Smart Weapons

1
Smart Weapons

• Henry Wong
• Ajay Saini
• Didier Tshimbalanga

2
Some Numbers

• 2003 US defense budget 379 billion
• 10 Billion to fight terrorism
• 7.8 Billion to missile defense
• 5.5 Billion to smart weapons
• 2001 Senegals defense budget 5 million

3
Overview

• Background
• What is a smart weapon?
• History
• Arguments for smart weapons
• Types of smart weapons
• Arguments Against
• Future
• Technology related questions

4
What is a Smart Weapon

• Missile or bomb equipped with a laser or
  television guidance system
• Smart weapon extensions include
• Off-road mines that listen for vehicles and
  attack
• Missiles that fire at a target by space
  intelligence gathering

5
Brief History
6
Early Development

• 1200s Chines use unguided rockets for fireworks
• 1800s Congreve developed unguided rocket-powered
  missiles
• WWI France makes limited use of unguided rockets

7
First Guided Missiles

• WWI US uses 1st pilotless airplanes (guided by
  remote control)
• 1924 Pilotless airplanes (guided by radio
  control)
• WWII Germany develops 1st guide missile used in
  combat (V-1 V-2)

8
Postwar Development

• US and USSR begin missile development race
• 1950s US and USSR test 1st intercontinental
  ballistic missiles
• 1960s US and USSR develop antiballistic
  missiles
• 1968 US uses first laser guided bomb

9
Postwar Development contd

• May 26, 1972 ABM treaty signed
• Reduces the number of ABM deployment areas from
  two to one
• Specified deployment area as well
• 1980s Sharp reduction in missile arsenal
• 2002 US walks out of the treaty (New arms race?)

10
Arguments for Continuing Smart Weapon Development
11
Strategic

• Better communication and cohesion among troops
• Better intelligence information
• Surgical operations No need for full scale
  operations, which are expensive
• Speed rapid transportation to anywhere
• Efficiency less supervision
• Safety less soldiers lost
• Accuracy human errors eliminated

12
Economic

• Economic Stimulus Government investment in
  weapon development
• New jobs created to support increased military
  spending

13
Technology

• Investment in new technologies
• Cross Application Military technology can be
  applied to medical science, and energy

14
Social

• Less casualties (military and civilian) accurate
  weapons
• Deterrent for conflict or war
• Short wars minimal human and economic costs
• Imperative because of declining draftable
  population

15
Types of Smart Weapons

• Ajay Saini

16
Types

• Missiles
• Guided Bombs
• Laser guided
• TV/IR guided
• GPS guided
• Other
• Targeting pods

17
Missiles AGM-154

• Joint Standoff Weapon (JSOW)
• Mission
• Close air support, interdiction, amphibious
  strike and anti-surface warfare
• Low cost, highly lethal glide weapon
• 13 feet in length, 1000 - 1500 pounds
• 3 versions

18
Missiles AGM-154

• Uses a tightly coupled GPS and INS
• Capable of working in any conditions
• Low altitude launch
• range of 15 nautical miles (1nm 2km)
• High altitude launch
• range of 40 nautical miles

19
Missiles AGM-154
20
Laser Guided Bombs

• Guided bomb unit-24 (GBU-24)
• Mission
• Close air support, interdiction, offensive
  counter air, naval anti-surface warfare
• 2 primary versions
• Designed in response to sophisticated enemy air
  defenses and poor visibility

21
Laser Guided Bombs

• Man in the loop
• Operator illuminates a target, munitions guide to
  a spot of laser energy
• Designed for a low altitude delivery
• Range greater than 10 nautical miles

22
Laser Guided Bombs

• Production Cost 729,14 million
• Production Unit Cost 55,600
• Quantity 13,114

23
TV/IR Bombs

• Guided bomb unit-15 (GBU-15)
• Mission
• Offensive counter air, close air support,
  interdiction, navel anti-surface warfare
• Unpowered glide weapon
• 2 primary versions
• TV Electro-optical
• Imaging infrared Seeker

