# SDBs Operational on F-15s



## Kirkhill (14 Jul 2006)

http://www.defense-aerospace.com/cgi-bin/client/modele.pl?session=dae.16882086.1133972074.Q5cKasOa9dUAAFC2ZcA&modele=jdc_34

This article talks about an F15 squadron in the UK having completed a Operational Training Mission where  a 4-Ship flight of F15s dropped 16 SDBs on 16 targets in one pass and achieved 16 hits.  The unit CO said that in Desert Storm it required one aircraft 6 bombs to defeat a single target.

Extrapolating from this and assuming they only mounted a single rack of 4 SDBs on each aircraft, that a rack of 4 SDBs can be carried in place of a single conventional bomb and that each aircraft could carry six conventional bombs then that 4 ship could have carried up to 96 SDBs and engaged 96 separate targets on a single sortie.

Moreover; those rounds can be targeted in flight, not preplanned on the ground; they can be dropped from up to 65 nm away by some accounts creating a swath of about 100 km on each side of the flight path in which targets can be engaged; the stand-off distance equates to protection for the aircraft; the stand-off distance means not having to approach the enemy as closely so being able to engage the enemy sooner meaning shorter flight times and turn-around times.  In addition the lighter rounds mean easier ground handling and faster turn around times.

All in all it seems to mean fewer aircraft, more enemy engagements, safer sorties and less time for the enemy to manoeuvre.

Interesting - and compatible with CF-18s and potentially CP-140s.


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## aesop081 (14 Jul 2006)

Kirkhill said:
			
		

> and potentially CP-140s.



We have enough problems right now.......


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## Kirkhill (14 Jul 2006)

aesop081 said:
			
		

> We have enough problems right now.......



.......always looking to keep people employed  ;D


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## DBA (14 Jul 2006)

Good information on the GBU-39 Small Diameter Bomb from the Global Security website. It's further development of GPS guided bombs into smaller sizes with backup inertial guidance (and in another model a seeker head) with longer standoff ranges.


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## Kirkhill (27 Sep 2006)

60 nautical mile stand-off (100 km) and 4 per hard-point (up to 20? per CF-18?)



> Boeing Supports Initial Operational Capability of Small Diameter Bomb on F-15E Strike Eagles
> 
> 
> (Source: Boeing Co.; issued Sept. 26, 2006)
> ...



http://www.defense-aerospace.com/cgi-bin/client/modele.pl?session=dae.16851726.1133540294.Q5BzxsOa9dUAAHeSPdQ&modele=jdc_34


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