The Air Force said in its statement that the new Quicksink variant would expand the B-2’s targeting reach by giving combatant commanders more options for striking enemy targets. AFRL declined to further detail how the 500-pound version provides more targeting options or when the latest test took place, citing security concerns.
“Quicksink offers an affordable, game-changing solution to rapidly and efficiently sink maritime targets,” Col. Dan Lehoski, commander of Eglin’s 53rd Wing, said in a statement. “AFRL’s 500-pound Quicksink variant adds options for the warfighter and enhances operational flexibility.”
AFRL said video of the latest test is classified and could not be released. But a previous video posted in 2022 shows a Quicksink bomb streaking towards an empty vessel before exploding, cleaving the ship in half and sending it underwater in a matter of seconds.
Stephen Losey is the air warfare reporter for Defense News. He previously covered leadership and personnel issues at Air Force Times, and the Pentagon, special operations and air warfare at Military.com. He has traveled to the Middle East to cover U.S. Air Force operations.
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