24
TV/IR Bombs

• Directed either by a TV camera or infrared,
  generated on the nose
• Automatic or Manual guided delivery
• Range greater than 5 nautical miles
• 2 forms of attack
• Direct
• Indirect

25
TV/IR Bombs

• Acquisition cost 774.5 million
• Acquisition unit cost 274,354
• Quantity 2,823

26
GPS Bombs

• Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM)
• Mission
• Close air support, interdiction, offensive
  counter air, suppression of enemys air defense,
  naval anti-surface warfare, amphibious strike
• All weather, autonomous weapon
• many versions, 2 variants
• 2000 pounds

27
GPS Bombs

• Tightly coupled GPS and INS
• Mission plans loaded prior to takeoff
• Range of 5 to 15 nautical miles
• Capable of being launched in numerous ways
• Able to counter GPS jamming

28
GPS Bombs

• Total cost 4.65 billion
• Acquisition unit cost 62,846
• Quantity 79,000

29
Other Guided Bombs

• Wind Corrected Munition Dispenser (WCMD)
• Designed as one solution to four deficiencies
• multiple kills per pass
• adverse weather capability
• cluster bomb accuracy
• ability to carry future submunitions

30
Other Guided Bombs

• Not GPS
• Aids medium and high altitude weapon employment
• 25,000 per unit 40,000 units
• Total cost 1 billion

31
Targeting Pods

• Low Altitude Navigation and Targeting Infrared
  for Night (LANTIRN)
• Consists of a navigation pod and a targeting pod
• Aids in combat effectiveness
• 2 variations
• Navigation pod 1.38 million
• Targeting pod 3.2 million

32
Arguments Against Smart Weapons and Questions

• Henry Wong

33
Problem 1 Errors

• Smart Weapons require smarter, complex software
• Design must be bug free
• Human errors always present
• Smoke and clouds also contribute
• All lead to dumb smart bombs

34
Examples of Errors

• 1999 NATO bombers struck a graveyard, bus
  station, and childrens basketball court
• During attacks in Afghanistan, an office funded
  by the UN was destroyed
• Office was 900 feet away from the target
• Bombs are supposed to be within 50 feet.

35
Problem 2 Combat Ability

• Smart Weapons allow input but are self guided
• Soldiers becoming increasingly dependent of self
  guided systems
• Too much reliance?
• Forget how to use conventional weapons?

36
Problem 3 Cost and Complexity

• Reliable Smart Weapon is extremely difficult and
  complicated
• Technology development needed?
• Can they be cheaply mass produced?
• Cost too much, even for military

37
Future of Smart Weapons

• Unmanned Weapons and Autonomous Weapons

38
Current Technology

• ALV - Autonomous Land Vehicles
• Designed to navigate over terrain without human
  input
• Useful in unknown territory
• UAV - Unmanned Air Vehicles
• Small, lightweight, fly without operator control
• Designed to search for its own target

39
Current Technology contd

• Aegis System
• Designed as a total weapon system
• Advanced automatic detect and track system
• Phalanx System
• Defense against anti ship missiles
• Numerous intelligent functions

40
Future Goals

• Future Smart Weapons must be able to
• Identify (possible) threats/targets
• Determine what course of action to take when the
  target is identified
• Aim, fire, and reload all on its own
• Unmanned and Autonomous Weapons??

41
Technology Related Questions
42
1. How Smart is too Smart?

• AI?
• Machines take over the world?

43
2. Unanticipated Consequences

• How might this be used?
• Alternative paths?
• Smart guns for consumers?
• Unmanned lawnmowers?
• Unmanned school buses?

44
3. Social Impact

• Do smart weapons lead to a more or less stable
  society?
• How will they effect political decisions and
  stability?

45
4. Economic

• How to justify costs to develop?
• How do they effect economic stability?