From the earliest days of aviation, the world's air forces have been looking for ways to improve the accuracy and effectiveness of aircraft weapons, but such an opportunity presented itself only with the advent of microprocessor technology. It was only then that the Air Force began to use high-precision guidance kits, which began to be installed on conventional free-fall bombs
Today, there are two main types of guided bombs: bombs with a laser guidance system (hereinafter for short laser bombs - LAB) and with guidance by GPS (Global Positioning System); each type has its own unique high-precision guidance technology. LAB are the most common and widespread type of guided aerial bombs. In essence, a semi-active laser homing head (GOS) is added to the free-fall bomb, connected to a control computer unit with guidance and control electronics, a battery and a drive system. Front rudders and tail stabilizing surfaces are installed on each bomb. Such weapons use an electronic unit to track targets that are illuminated by a laser beam (usually in the infrared spectrum), and adjust their gliding trajectory in order to accurately defeat them. Since the "smart" bomb is capable of tracking light radiation, the target can be illuminated by a separate source, or by the laser designator of an attacking aircraft, or from the ground, or from another aircraft.
One of the most famous LABs is the Paveway family of Loсkheed Martin and Raytheon, which includes four generations of rockets: Paveway-I, Paveway-II, Paveway-II Dual Mode Plus, Paveway-III and the latest version of Paveway-IV. The Paveway family of laser bombs has revolutionized air-to-ground warfare by converting free-fall bombs into smart precision ammunition. The Paveway family of laser bombs is the preferred choice of many countries' air forces as they have proven their accuracy and effectiveness in nearly all major conflicts of the past. Joe Serra, Lockheed Martin's Precision Guidance Systems Leader for Paveway Precision Kits, explained: “The US government is very interested in healthy competition in the LAB … So in 2001, we qualified Paveway-II laser guidance kits for the US Air Force and Navy. One of the main advantages of these systems was their availability as a delivery vehicle for conventional aerial bombs. I think the Paveway system is valued in the military precisely because it gets excellent results at a reasonable cost.”
Lockheed Martin is the authorized supplier of all three Paveway-II variants for the Mk.80 family of free-fall bombs, namely the GBU-10 Mk. 84, GBU-12 Mk. 82 and GBU-16 Mk. 83. In its most general configuration, the Paveway-II mounts on a 500-lb (227.2 kg) Mk.82 free-fall bomb, resulting in a cheap and lightweight GBU-12 precision-guided munition suitable for use on vehicles and other small targets. The Pavewav-III family of kits is a further development of the Paveway-II, featuring more efficient proportional guidance technology. It provides a significantly longer glide range and better accuracy compared to the Paveway-II series, but at the same time the third generation kits are much more expensive, as a result of which their scope is limited to particularly important purposes. The Paveway-III kits were installed on the large-caliber 2000-pound (909 kg) Mk. 84 and BLU-109 bombs, resulting in the GBU-24 and GBU-27 precision bombs. During Operation Desert Storm in 1991, Paveway-III guidance kits were also installed on the GBU-28 / B concrete-piercing bomb. Raytheon manufactures all variants of the Paveway-III kits.
Empowerment
In mid-2016, Lockheed Martin tested the new Paveway-II Dual Mode Plus LAB with new optoelectronics and a GPS / inertial guidance kit. LAB Paveway-II Dual Mode Plus is designed to work on both stationary and mobile targets, has increased combat effectiveness due to high-precision action in all weather conditions (since the accuracy of pure laser guidance can be reduced in the presence of precipitation or smoke) at increased ranges of use out of reach of the enemy. This Paveway-II configuration can be easily integrated with existing Paveway-II LABs. Lockheed Martin was awarded a $ 87.8 million contract from the Air Force last year to produce Paveway-II Dual Mode Plus kits.
The Paveway-IV system manufactured by Raytheon Systems Ltd entered service in 2008. The Paveway-IV uses a combination of semi-active laser guidance and inertial / GPS guidance. It combines the flexibility and precision of laser guidance with the all-weather INS / GPS guidance capabilities to significantly increase combat capabilities. The guidance kit is based on the existing ECCG computer unit of the Enhanced Paveway-II kit. The new, improved ECCG unit contains a detonation height sensor that detonates a bomb at specified altitudes, and a GPS receiver that is compatible with an anti-jamming module with selective availability. The bomb can be dropped only in the inertial guidance mode (reducing the time of initialization and calibration of the guidance system due to the navigation system of the carrier platform) or only in the guidance mode using the GPS signal. End-of-trajectory laser guidance is available in any mode. The Paveway-IV kit is in service with the British and Saudi Air Forces.
