Warplanes: <b>December 10, 1999</b>

December 10, 1999

China is negotiating to buy an export version of the Russian AA-12 Adder advanced air-to-air missile that could be on Chinese launch rails by the end of next year. --Stephen V Cole

The Pentagon has cut planned purchases of Joint Stand-Off Weapons (with unitary high explosive warheads) for the US Navy from 7,800 to only 3,000.--Stephen V Cole

The B-2 Spirit bomber has been given new software upgrades allowing it to carry up to four different types of precision-guided weapons (plus various "dumb" bombs) on a given mission. Previously, it was limited to one type of precision-guided weapon per sortie. While the upgrade cost $100 million, it will ultimately save money as it costs about $50+ million to integrate each new weapon into the previous software. The new software is generic, and the specifics for the type of bomb are included with the mission tape (which has details of targets, terrain, and other mission-specific information) that is loaded into the computer before each flight. Because the bomb specifications are reloaded each time, the current software will work in the future with weapons that have yet to be invented. The new software can already work with the Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM), the Joint Air-to-Surface Stand-off Munition (JASSM), the Joint Stand-Off Weapon (JSOW), GPS-guided bombs, and dumb bombs. JASSM integration should be complete by 2002. Funds ($200 million) have been allocated to fit all B-2s with the Link-16 communications system by 2004. Congress has provided $17 million to integrate the EGBU-28 bunker-buster bomb (4,700 pounds); this weapon is more readily available than the GBU-37 bunker-buster, which can only be carried by the B-2. --Stephen V Cole

The third prototype test of the Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Munition was successfully completed on 23 Nov. The weapon will now move into production, and the first production weapons will be undergoing tests by next fall.--Stephen V Cole

Learning the lessons of its latest war in Chechnya, the Russian Air Force is seeking improved air-to-ground effectiveness with better air-to-ground missiles and precision-guided bombs. New seekers are being sought to increase the accuracy of existing weapons and allow them to function in all weather. (Current Russian precision-guided weapons use infrared, television, or laser guidance, none of which works very well through cloud cover or fog. The solution of choice seems to be millimeter-wave radar guidance, in which the weapon uses its own radar to look for a target with a specific radar return. Both the Kh-25 and Kh-29 missiles are being redesigned to use such seekers, which could be fitted to existing missiles. (Both Phazotron and Systema are working on such seekers.) The FAB-1500 bomb is being redesigned to use a passive radar seeker. --Stephen V Cole