In the waters of the Gulf of Mexico, the U.S. Air Force (USAF) conducted a demonstration in July of its new QUICKSINK bomb, launched from a B-2 bomber that took off from Eglin Air Force Base in Florida. The bomb successfully sank an old cargo ship named M/V Monarch Countess. This marks a significant step forward in enhancing the force’s capabilities to attack naval targets, providing a low-cost and highly effective alternative.
Regarding this, Colonel Matthew Caspers, who serves as the Director of the Munitions Directorate at the Air Force Research Laboratory (located at the aforementioned Eglin base), stated: “The development of this technology helps provide technological superiority to ensure that the United States can defend our interests, maintain freedom of action, and take the initiative across large maritime areas.”
It is important to note that this demonstration is not the first conducted by the USAF as part of the QUICKSINK program. The concept tests began in 2021, with the primary goal of the system being to give U.S. aircraft the capability to attack enemy vessels at specific weak points, such as below the waterline and on the upper part of the ship. By 2022, the U.S. Air Force was testing it with GBU-31 JDAM guided bombs in a similar activity to the one recently conducted.
Regarding its functionality, it should be noted that the tested system also aims to be an alternative to the use of heavy torpedoes currently used for sinking ships by both aircraft and submarines. This type of weaponry not only proves more costly to deploy than a QUICKSINK bomb, but also reveals the position of the launching platform at the moment of release, meaning this innovation will facilitate the execution of such missions in more ways than one.
It is also worth mentioning that the system can be adapted to a wide range of existing weaponry with slight modifications. In the case of the bombs used in 2022, it was necessary to modify the front section to ensure that the guidance system, which targets below the waterline, does not encounter difficulties if the trajectory contacts the sea before the ship. The flexibility also applies to the launch platforms, as while a B-2 bomber was used on this occasion, previous tests were conducted from an F-15E Strike Eagle.
Again, in the words of Colonel Caspers: “QUICKSINK is an answer to an urgent need to neutralize maritime threats to freedom worldwide. This program is unique in that it can provide capabilities to modify existing and future Department of Defense weapon systems, giving combat commanders and our national leaders new ways to defend against maritime threats.”
*Cover Image: DVIDS
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