Accession Number:

AD1041216

Title:

Miniature Munitions: Is The US Military Prepared to Support Major Combat Operations

Descriptive Note:

Technical Report

Corporate Author:

AIR COMMAND AND STAFF COLLEGE, AIR UNIVERSITY MAXWELL AFB United States

Personal Author(s):

• Sweeney,Kevin P.

Report Date:

2016-08-01

Pagination or Media Count:

33.0

Abstract:

The Small Diameter Bomb SDB II, also known as the Guided Bomb Unit GBU 53B, is the United States US Air Forces newest standoff weapon to use miniature munition technology in combination with an all-weather guidance seeker designed to support a land offensive. The SDB II uses the US Air Forces new explosive material, Air Force Explosive 757 AFX-757, in combination with target recognition software giving aircraft the capability to strike moving targets in all-weather conditions with up to four times more weapons per aircraft. Over the past decade, the US Department of Defense DOD has invested over 3 billion in the SDB program. The high cost of the SDB, specifically the SDB II, dramatically reduced the number of weapons acquired when compared to older precision guided munitions PGM. An evaluation framework is used to analyze the SDB IIs ability to support a major land offensive as the only weapon. The number of weapons, cost, and production rate are compared to the Operation Iraqi Freedom OIF air campaign. The SDB utilizes a small warhead and is not capable of replacing larger class weapons like the 1000-lb and 2,000-lb PGMs. The main recommendation of this paper is the addition of a third miniature munition capable of replacing 1,000-lb and 2,000-lb PGMs

Descriptors:

• precision guided munitions
• air force
• satellite guided weapons
• weapons effects
• department of defense
• anti radiation missiles
• aerial warfare
• military operations
• military acquisition

Subject Categories:

• Military Operations, Strategy and Tactics
• Guided Munitions

Distribution Statement:

APPROVED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE