Dive Toss and similar techniques focus on improving the delivery of the munitions. A different approach, sometimes combined with the previous, involves modifying or creating ordnance capable of being guided onto the intended target. The history of guided munitions is surprisingly long, and, for the sake of discussion, we will limit it to the type of ordnance used predominantly during the Cold War.
Part III – A different approach: Guided munitions
One of the first and most spectacular early example of the advantages of guided ordnance is the sinking of the Battleship Roma on 9 September 1943 (Marina Militare Italiana – Video of the wreckage). Hit by manually steered, radio-controlled, 1400 kg bombs called “Fritz X”, the Roma went down with circa 1400 souls on board. The attack was preceded by the very first sinking of a naval vessel using guided munitions: the HMS Egret, on the 27th of August.
These won’t be the last, as many other British and American ships will follow in the next two years.
At 15:50, another PC 1400X bomb hit the left side of the battleship Roma, striking it amidships between the anti-aircraft turrets 9 and 11. The bomb passed through the hull and exploded underneath, flooding the boiler rooms and aft engine rooms. The two starboard propellers stopped, the speed decreased below 16 knots from the initial 22, and the ship listed starboard.
[..] The speed continued to decrease. The Luftwaffe aeroplane piloted by Sergeant Kurt Steinborn released his Fritz X bomb from 7,000 metres. After 42 seconds, the bomb guided by Sergeant Eugen Degan struck the port-listing ship’s armoured deck, close to the armoured tower near the bow funnel, between the large-calibre turret 2 and the mid-left 152/55 gun installation. The bomb exploded in the forward engine room and caused an initial large steam leak on top of a flood in the forward engine room. The 152 mm ammunition depot on the port side exploded, together with the large-calibre (381 mm) ammunition depot number 2.
The large-calibre turret number 2 was ejected (1,500 tonnes) like a spumante cork.
Alle 15.50 un’altra bomba PC 1400X colpì il lato sinistro della corazzata Roma che centrò la corazzata tra le torri contraeree 9 e 11 a metà nave. La bomba passò da parte a parte lo scafo ed esplose sottocarena causando l’allagamento dei locali caldaie e macchine di poppa. Le due eliche di dritta si fermarono, la velocità scese sotto i 16 nodi rispetto ai 22 iniziali, la nave si inclinò sulla dritta.
[..] La velocità continuò a diminuire. L’aereo della Luftwaffe pilotato dal sergente Kurt Steinborn, sganciò la sua bomba Frits x da 7.000 mt. Dopo 42 secondi la bomba guidata dal sergente Eugen Degan colpì il ponte di coperta corazzato della nave che stava accostando a sinistra, a ridosso del torrione corazzato vicino al fumaiolo di prora, tra la torre 2 di grosso calibro e l’impianto del 152/55 di centrosinistra. La bomba scoppiò nel locale motrice di prora e causò inizialmente una grossa fuga di vapore oltre che l’allagamento del locale macchine di prora. Il deposito munizioni del 152 di prora sinistra deflagrò insieme al deposito munizioni numero 2 di grosso calibro (381 mm).
La torre numero 2 di grosso calibro venne espulsa (1.500 tonnellate) come un tappo di spumante.
From Radio to TV
A remarkable piece of engineering developed by the US Navy in the 1960s is the AGM-62 Walleye. Rather than using tail flares to assist steering from the bomber, such as the 1940s “Fritz X”, the Walleye could be locked to a precise point via a TV and released. The bomb would, autonomously, steer itself until impact.
Besides the precision, the Walleye could be released several miles from the target, increasing the safety of the crew.
The crew moved the airplane in small increments, as directed by the WSO, until the target was exactly in the crosshairs. Then by pulling the stick trigger, they commanded the optical tracker to go into a self-track mode. Next they dropped the bomb, and it guided itself to the target. All of this is much easier said than done. The main problem with the Walleye was making sure it saw the target and not some other contrasting point within the small box, or gate. A perfect target might be a black building in a snowfield.[..] Unfortunately, for the USAF and USN pilots, there were never enough black buildings on snowfields to attack. Against more typical target, the optical trackers fell victim to clutter, such as trees, bushes, other buildings, or billboards that the tracker might “glom onto.”
Following the Navy innovations, the Air Force introduced the GBU-8 and later the GBU-15 in the 70s and the 80s. These weapons improve the original AGM-62 by increasing the payload, adding data-link capability and more. In parallel, the US Navy updated their Walleye, eventually creating the Walleye II.
The problem with bombs is their reduced efficacy against tanks. In most cases, either a direct hit or a 900 kg bomb is required to ensure the target’s destruction. The issue with the latter is that not many can be carried. Since the pre-2026 NATO’s task was Russo-Soviet deterrence, with countless tanks expected to be targeted, this was a concern. Here is where someone had the idea of applying the TV guidance concept to a 200+ kg air-to-ground missile equipped with a shaped-charged warhead. The AGM-65 Maverick was born.
The first crews to use Maverick in combat were the handpicked Rivet Haste crews who flew the newest, slatted wing, F–4E to Udorn, Thailand, just in time for the start of Linebacker II in 1972.
[..] Capt. Hugh Moreland and his WSO, Capt. Ken Kenworthy, shot their first Maverick in combat at a truck on a road during Linebacker. The hit nearly vaporized the vehicle, and they flew home congratulating themselves on succeeding with one pass what might have taken several with dumb bombs. After they landed, however, their euphoria evaporated as quickly as the truck had. They got a severe ass chewing from their commander forshooting a $25,000 missile at a $500 truck.
