Jarod Remillard
Mrs. Christina Cavoli
Writing 101s
16 April 2015
Impact of Laser Guided Bombs on Modern Day Military Since the dawning of military aviation, men have attempted to bombard their enemy from the air. At first it was an ineffective method of combat due to varied and numerous problems. The first aircraft designed did not have the proper lift capable of carrying any sizable payload, as well as not having adequate sights to properly aim the munitions. Aircraft design advanced and with it came the increased use of missiles and bombs. One of the major advancements in aircraft munitions was the development of the “smart” bomb and “smart” munitions. Advancements in the design and use of smart bombs and smart munitions have greatly increased the military's ability to accurately strike their targets. Militaries now have the ability to strike a target from many miles away, while doing so with outstanding precision, lethality on threat, and highly destructive power. During World War II it took a lot more personnel, planes, and bombs to accomplish what just one smart bomb can accomplish today.

One of the major technologies used in smart bombs is the tracking system or guidance system. The guidance system typically uses either a laser system or a satellite system. With the use of the LASER guidance system the bomb can be dropped and will track its target, whether by a laser fired from the platform dropping the bomb, or by friendly personnel painting the target with an IR (infrared) LASER. In the usual design of a laser guided missile or bomb there will be an array of sensors which utilize signals to help accurately determine the precise position of the target. These signals are initially received, then translated into what is known as control surface movements, which will help direct the bomb to its designated target. The conventional method would use an airborne detector via the gun site, and the gun would then provide the pilot with valuable navigational information to ensure the proper delivery of the payload. Alternatively, a bomb or missile that is equipped with the new laser guided system can be launched once the pilot is satisfied that the weapons detector head has achieved a positive lock on the designated target and the launch requirements are satisfied (“Laser Guided Bombs”, 2011). In many cases during a bombing run, the pilot may never visually acquire the target, but rather rely only on the use of the laser guided system to ensure proper acquisition and deployment. Smart bombs that make use of a satellite system can be dropped from an extremely high altitude, while the bomb uses a GPS signal it is receiving to guide itself to the precisely designated target. With the use of a guidance system smart bombs can be used at a much greater range. The development of laser guided and GPS weapons has helped improve the precision accuracy of weapons delivery and guidance.

The use of smart bombs has reduced the chances unnecessary or unwanted collateral damage while increasing the lethality on its designated target. Before the design of smart bombs the only method of destroying a designated target was to use a method called carpet bombing. Carpet bombing involved using a large amount of bombs and munitions, and dropping every aircraft payload over a target area. A normal payload for a carpet bomber was a few thousand pounds of munitions. Therefore, to destroy a single target, bombing runs would drop upwards of a hundred thousand pounds of bombs to get the desired effect. With the use of a two thousand pound smart bomb you can completely annihilate your target of choosing without damaging unwanted buildings, civilians or non-combatants. With the implementation of guidance systems on bombs we are able to hit targets which would otherwise be unable to hit, or cause too much. For instance, when attempting to bomb a bunker, it is usually a heavily fortified position. With smart bombs a single bomb can be dropped through an air intake pipe or air exhaust pipe and it will detonate inside the bunker. The advancements in smart bomb technology now allows us to inflict maximum damage on a single target while reducing civilian casualties and damages to the surrounding infrastructure.

With continuing advancements in smart bomb technology the blast yield has increased dramatically. On October 14, 1943, two hundred twenty nine B-17 bombers dropped multiple bombs on ball bearing factories in Schweinfurt, Germany, in an attempt to cripple Germany’s production of tanks. With the use of smart bomb technology it would take only two F-117 stealth bombers, each with a payload of only two 2,000 pound smart bombs to complete the same bombing run. Thanks to smart bomb technology it can also be done from a much higher altitude, which in turn protects the aircraft and pilots from various Anti-Aircraft defenses. With the increase in blast yield smart bombs are able to destroy highly hardened targets such as bunkers and bomb shelters. Smart bombs like Paveway laser guided bombs are able to penetrate the hardened outer shell of an underground bunker without detonation, then detonate inside the bunker. With this capability they are able to destroy the targets from the inside rather than the outside. With increased blast yields smart bombs also make a highly useful and accurate weapon against clusters of enemy vehicles and armor. Dropping only one smart bomb can take out multiple hostiles without needing to carpet bomb the area to accomplish the desired effect.

As the theater of warfare changes over time, the military also needs to change and advance their tactics and weaponry. With the continuing design of the smart bomb, the US military has given itself a superior advantage over its enemy. With the capability to deploy high technology smart bombs, the military is able to deliver maximum lethality on a precise target from a safer distance while reducing the danger to aircraft and personnel, and without causing unwanted damage to nearby civilians and infrastructures. Smart bombs will continue to play a major role in modern warfare and precision airstrikes. Precision smart bomb technology has helped the United States become the superpower it is today.

Works Cited

Laser Guided Bombs. (2011). Retrieved from http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/munitions/lgb.htm