X72-12 AIRCRAFT WEAPONS : VII U.S. SPECIAL BOMBS & LANTIRN PODS

The GBU-31 is a modern American guided aerial bomb based on the classic BLU-109 bomb weighing 907 kilograms with a warhead weighing 240 kilograms. GBU-31 was created as a result of works carried out by Boeing and Lockheed Martin in the mid-1990s, on behalf of the USAAF and the US Navy. These works were to lead to the possibility of targeting classic air bombs (eg BLU-109) at the target. This goal was achieved by developing a relatively cheap (unit cost is about $ 20,000) and easy to install JDAM system, which includes an additional bomb-mounted tail, inertial guidance systems and a GPS receiver. The system is capable of operating in all weather conditions and - most likely - in all climatic conditions. It is estimated that in the years 1998-2016, the Boeing concern produced over 300,000 JDAM sets. GBU-31 bombs could or could be carried by such planes as, for example: F-14D, F-16 C / D or F / A-18 E / F, but also B-1B Lancer or B-2 Spirit bombers. Weapons of this type were used between the 1999 Kosovo conflict and the 2003 invasion of Iraq.The AGM-154 JSOW (Joint Stand Off Weapon) is a modern American air-to-ground class soaring bomb. Its first prototypes appeared in the mid-1980s, and mass production began in 1999. The AGM-154 is a bomb with a shaft flight range from 22 to 130 kilometers, capable of carrying a warhead weighing 223 kg, and its total mass is 483 kg. The AGM-154 JSOW soaring bomb was created as a joint venture of the US Navy and the US Air Force. This bomb was developed by Texas Instruments (now part of the Raytheon concern) as a fire-and-forgot weapon, i.e. one that after dropping does not require further targeting. Despite the lack of a jet propulsion, in most versions, the AGM-154 uses the GPS and INS navigation systems, which allow it to correct the flight on its way to the destination, after being dropped by the carrier plane. The first large-scale version of the bomb was the AGM-154A, which had a maximum range of 74 kilometers. It was dedicated to destroying mainly armored targets. There was also a version of the AGM-154C with improved navigation systems and better protection against enemy interference. There were also versions of the AGM-154 D and E, which have a turbojet engine and are de facto missiles. AGM-154 JSOW gliding bombs are used by many American aircraft, including: F-15 E Eagle, F-16 Fighting Falcon, F / A 18 A / B Hornet, F / A 18 E / F Super Hornet or F -35 Lightning II. I am also equipped by the armed forces of Greece, Poland, Singapore and Turkey.