Network-enabled weapon
Network-enabled weapons are a class of air-to-ground precision-guided munitions that are being developed by a number of countries.[1][2] A derivative of GPS-guided weapons, which are guided to a specific coordinate entered prior to release, network-enabled weapons have the additional ability to have targeting coordinates updated in flight through the use of a common datalink, and be tracked by aircraft and other platforms[3] logged into the same network.[4] Previous weapons have used datalink to provide updated target information in flight (e.g. AMRAAM), but the creation of a common datalink allows control of the weapon to be passed from one platform to another, for example from an aircraft that launches the weapons to a ground party that is in visual contact with an enemy tank formation.
The concept for network-enabled weapons originated at the U.S. Air Force's Air Combat Command headquarters in 2003 as a solution to the problem of attacking moving targets in all-weather, high-threat environments. The Air Force's Air Armament Center refined the idea and in late 2003 declared network-enabled weapons to be the "single most cost effective means available for enhancing overall armament capability."[5]
An Advanced Concept Technology Demonstration was funded in 2005[6] to develop the miniaturized radio that would be needed and demonstrate the feasibility of the concept.[3] Subsequently, the requirements for the Small Diameter Bomb Increment 2 were modified to incorporate the capability.[7] Later weapons incorporating this technology include the AGM-154 Joint Standoff Weapon (JSOW C-1) and the Turkish Air Force's SOM cruise missile.
References
[edit]- ^ Joint Test and Evaluation. "Joint Command and Control for Net-enabled Weapons" (PDF). Defense Technical Information Center. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 1, 2007. Retrieved 27 August 2012.
- ^ "World's First Net-enabled Weapon Completes Developmental Testing". Baynet.com. 25 January 2012. Archived from the original on 28 January 2012. Retrieved 27 August 2012.
- ^ a b Sanders, Keith. "Network Enabled Strike" (PDF). National Defence Industrial Association.
- ^ Koudelka, Benjamin. "Network-enabled Precision Guided Munitions" (PDF). Air University. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 21, 2007. Retrieved August 27, 2012.
- ^ Taylor, Ron (December 2004). "Net-Enabled Weapons". Intercom. 45 (12): 11. Retrieved 27 August 2012.
- ^ Rutledge, Linda. "Weapons Datalink Network Advanced Concept Technology Demonstration". Retrieved 27 August 2012.
- ^ Staff Writers. "Small Diameter Bomb II finds, hits moving target". Space War. Retrieved 27 August 2012.