The US Air Force tested a smaller, 500-pound QUICKSINK bomb capable of sinking ships, offering a stealthy, low-cost alternative to torpedoes with GPS-guidance and broader deployment options across platforms.
Last summer, the United States Air Force conducted a test of its QUICKSINK during the 2024 Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercise, demonstrating how the GPS-guided bomb could be employed as an effective, low-cost carrier killer. The ordnance was dropped from a Northrop B-2 Spirit bomber onto the ex-USS Dubuque, an Austin-class amphibious transport dock.
It was one of multiple SINKEX drills, the sink-at-sea live-fire training exercises carried out by the US military last year.
Development of the QUICKSINK anti-ship bomb has continued, and the Air Force announced that another demonstration was carried out at the Eglin Air Force Base (AFB) Gulf Test Range, Florida, in which a B-2 Spirit delivered the modified, air-delivered 500-pound variant anti-ship weapon.
“This innovative capability provides a rapid response to maritime threats across vast ocean expanses, significantly bolstering the US Air Force’s counter-maritime deterrence and operations,” the Air Force explained.
The QUICKSINK program has been led by the Air Force Materiel Command’s Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) to modify existing air-to-surface munitions with a modular seeker that allows them to target and destroy surface targets.
The recent test was part of a joint effort between AFRL, the Air Force Test Center, and the Air Combat Command’s 53rd Wing.
“QUICKSINK is the result of a Joint collaboration that rapidly prototyped an affordable concept for holding surface targets at risk,” explained Col. Matthew Caspers, AFRL Munitions Directorate commander.
The QUICKSINK Bomb Is Pretty Small
The 500-pound variant recently tested was just one-quarter the size of the 2,000-pound QUICKSINK ordnance used in the 2024 RIMPAC, but it highlights that bigger isn’t always better. According to the Air Force, the smaller bomb expanded the stealth bombers “targeting capabilities” and provided “combatant commanders with an expanded complement of innovative warfighting solutions.”
It could be more cost-effective, as a 2,000-pound bomb is overkill in some naval scenarios.
“QUICKSINK offers an affordable, game-changing solution to rapidly and efficiently sink maritime targets,” said Col. Dan Lehoski, 53rd Wing commander.
“AFRL’s 500-pound QUICKSINK variant adds options for the warfighter and enhances operational flexibility.”
The QUICKSINK Bomb May Replace Torpedoes
The AFRL acknowledged that torpedoes remain the “primary method” to sink an adversary’s ships today, but it also noted that firing a torpedo exposes a US Navy submarine. Air-dropped ordnance is simply a return to another proven method to send an enemy vessel to the bottom of the ocean.
Unlike in the 1920s, when aviation pioneers, such as the US Army Air Corps’ Gen. Billy Mitchell, had to prove to their naval counterparts that bombs could be effective ship killers, the sea service now sees the potential.
The GPS-guidance can enable a bomb that was designed to strike static targets, such as a known bunker facility, to be used against potentially moving targets, like a warship at sea. This can also be far more cost-effective, turning relatively low-cost gravity bombs into guided weapons for under $100,000, compared to the roughly $3 million price tag of the AGM-158C Long Range Anti-Ship Missile or the $1.4 million for an AGM-84 Harpoon anti-ship missile.
While the QUICKSINK tests were carried out on a B-2 Spirit, The War Zone reported that ordnance could be easily employed with the US Air Force’s F-15E Strike Eagles and F-16 Fighting Falcons.
About the Author: Peter Suciu
Peter Suciu has contributed over 3,200 published pieces to more than four dozen magazines and websites over a thirty-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a Contributing Writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. He is based in Michigan. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: [email protected].
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