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Seems the lads at the 422 Test and Evaluation Squadron (TES) have been busy. They have updated the software and weapons racks on an A-10 to carry up to 16 GBU-39\u00a0 Small Diameter Bombs (SDBs). Think of it like this – a flight of 4 A-10s could\u00a0 carry up to 64 of these “little” (250 pounds of oh-shit) fellas….in ADDITION to the big Gatling gun and all the normal toys. And these aren’t just dumb ‘fly-overhead-and-push-the-button’ dumb bombs.<\/p>\n
With initial low-rate production beginning in 2005, the standard GBU-39\/B features a combination inertial navigation system with a GPS guidance system, while the GBU-39B\/B adds laser guidance. At just 250 pounds, the GBU-39\/B provides A-10 pilots with greater ability to make precision standoff strikes compared to Joint Direct Attack Munitions<\/a> and AGM-65 Maverick missiles due to the SDB’s ability to glide for dozens of miles to its target. While light in weight, SDBs still pack a formidable punch and can even penetrate hardened structures.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
To quote Beetlejuice “Hmm…think I’m feelin’ a little …anxious…if ya know what I mean.’ Oh baby…<\/p>\n
Of course, these new photos come as part of a wider bid to modernize the A-10 and keep it relevant for future high-end conflicts, potentially one against China<\/a>. The A-10 Common Fleet Initiative<\/a>, initiated in 2018, is designed to keep the Warthog flying into the 2030s, although the Pentagon now wants the type gone by the end of the decade. As The War Zone <\/em>highlighted in August last year<\/a>, the 422nd TES at Nellis AFB is playing a central role in this effort.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
One could imagine that SDB’s follow-on, the GBU-53\/B SDBII ‘Strombreaker’<\/a> would be something of a dream weapon for the A-10, as it has the ability to hit moving targets dozens of miles away and in any weather conditions. If the A-10 were paired with a radar pod<\/a> or third party sensor data from another platform, a single A-10 could take out an entire formation of armor on the move from many miles away, even during a storm. The same could be said for a swarm of boats.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n