Thus far, testing of Quicksink munitions has proven successful, with several decommissioned ships sunk.
In a potential clash with the United States, the Chinese Navy could swiftly put more than 700 surface combatants, submarines, and support ships to sea. The US Navy can hardly meet half of that number, giving Beijing a decisive early advantage in the Indo-Pacific.
Accordingly, the US military is looking for low-cost ways to sink enemy ships. The Quicksink program could be the solution.
About the Pentagon’s Quicksink Munitions
According to the Air Force Research Lab, Quicksink is a “Joint Capability Technology Demonstration (JCTD) that rapidly integrates and demonstrates Department of the Air Force technology which creates air-delivered, low-cost, surface vessel defeat capability for the warfighter.”
Quicksink munitions use existing guidance kits that carry a new Weapon Open Systems Architecture (WOSA) seeker. The WOSA seeker can be outfitted to a variety of current and future munitions, thus creating a large arsenal of Quicksink munitions.
Thus far, the US military has tested a 2,000-pound GBU-31/B Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) and a 500-pound GBU-38 JDAM in Quicksink trials.
The success of the Quicksink program is key to the US military’s strategy against the Chinese military in the Indo-Pacific. Currently, cruise missiles and MK-48 heavyweight torpedoes are the main methods to sink enemy surface combatants and support vessels. However, the US Navy can field fewer ships than its Chinese counterpart. Accordingly, more effective ways to sink Chinese ships could determine the outcome of naval combat in the Indo-Pacific.
“A Navy submarine has the ability to launch and destroy a ship with a single torpedo at any time, but by launching that weapon, it gives away its location and becomes a target. The QUICKSINK JCTD aims to develop a low-cost method of achieving torpedo-like seaworthy kills from the air at a much higher pace and over a much larger area than covered by a lumbering submarine,” the Air Force’s Research Lab stated about the utility of the Quicksink.
The Quicksink Program’s Strength Is Its Adaptability
Another useful aspect of the Quicksink program is that it can utilize a wide range of different platforms, thus maximizing its potential. For example, Quicksink munitions can be fired from a diverse set of aircraft, including B-2 Spirit stealth strategic bombers to F-15EX Eagle II fighter jets. As the program continues to develop, conceivably a wider range of aircraft, including transport aircraft and AC-130 gunships, would be able to carry Quicksink munitions. One single aircraft could pack considerable anti-ship capabilities. For instance, the B-2 Spirit can carry 80 500-pound Quicksink munitions. Although more than 500-pound bombs might be required to sink an enemy warship, the sheer number of Quicksink munitions one stealth bomber can carry means just a handful of aircraft could disrupt a major Chinese amphibious operation against Taiwan in a hypothetical conflict.
Thus far, testing of Quicksink munitions has proven successful, with several decommissioned ships sunk. The Air Force and Navy continue to experiment with a wider range of munitions and platforms with the clear objective of creating a formidable anti-ship capability that would increase the overall deterrence against China.
About the Author: Stavros Atlamazoglou
Stavros Atlamazoglou is a seasoned defense journalist specializing in special operations and a Hellenic Army veteran (national service with the 575th Marine Battalion and Army HQ). He holds a BA from the Johns Hopkins University and an MA from the Johns Hopkins’ School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). His work has been featured in Business Insider, Sandboxx, and SOFREP.
Image: Shutterstock / igor karasi.
