USAF Launch Supersonic Bomb Firing Technology

coondoggie writes "Boeing and the US Air Force today said they have tested new technology that for the first time will let military aircraft launch bombs from aircraft moving at supersonic speeds. Researchers from Boeing Phantom Works and the Air Force Research Laboratory used a rocket sled in combination with what researchers called "active flow control" to successfully release a smart bomb known as MK-82 Joint Direct Attack Munition Standard Test Vehicle (JDAM) at a speed of about Mach 2 from a weapons bay with a size approximating that of the U.S. Air Force B-1 bomber, Boeing said. Active flow control is a tandem array of microjets upstream of the weapons bay that, when fired reduces the unsteady pressures inside the bay and modifies the flow outside to ensure the JDAM munition travels out of the bay correctly."

Comments

Great news everyone!

[Bragador]

There is no such thing as investing TOO MUCH in the military. People that are saying we should focus more money on social problems and the economy don't understand that military technology can be applied to fix social problems eventually.

Rejoice for now we can drop food and medical supplies at supersonic speed! I can't wait to see the look on those African kids!

Re:Great news everyone!

[Cassius Corodes]

Why drop food, which fixes the problem for a few days at most, when dropping a bomb will permanently fix the problem.

Re:Great news everyone!

[josteos]

Build a Man a Fire, and he is Warm for a Day
Set a Man on Fire, and he is Warm for the Rest of His Life

Re:Release bombs at supersonic speeds?

[Un pobre guey]

We miss often enough at sub-sonic speeds

...and with this exact same test weapon. For a few dollars more, they'll develop an even better JDAM!

Not to be outdone...

[YU5333021]

... upon hearing the news, the Russians have taken the concept to the next, logical extreme. Code named "Mamushka" the first supersonic plane will fire a smaller plane traveling twice as fast, which will fire yet another smaller plane traveling 4 times faster than the first one, and so on until the very last, smallest plane (traveling an nearly the speed of light) will fire a potato that will hit the original big plane in the back, thus demonstrating that like many other US expenditures, they are at least good for HUMOR.

Next up, basketballs that bounce 10 times as high. Is gonna change the game!

Re:Wow, very much incorrect.

[Anonymous Coward]

He's all like, "we've done that already, bitches", and I'm like "[citation needed]", and under my breath, I'm like, "bitches".

Laymen's terms?

[Dr. Eggman]

[arm chair general] It'll be just like the Aurora Supersonic Bomber from Command and Conquer:Generals, except you can drop two and your desperate, last minute airstrikes on Iran's superweapon won't have to be suicide missions! How long until we have the Air Fuel bomb version from the Zero Hour's turtler General? That'll show those Al Quaeda tunnel/stinger-missile sites: lets see you rebuild your hole now! [/arm chair general]

Re:soon enough...

[J_Darnley]

Sorry, but you fire photon torpedos from warp and proton torpedos from hyperspace.

Sweet merciful crap!!

[ichthyoboy]

from a weapons bay with a size approximating that of the U.S. Air Force B-1 bomber I'm sure glad that we have planes with weapon bays that can hold a f&@%ing B-1 bomber!!!

Re:!! JESUS, HELP ME KILL MORE PEOPLE FASTER !!

[Anonymous Coward]

no we don't. I love the new speed jesus killing machine.