Air-Force The Age Of Swarming Air-Launched Munitions Has Officially Begun With Air Force Test

[Combat-Master]

The Air Force has dropped Small Diameter Bombs modified to incorporate swarming technology as part of the service's Golden Horde program for the first time. The ultimate aim of this effort is to develop artificial intelligence-driven systems that could allow the networking together of various types of precision munitions into an autonomous swarm.

The test, which took place on Dec. 15, 2020, but which was only publicly announced today, was carried out by a team from the U.S. Air Force Test Center at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida using an F-16 Viper fighter jet from that base's 96th Test Wing. The aircraft dropped two specially-configured Collaborative Small Diameter Bombs (CSDB) during the experiment.

“The Golden Horde demonstration with the Small Diameter Bomb flights is an important step on the path to Networked Collaborative Weapon systems," Chris Ristich, Director of AFRL’s Transformational Capabilities Office, said. "Completion of this first mission sets the stage for further development and transition to the warfighter."

....

The Age Of Swarming Air-Launched Munitions Has Officially Begun With Air Force Test

The Air Force has begun test-launching networked glide bombs that work together to sort, target, and destroy targets cooperatively on their own.

www.thedrive.com