The recent exercises followed last year’s 2024 Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercise, in which a B-2 Spirit successfully sank a decommissioned Austin-class amphibious transport dock.
A United States Air Force Northrop B-2 Spirit stealth bomber took part in a training flight with multiple Royal Norwegian Air Force Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning IIs this month over the Norwegian Sea. The advanced stealth aircraft conducted a test of its “precision maritime strike capabilities” by employing a US Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) “QUICKSINK” maritime weapon.
“This test is a clear example of how we work with trusted allies to bring new capabilities into play faster and smarter,” said US Air Force Col. Scott Gunn, 53rd Wing commander. “We’re not just preparing for tomorrow; we’re shaping it together.”
The B-2 Spirit’s Specifications
- Year Introduced: 1993
- Number Built: 21, including one prototype
- Length: 69 ft (20.9 m)
- Wingspan: 172 ft (52.12 m)
- Weight: 336,500 lb (152,634 kg) MTOW
- Engines: Four General Electric F118-GE-100 turbofan engines
- Top Speed: 628 mph (1,010 km/h)
- Range: 6,000 nautical miles (11,100 km; 6,904 miles) without aerial refueling
- Service Ceiling: 50,000 ft (15,240 m)
- Loadout: 40,000 lb (18,144 kg) – Capable of delivering conventional or nuclear weapons, including JDAMs, bunker busters, and nuclear bombs
- Aircrew: 2
The US and Norway Are Trying Out “QUICKSINK” Munitions
The long-range bomber employed the “precision-guided QUICKSINK munitions to engage and sink the maritime target,” the Air Force announced this week. The test further “validated the aircraft’s enduring advantages,” highlighting its key capabilities, including its stealth, range, and payload flexibility.
The recent exercises followed last year’s 2024 Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercise, in which a B-2 Spirit participated in a SINKEX exercise, successfully sinking the decommissioned Austin-class amphibious transport dock USS Dubuque (LPD-8) with a 2,000-pound QUICKSINK ordnance.
“We are building readiness on both sides of the Atlantic and creating options that make maritime strike more distributed, survivable, and integrated,” said Lt Col. Stephen Bressett, commander of the 72nd Test and Evaluation Squadron. “We anticipate, adapt, and respond to what our senior leaders need at a speed that’s relevant to the strategic environment we’re in—that’s what the 53rd Wing does best!”
The 53rd Wing didn’t disclose what type of QUICKSINK munition was employed in this month’s tests, or even what was used as a target. However, the Air Force has continued to carry out tests with the relatively low-cost and low-tech ordnance from the flying wing bomber.
A previous demonstration was conducted at the Eglin Air Force Base (AFB) Gulf Test Range in Florida, where a B-2 Spirit delivered a modified, air-delivered 500-pound variant of an anti-ship weapon. The QUICKSINK program, led by the Air Force Materiel Command’s AFRL, has modified existing air-to-surface munitions with a modular seeker that enables them to target and destroy surface targets.
Anti-Ship “Smart” Bombs Are Making a Comeback
The recent test in the Norwegian Sea was seen to advance “the development of both large and small variants of the precision strike system under evaluation.”
The AFRL has acknowledged that torpedoes and advanced missiles are likely to remain the primary method for sinking an adversary’s ship. Still, air-dropped ordnance proved to be a capable method against enemy warships a century ago.
A GPS-guidance system can enable a previously “dumb” bomb that was designed to strike static targets, such as a known bunker facility, to be used against potentially moving targets, including a warship at sea. Kits to upgrade “dumb” bombs into “smart” ones 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 (LRASM) or the $1.4 million AGM-84 Harpoon anti-ship missile.
In addition to being carried by the stealth bomber, the ordnance could be just as easily employed on US Air Force multirole fighters such as the F-15E Strike Eagle and F-16 Fighting Falcon, enabling those land-based aircraft to serve in an anti-access/area denial (A2/AD) role, and potentially even be capable of modern carrier killers.
About the Author: Peter Suciu
Peter Suciu has contributed over 3,200 published pieces to more than four dozen magazines and websites over a 30-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].
Image: Wikimedia Commons.
