Comments on: Special Computing Subsystem 24

By: Sam J.

Sam J. — Wed, 16 Mar 2016 13:18:08 +0000

I worked on F4′s in the 80′s and we had the same thing then. Analog and digital systems. The disadvantage was noted earlier. The pilot had to hold a bomb button, “piper” if I remember correctly, and the bombing computer in conjunction with the Inertial Nav. Sys. would release the bomb. They could also sling the bombs while pulling up to stay away from the targets. I’m sure all modern planes have the same capability built in although I don’t have first hand knowledge that this is true.

By: Lu An Li

Lu An Li — Sat, 23 Jan 2016 06:57:17 +0000

That signal to drop the bombs an be jammed?

This appears to be disinformation to me? Like with the drawing of the secret super-torpedo recently inadvertently shown on TV.

By: Lucklucky

Lucklucky — Sat, 23 Jan 2016 02:10:30 +0000

In practical terms this means that every 30+ year old Russian “dumb” bomb can now be delivered by a 30+ year old Russian aircraft with the same precision as a brand new guided bomb delivered by a top of the line modern bomber.

And that is totally false.

By: Lucklucky

Lucklucky — Sat, 23 Jan 2016 02:05:35 +0000

Whoever wrote this is an ignoramus who doesn’t know that this stuff existed long ago, in both the West and the USSR.

By: Gaikokumaniakku

Gaikokumaniakku — Fri, 22 Jan 2016 23:50:52 +0000

“…it’s good enough for the Russians, who don’t worry as much about collateral damage.”

Funny, whenever I try to get solid numbers measuring collateral damage by USA forces, they always tell me that they don’t do body counts.

By: Dave

Dave — Fri, 22 Jan 2016 16:38:03 +0000

This digital remake of the Norden bombsight cannot be as precise as self-steering bombs, because the wind speed and direction change as the bomb falls through different air masses. But it’s good enough for the Russians, who don’t worry as much about collateral damage.

By: Dan Kurt

Dan Kurt — Fri, 22 Jan 2016 15:39:00 +0000

Déjà vu all over again moment.

Go back in time to the early to mid 1960s development and view the Ling-Temco-Vought A-7 Corsair II. Yes, it didn’t have GPS, but it had the “black box” that permitted STAND OFF delivery of iron bombs with great accuracy, e.g., release circa 15 miles from target. Half a century later the Russians have joined the party. We had the capability then, so I think the USA still has it today in a better form and could do the same should it want.

By: Slovenian Guest

Slovenian Guest — Fri, 22 Jan 2016 14:39:04 +0000

It’s cheap, compared to $25k a piece JDAM kits.

“$25k may be insignificant for a $600B defense budget, but for smaller budgets, it adds up. Consider that Russia has dropped over 5000 bombs in Syria. That adds up to $125 mil just on bomb kits alone. That’s money that can go to other areas.”

To quote a reddit commenter.

By: Jay Dugger

Jay Dugger — Fri, 22 Jan 2016 13:57:22 +0000

I suspect the report of exaggeration. I saw no sources at the original, and the closing comment about corruption sounds like the preceding patagraphs simply led into a shot at the usual suspects.

It could be possible in principle, but if done, would imptove inputs to only one part of the fire control problem. Comparison to a JDAM kit, which improves inputs different part of the fire control problem, makes an inconsistent comparison.

If this makes a big improvement over the previous Russian accuracy standard, then good for them. If it also improves over Western or American standards, then even better, and it deserves copying. Determining which, if either, is true and if that improvement issues from this hardware upgrade instead of combat experience sounds hard to me. BDA supposedly proves difficult to do with accuracy.

By: Scipio Americanus

Scipio Americanus — Fri, 22 Jan 2016 13:55:09 +0000

The SVP-24′s a good piece of equipment; we had something just like it on our carrier-borne tactical bombers starting in the late 60′s. The drawback to such systems (and a big part of why we went to smart-bombs) is that they require the pilot to fly straight and level during the last leg of the bomb run, when he’s also most vulnerable to ground fire. If I remember correctly this was referred to as “earning your pay.”

Of course if you have a huge stockpile of dumb bombs, an aircraft that comes equipped with the SVP-24 as standard (SU-25), and you’re bombing an enemy with very limited AA capability then it’s a match made in heaven. That is the situation Russia’s in right now in Syria.