Gps
The experience gained during Operation Desert Storm and during the US-led intervention in the Balkans in the 90s demonstrated the value of precision munitions, but at the same time revealed the difficulty of their use, especially when the visibility of the target was deteriorated by weather or smoke … In this regard, it was decided to develop a GPS-guided weapon. Such weapons depend both on the accuracy of the measuring system used to determine the location and on the accuracy of determining the coordinates of the target; the latter is critically dependent on intelligence information.
The Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) is a low-cost kit for converting existing unguided free-fall bombs into near-precision weapons. The JDAM kit consists of a tail section with a GPS / INS unit and steering surfaces on the hull for added stability and increased lift. JDAM is manufactured by Boeing.
The JDAM family can be used in all weather conditions without the need for additional air or ground support. The standard JDAM configuration has a declared range of up to 30 km. Armament with satellite guidance works very well, however, operating experience shows that guidance by GPS coordinates does not allow flexible adjustment of the trajectory on the marching section and, as a result, bombing moving and maneuvering targets. In 2007, during military operations in Afghanistan and Iraq, the US Navy and Air Force identified urgent needs, as the need arose to accurately destroy targets moving at high speed. To address this challenge, and with the direct involvement of Boeing, an additional laser kit for the JDAM family, the Dual-Mode Laser-JDAM (LJDAM) kit, was rapidly deployed. The laser seeker was developed by Boeing and Elbit Systems. LJDAM expands the capabilities of JDAM by combining a laser targeting system with a JDAM kit. LJDAM provides laser weapon accuracy and all-weather performance, and also has a long range with GPS / INS guidance. Air bombs with this kit can hit stationary and mobile targets. LJDAM was integrated with the GBU-38 bomb, which is included in the armament of American F-15E, F-16, F / A-18 and A / V-8B aircraft. According to the head of the Navy's Precision Weapons Program, Jayme Engdahl: “The Laser JDAM is the preferred weapon of choice for the US Navy at the moment. This is due to the possibility of flexible use: either as a high-precision vehicle with GPS guidance in bad weather for stationary targets, or as a vehicle with laser guidance for fast-moving targets."
Boeing has also developed a new wing kit that, when combined with the JDAM control kit, increases the bomb's range from about 24 km to over 72 km; this version was designated JDAM-ER (Extended Range). “The JDAM-ER suite takes advantage of the traditional JDAM interface and the Boeing GBU-39 Small Diameter Bomb planning technology,” said Greg Kofi, director of JDAM programs at Boeing. "With JDAM-ER kits, customers get the extended range out of reach of the enemy, which is necessary to neutralize current and future threats." The Australian Air Force is currently the sole operator of JDAM-ER.
The current capabilities of the US Navy are limited to a dual-mode Laser-JDAM kit mounted on 900 kg concrete-piercing bombs. Further improvements to American direct engagement weapons are currently not funded, but in the future may include the ability to accurately navigate in the absence or jamming of the GPS signal, additional weapons sensors, options for current weapons with increased range, or the addition of networking capabilities in order to increase the flexible targeting of weapons in flight … “In our time, the need for additional capabilities in a modern combat situation is not confirmed, and there are no requirements for further improvement of our weapons of direct destruction,” Engdahl continued, although he added, “The Navy is closely monitoring the development and deployment of extended-range JDAM variants by our foreign allies. although at the moment we have no need for JDAM-ER."
SPICE
The Israeli company Rafael Advanced Defense Systems began work on high-precision air-to-ground weapons in the early 60s, having developed a high-precision Roreue missile with an operator in the control loop. The first set for high-precision targeting of conventional bombs was developed by Rafael in the 90s, this family received the designation SPICE (Smart, Precise Impact, Cost-Effective - intelligent, precise impact, economical). The SPICE family includes self-contained air-to-ground weapons, deployed out of reach of weapons, capable of destroying targets with high precision, even with massive area bombs.
SPICE kits use modern navigation, guidance and homing techniques in order to achieve accurate and effective destruction of critical enemy targets with a circular probable deviation (CEP) of three meters. The automatic target acquisition system of the SPICE set uses a unique correlation homing technology using a comparison system for reference and real display of the terrain (scene comparison), which is able to recognize the distinctive features of the terrain, countermeasures, navigation errors and errors in determining the coordinates of the target. During the flight, a comparison is made of images obtained in real time from a dual seeker with infrared and CCD cameras with a reference image stored in the system computer. SPICE can operate at any time of the day and in any weather, based on its advanced seeker and terrain comparison algorithms. SPICE systems have been field tested and are in service with the Israeli Air Force and several overseas customers.
