Quicksink: US tests ‘low-cost’ guided bomb that could break vessel into two

The US Air Force tested its guided bomb, Quicksink, which strikes marine vessels like a torpedo, during the exercise Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2024.

In RIMPAC 2024, participating ships and aircraft conducted long-planned, live-fire sinking exercises (SINKEXs) and sank the decommissioned USS Dubuque (LPD 8) and the decommissioned USS Tarawa (LHA 1).

The US said both were sunk in waters 15,000 feet deep, more than 50 nautical miles off the northern coast of the island of Kauai.

During the SINKEXs, participating units from Australia, Malaysia, the Netherlands, the Republic of Korea, and the US Air Force, Army, and Navy gained proficiency in tactics, targeting, and live firing against surface ships at sea.

Testing Quicksink

As part of the SINKEX, a US Air Force B-2 Spirit stealth bomber, in partnership with the US Navy, proved a low-cost, air-delivered method for defeating surface vessels through a Quicksink demonstration.

The Quicksink experiment is funded by the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering.

It aims to provide options to neutralize surface maritime threats while demonstrating the inherent flexibility of the joint force.

According to the US, this bomb is an urgent answer to the need to quickly neutralize maritime threats over massive expanses of oceans worldwide at minimal cost.

Historically, torpedoes have been used to strike maritime targets.

While extremely effective , torpedoes are also quite expensive to deploy and require special naval assets like submarines in the adversarial vicinity to cause intended damage.

Therefore, the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) has turned to Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) to deliver low-cost and agile attack solutions.

How does Quicksink work?

A JDAM guidance kit converts existing unguided bombs into precision-guided smart ‘munitions.’

The inertial navigation system (INS) and global positioning system (GPS) in the tail section of the kit help convert unguided bombs into an all-weather weapon compatible with advanced fighter jets.

The JDAM’s target coordinates can be loaded into the aircraft before takeoff, before weapon release, and automatically from the aircraft’s sensors.

The US Navy’s website claims that JDAM enables multiple weapon releases against a single target or at multiple targets in a single pass.

According to the US Navy’s website, a JDAM’s range is 15 miles (24 km).

The JDAM would be deployable only when a ship’s aerial defenses are compromised. So, it might be a while before we see this ‘torpedo-like’ bomb in action.

Other capabilities utilized

In addition to Quicksink, events like live-fire SINKEXs allow participating nations to test and conduct training on weapons and systems in a realistic environment that cannot be replicated in simulators.

Additionally, these training events refine partner nations’ abilities to plan, communicate, and conduct complex maritime operations such as precision and long-range strike capabilities.

The sinking of the ex-Tarawa included the employment of a Long-Range Anti-Ship Missile (LRASM) from a US Navy F/A-18F Super Hornet.

As a precise, stealthy, and survivable cruise missile, LRASM provides multi-service, multi-platform, and multi-mission capabilities for offensive anti-surface warfare. Currently, LRASMs are deployed from US Navy F/A-18 and US Air Force B-1B aircraft.

“The power of RIMPAC is in how it strengthens relationships between participating nations by challenging us to conduct realistic and relevant training together,” said Royal Australian Air Force Air Commodore Louise desJardins, Combined Force Air Component Commander.

“It is a real demonstration of how we plan, communicate, and conduct complex operations like a SINKEX together and reflects the value of robust relationships between regional partners.”