A shot over China’s bow? Incredible moment the Air Force breaks the ship in TWO HALVES with a single 2,000-pound fast-sink bomb dropped from the F-15E Strike Eagle with “torpedo-like” accuracy
- The bomb tested in the video, a JDAM, is called a Quicksink because of the speed at which it sinks ships
- The JDAM is a relatively inexpensive way to convert unguided bombs into precision-guided, all-weather munitions
- An F-15E Strike Eagle fighter launched the modified bomb and successfully hit the target, detonating a GPS-navigated bomb under the ship
Recently released footage shows a cargo ship being decimated by a 2,000-pound joint direct attack munition dropped by the Air Force from an F-15E Strike Eagle.
In the video, which lasted about a minute and was recorded last April, an old, dilapidated cargo ship – the Courageous – is seen adrift in the Gulf of Mexico.
Moments later, a JDAM approaches from above and the Courageous is literally lifted out of the water and split in half as the waves begin to smash the decks.
Once the water has calmed down, the ship can be seen almost underwater thanks to a camera aboard the ill-fated vessel.
Video of the devastating attack was released last year, but the new footage shows for the first time ever the destructive power of the “Quicksink” bomb from aboard the ship.
A model of a JDAM-equipped 2000-pound bomb at the Boeing JDAM factory in St. Louis, turning dumb bombs into smart bombs
A 2,000 pound JDAM from the gun magazine to the hangar of the USS Harry S. Truman – the bomb offers the US military a relatively inexpensive and low-risk way of attacking ships
What is the “Quicksink” bomb?
The 2,000-pound air-launched “Quicksink” bomb is the first of its kind designed for naval combat.
The Quicksink bomb is a sudden death for enemy ships and an alternative to attacking enemy warships with submarines.
The experiment used Joint Direct Attack Munition, a guidance kit that converts unguided bombs into precision-guided all-weather munitions.
They have been modified to attack moving targets using a GPS assisted navigation system.
An F-15E Strike Eagle fighter is used to launch the ammunition.
When the fighter jet spots the cargo ship, it fires an all-weather munition that flies to the target’s coordinates.
Like a torpedo, the seeker embedded in the bomb tracks the ship’s speed and explodes beneath it.
When a submarine fires a torpedo, it reveals the ship’s location.
However, aircraft can quickly retreat after launching the “quicksink,” giving US commanders more options in combat.
The JDAM tested by the Air Force Research Laboratory in the video is called Quicksink because, according to the video, it sinks ships quickly.
According to the Air Force Research Lab, the Quicksink aims to “develop a cost-effective method of achieving torpedo-like, seaworthy kills from the air at much higher speeds and over a much larger area than can be covered by a lumbering submarine .”
The cost of the type of JDAM bomb tested in the video is around $30,000.
An F-15E Strike Eagle fighter launched the modified bomb and successfully hit the target, detonating a GPS-navigated bomb under the ship.
The new technology provides the US Air Force with torpedo-like kill capabilities on US Air Force platforms.
The experiment used Joint Direct Attack Munition, a guidance kit that converts unguided bombs into precision-guided all-weather munitions.
While torpedoes are primarily used to sink enemy ships, such an attack reveals the submarine’s position and makes it vulnerable to counterattacks.
Quicksink risks relatively inexpensive aircraft compared to the risk of losing a submarine to enemy retaliation after a torpedo attack.
The weapon ultimately gives US warfighters more options in battle.
A single F-15E Strike Eagle costs $87.7 million per aircraft, while a US submarine can cost as much as $2.8 billion per unit, according to Aero Corner.
US maritime threats come predominantly from China and Russia, with several incidents in the South China Sea prompting the deployment of US warships.
A Royal Air Force F-15E aircraft in flight
Video footage from onboard the ship shows the moment of impact with the JDAM up close
The 2,000-pound JDAM is a scene that approaches the Courageous
moment of impact
The simple cargo ship almost jumps out of the water and is literally split in two
Last January, the People’s Liberation Army’s Southern Theater Command alleged that the USS Benfold sailed “illegally” into Chinese territorial waters without permission, violating the country’s sovereignty.
They added that Chinese naval and air forces had been pursuing the ship.
The US Navy dismissed the idea that the Benfold was warned, but appeared to confirm the ship was operating in the area, saying the mission reflects the US Navy’s commitment to defending freedom of navigation. The Navy frequently conducts such missions in the South China Sea to challenge Chinese territorial claims.