November 28, 2007: The U.S.
Air Force has developed a new technology that enables bombs to be dropped from
internal bomb bays while the aircraft is traveling at high speed (above the
speed of sound). The test, using a rocket sled on the ground, going at about
2,000 kilometers an hour when the bomb was released. The new technology is a
series of micro air jets in front of the bomb bay. These air jets manipulate
the air flow over the bomb bay ("active flow control") so that when the bomb bay
doors opened and the bomb was released, it would leave the bomb bay, and not be
forced, by the air pressure moving across the skin of the jet, back into the
bomb bay.
Supersonic bombing
capabilities only became a problem with the appearance of GPS guided bombs. In
the past, dumb, or laser guided, bombs required slower speeds to get some
accuracy for dumb bombs, and to enable an aircraft to place the laser on the
target for the guided weapons. But with JDAM (GPS guided bombs) all you got to
do is drop that sucker, and be on your way. In situations where the air is hot
with enemy fire (shells and missiles), you would want to get in there, drop the
JDAM, and haul ass out ASAP. Now it is possible to do this. Best are being made
within the air force concerning how long it will take the Chinese to steal this
new technology.