The first was the SPICE-2000 kit, designed for universal and concrete-piercing 900-kg bombs, for example, Mk. 84, RAP-2000 and BLU-109. SPICE-2000 has a range of 60 km. The next was developed the SPICE-1000 kit (photo below), which, judging by the designation, is installed on universal and concrete-piercing bombs weighing 1000 pounds (454 kg), for example, Mk. 83 and RAP-1000. SPICE-1000 provides a range of 100 km. The Israeli Air Force received full combat readiness for SPICE-1000 at the end of 2016.
During mission planning, in the air or on the ground, target data, including target coordinates, target angle, azimuth, visualization data, and topographic data are used to generate a flight mission for each target, which the pilot sends to each bomb before dropping it. The parameters of the combat mission are determined in accordance with the type of target and operational requirements, for example, the dive angle for deep penetration is calculated. The SPICE weapon is dropped outside the strike area and independently navigates the cruise phase of the flight, using its inertial / GPS system to homing to the exact location of the target at a predetermined encounter angle and azimuth. As you approach the target, SPICE's unique weapon scene comparison algorithm compares real-time images from the optoelectronics of the seeker with the original reconnaissance data stored in the memory of the SPICE computer. At the homing stage, the system determines the target and turns on the tracking device to meet with it. Thanks to the use of such capabilities, SPICE does not depend on errors in determining the coordinates of the target and jamming the GPS signal, as a result of which indirect losses are sharply reduced. A Rafael spokesman said, “The trend that is clearly visible today is shifting accuracy requirements for stationary targets to moving targets. I believe that new guidance techniques will be developed that allow you to accurately attack targets in the absence of a GPS signal: They will also increase the range of use in order to reduce the risks to crews posed by the increased capabilities of air defense systems."
Developments in other countries
Countries such as India, China, South Africa and Turkey manufacture their own precision guided missile targeting kits. For example, in October 2013, India showed its first Sudarshan laser guidance kit. It was developed by the Indian Aviation Development Department and is manufactured by Bharat Electronics. The project aims to improve the accuracy of 1000-pound free-fall bombs. The guidance kit consists of a computer unit, steering surfaces mounted in the nose of the bomb, and a set of wings mounted in the rear to create aerodynamic lift. The kit provides KVO less than 10 meters and, when dropped from normal altitudes, gives a range of about 9 km. Work is underway to further improve the accuracy and range of this kit, including by adding a GPS system.
The Turkish Defense Industry Research Institute TUBITAK has developed the HGK guidance kit, which turns a 2000-pound Mk. 84 bomb into a precision weapon. The kit consists of a GPS / INS guidance system and drop-down wings. The kit provides destruction of targets with an accuracy of six meters in all weather conditions. Working in this area, the South African company Denel Dynamics has created a joint venture with the Emirati Tawazun Holdings to develop and manufacture various high-precision weapons. A variant of Denel's Umbani kit is currently in production under the designation Al-Tariq. The Al-Tariq kit is based either on an infrared seeker and GPS / INS guidance with an automatic target detection and tracking mode, or on a semi-active laser seeker. In the case of installing a pre-fragmented warhead, the system can also be equipped with a radar remote fuse for area operation. Depending on the configuration, the system can have an autonomous target recognition and tracking system with a range of over 100 km. A set of wings or engines can be added to increase range and low-altitude bombing capabilities. According to the company, the KVO weapons system is three meters. Finally, the AASM kit of the French company Safran, consisting of a guidance system and a set of additional engines, entered service in 2008. It is used by the French Air Force in operations against the Islamic State (banned in the Russian Federation) in Iraq and Syria. The range of the AASM exceeds 60 km, it allows operators to carry out high-precision strikes against fixed and moving targets around the clock and in any weather.
Output
According to the US Navy, most of their weapons used in combat against stationary targets are equipped with various versions of the JDAM kit and weigh 500 pounds (227 kg), 1000 and 2000 pounds; these are mainly GBU-38/32/31 bombs. Engdahl commented on this: “The dual-mode Laser-JDAM system entered service in 2010 and proved to be a functionally flexible combat weapon against both stationary and mobile targets. The US Air Force and Navy and their foreign partners will continue to purchase JDAM modular tail kits and L-JDAM sensor kits for the foreseeable future."
Over the past twenty years, the conversion of free-fall bombs into precision weapons, both laser-guided and GPS-guided, combined with effective reconnaissance, surveillance and intelligence gathering, as well as improved targeting capabilities, has dramatically increased combat effectiveness and reduced civilian casualties. … Weapon systems such as the JDAM family and the like are the primary means of providing high-precision strike capabilities. In the next few years, such systems with different modes of operation and new sensors will be continuously developed, and the emphasis will be on increasing the range and the ability to work in the absence of a GPS signal.
