Changing Weapons Technology
Vietnam: Changing Weapons Technology
Changing Weapons Technology
The evolution of U.S. military aircraft has been driven more by the development of accurate weapons than by the size or capability of the aircraft delivering those weapons.
In Korea the use of short-range navigation, a method of using radio frequency transmission to guide B-29s, enabled bombers to locate and attack large targets even in poor weather. The use of increasingly sophisticated “smart” weapons in Vietnam began to achieve results that only huge numbers of “dumb” bombs had in the past. These new precision weapons began to overturn the long-accepted notions that strategic attacks required large bombers carrying massive bomb loads, and that it always entailed high civilian casualties.
Modern precision weapons now provide a variety of options for applying airpower. In the Persian Gulf War of 1991, cruise missiles launched from ships and B-52s, and laser-guided bombs dropped from F-117, A-6s, and other fighters, led the first waves of attacks on Iraq. Effects-based bombardment measured by impact upon the enemy rather than by the type of aircraft delivering the attack – has been enhanced by the development of precision weapons, whether aimed at targets in the air or on the ground.
Changing Weapons Technology
Vietnam: Changing Weapons Technology
Changing Weapons Technology
The evolution of U.S. military aircraft has been driven more by the development of accurate weapons than by the size or capability of the aircraft delivering those weapons.
In Korea the use of short-range navigation, a method of using radio frequency transmission to guide B-29s, enabled bombers to locate and attack large targets even in poor weather. The use of increasingly sophisticated “smart” weapons in Vietnam began to achieve results that only huge numbers of “dumb” bombs had in the past. These new precision weapons began to overturn the long-accepted notions that strategic attacks required large bombers carrying massive bomb loads, and that it always entailed high civilian casualties.
Modern precision weapons now provide a variety of options for applying airpower. In the Persian Gulf War of 1991, cruise missiles launched from ships and B-52s, and laser-guided bombs dropped from F-117, A-6s, and other fighters, led the first waves of attacks on Iraq. Effects-based bombardment measured by impact upon the enemy rather than by the type of aircraft delivering the attack – has been enhanced by the development of precision weapons, whether aimed at targets in the air or on the ground.