1. Henry Wong Ajay Saini Didier Tshimbalanga
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 Senegal’s 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 1200’s Chines use unguided rockets for fireworks
1800’s 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
1950’s: US and USSR test 1st intercontinental ballistic missiles
1960’s: US and USSR develop antiballistic missiles
1968: US uses first laser guided bomb

9. Postwar Development cont’d
May 26, 1972: ABM treaty signed
Reduces the number of ABM deployment areas from two to one
Specified deployment area as well
1980’s: 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, 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 enemy’s 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 children’s 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 cont’d
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?