A shot over China’s bow? Incredible moment the Air Force breaks the ship in half with a single 2,000lb bomb dropped by the F-15E Strike Eagle with ‘torpedo-like’ accuracy
- The bomb, a JDAM, being tested in the video is called the 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 by detonating a GPS-navigated bomb under the ship
Recently released footage shows the decimation of a freighter by a 2,000lb Joint Direct Attack Munition dropped by the Air Force from an F-15E Strike Eagle.
In the roughly minute-long video taken last April, a humble cargo ship — the Courageous — floats 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 two, as the waves begin to pound the decks.
Once the water has receded, thanks to a camera placed aboard the ill-fated ship, the ship can be seen nearly submerged.
A model of a 2,000-pound JDAM-equipped bomb, at the Boeing JDAM plant in St. Louis, that turns dumb bombs into smart bombs
A 2,000 pound JDAM from the weapons depot to the hangar of the USS Harry S. Truman – the bomb offers the US military a relatively cheap, low-risk way to attack ships
The JDAM, which is being tested by the Air Force Research Laboratory in the video, is called the Quicksink because – according to the video – it sinks ships quickly.
According to the Air Force Research Lab, “The Quicksink aims to develop a low-cost method of conducting torpedo-like seagoing kills from the air at a much faster rate and over a much larger area than covered by a lumbering submarine.”
The cost of the type of JDAM bomb being tested in the video is approximately $30,000.
An F-15E Strike Eagle fighter launched the modified bomb and successfully hit the target by 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 usually used to sink enemy ships, such an attack betrays the submarine’s location, leaving it vulnerable to a counterattack.
Quicksink risks relatively cheap aircraft compared to the danger of losing a submarine to enemy retaliation after a torpedo attack.
The weapon ultimately gives American warfighters more options in combat.
A single F-15E Strike Eagle costs $87.7 million per aircraft, while a U.S. submarine can cost up to $2.8 billion each, according to Aero Corner.
US maritime threats come primarily from China and Russia, with several incidents in the South China Sea prompting the deployment of US warships.
An Air National Guard F-15E Strike Eagle is seen releasing a JDAM during a test mission
Video footage from on board the ship shows the moment of impact with the JDAM up close
The 2,000 pound JDAM is closing in on the Courageous
Moment of impact
The humble cargo boat 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 had “illegally” entered Chinese territorial waters without permission, violating the country’s sovereignty.
They added that the Chinese navy and air force had followed the ship.
The US Navy rejected the idea that the Benfold had been warned away, but appeared to confirm that the ship was operating in the area, saying the mission reflected the US Navy’s commitment to defending freedom of navigation. The Navy regularly conducts such missions in the South China Sea to challenge Chinese territorial claims.