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How Does the Smartest Bomb in the World Work?

The smart artillery shell turns genius

By Lucian Dorneanu, Science Editor

10th of July 2007, 14:07 GMT

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Explosion of an XM982 Excalibur smart bomb

Smart bombs are guided projectiles that are designed to deliver maximum damage to the target while minimizing both collateral damage and the risk of being intercepted by the enemy. The smartest ones allow a fighter pilot, for instance, to designate a target, fire and forget about the bomb, which will head straight toward the target while the pilot avoids hostile forces.

Fewer or smaller bombs can now do the job of tens

of bombs that relied only on the pilot's aiming ability. The most modern ones can now be controlled by an operator located in a bunker at a safe distance and are almost unstoppable.

The smartest bomb in the world must be the XM982 Excalibur, a 155 mm extended range guided artillery shell currently being developed by Raytheon Missile Systems and BAE Systems Bofors. While not yet completed, its future accuracy has been estimated at 10 meters (3.3 ft) with a maximum range of 57 kilometers (35 mi).

To achieve this almost impossible precision - most 155 mm artillery shells have an error range of up 300 meters (328 yards) - the "Precision Guided Extended Range Artillery Projectile" as it's called combines a state-of-the-art GPS-assisted guidance system with stabilizer fins and rockets.

Folding glide fins are used to give the round extra stability and help it glide towards the target after being launched. The GPS not only helps it navigate, it also provides vital information on target coordinates and recent modifications in its position.
It can be equipped with three types of ammunition, including dual-purpose improved conventional munitions, sensor fuzed munitions as well as anti-armor and bunker-busting warheads. One variety of the Excalibur can carry a warhead designed to burst into 64 surface-to-surface sub-munitions at an optimum altitude and distance from the desired target for dense area coverage.

The most powerful type of munition is still classified, but officials say it will be able to "detect, discriminate and engage specified target(s) located in a complex urban environment".

TAGS:

weapon | bomb | projectile | warhead | munition

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