9 May 2022

QUICKSINK: The Air Force Will Soon Be Destroying Ships from Above

Kris Osborn

An Air Force F-15E Strike Eagle destroyed a “full-scale” surface vessel in the Gulf of Mexico during a demonstration of a cutting-edge Pentagon weapon that is able to target and destroy moving ships at sea, a development that may introduce new attack options for U.S. commanders. Under the auspices of the QUICKSINK program, the United States fired a precision-guided GBU-31 joint direct attack munition (JDAM) at the surface ship as part of what’s called a joint capability technology demonstration.

Some of the particulars related to the guidance systems of the weapon were not available in the report, but an ability to attack with air-dropped, precision-guided JDAMs against a moving ship is a substantial step forward in the realm of maritime combat, according to a recent Air Force report.

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