From Magical lights to the Stars
Another means of guiding ordnance born in the 1960s is the laser, acronym for “light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation“. The idea is to point a laser beam onto a target, thus “painting” it, whilst ordnance capable to detect and steer onto such laser is on its way. This concept has been applied since the Vietnam War to all sorts of weapons, thus making them “intelligent”. For example, from bombs to artillery shells, missiles, and even unguided rockets.
A more recent means of guiding ordnance is the via the Global Positioning System, or GPS. By inputting a precise set of coordinates, in fact, specific ordnance can steer autonomously onto the specified target.
Besides the mentioned guidance means, several others are used, such as radar, infrared, and INS, although the latter is usually a co-steering method along the others.
Part IV: Pave-ing the -Way
In the late 1960s, the first laser ordnance and relative guiding devices were being developed. The “Zot” was one of the very first devices used to steer the laser beam and thus the ordnance onto its expected target. The name as a curious origin, being it an onomatopoeic word associated with an anteater jolting its tongue (hence the “zot” word) in a comic strip.
The Zot had many shortcomings, first addressed by the Pave Knife.
“The BOLT-117 (BOmb, Laser Terminal) was the world’s first laser-guided bomb (LGB). Used by U.S. Air Force F-4 Phantoms in the Southeast Asia War, it consisted of a KMU-342 laser guidance and control kit attached to a standard, M117 750-pound bomb. The guidance system and control fins were adapted from the AGM-45 Shrike missile.”
The Pave Knife was used to guide the first bombs as early as Operation Linebacker. An iconic event was the destruction of the Thanh Hóa bridge. This objective was attacked multiple times and hit repeatedly with heavy losses to the US attackers. In one occasion, a handful of obsolete MiG-17 bravely jumped on and engaged a force of over 70 F-105, F-100, and additional assets. Vastly outnumbered, they eventually managed to score a few kills with the help of AAA, whilst losing some of their “Fresco”.
This event is a demonstration of the bravery of all the pilots who fought in real life, no matter their side. For us, military aviation enthusiasts, this is something worth remembering.
From a gaming perspective instead, it is something that we would love to recreate in DCS but cannot, due to how the AI behaves.
Back to the Thanh Hóa bridge, despite over 300 bombs falling near or onto it, it still stood. Eventually, it was later brought down by minor attacks conducted using innovative weapons: laser-guided and TV-guided bombs.
These innovations impacted ground attack operations like few others throughout the short history of military aviation.
In a short time, the term “surgical strike” bubbled up in Pentagon and media accounts of the war as LGBs dropped thirteen more bridges in less than a month.
Parenthesis: Big Targets and Small Targets
The precision provided by laser-guided ordnance tangibly improved Close Air Support (CAS) operations. When friendly troops are in the proximity of a target about to be bombed, precision and safety are paramount.
target acquisition is the most significant problem in close air support (CAS). Using conventional target acquisition aids during average daytime visual conditions, a fighter pilot on a ten second final has less than a 50 percent chance of seeing a tank size target by the time he closes to 2,000 feet slant range.[..] Fighter pilots can subsequently acquire the laser spot, identify it as the target, and attack. Pilots can concentrate on rapid, accurate, and effective attacks against designated targets without doubting validity. However, both FACS and pilots must still consider the proximity of friendlies to the target.
[..] Another advantage of laser designation involves the capability of laser target acquisition systems to relieve the pilot from actually focusing on the specific target. In fact, he may not physically be able to ” see” the target. Targets totally concealed by vegetation can be attacked on the first pass.
Drawing a parallel to DCS, if you have ever conducted a CAS mission following 9-line briefings, you have almost certainly employed laser-guided munitions onto a target marked by a FAC/A or JTAC. The effect is usually as desired, with minimal issues in terms of unexpected damage. Now imagine dropping unguided bombs onto the same location: can you match the same degree of precision, especially with the tools available in the 1970s?
Pave Knife and the Others
The previously mentioned Pave Knife was large and weighed 550 kg. It was carried under a wing station by the F-4 Phantom II. Its bulky appearance slowed down the F-4, but it provided a crucial improvement, having the lasing device mounted on a gimballed turret. Along the pod, new guidance kits, easily screwable on Mk-80s series bombs, were introduced.
As the Knife hit the field, the work on a further improved variant was already going. The new Pave pod was called “Spike”, and landed in the mid-70s. The first, immediately apparent improvements, are the new shape and size reduction, halving the weight of the pod to circa 210 kg. The Pave Spike, in fact, could be carried in one of the recessed “wells” normally holding the AIM-7 Sparrow, thus freeing one of the bomb-holding stations. The compact package and weight decreased the impact on the Phantom II’s manoeuvrability and performance.
The Pave Spike, despite being limited to good weather and daylight operations, had noticeable success. Beyond US service, it was used by Royal Air Force Blackburn Buccaneers during Operation Desert Storm to paint targets for the Panavia Tornado and other assets.
Following the Pave Spike, at the dawn of the 80s, the Pave Tack was introduced. Mounted on the centre-line pylon, the Tack was bulkier and much heavier, circa 630 kg, three time as much as the Pave Spike. These characteristics made it less loved by the F-4E crews. It had, however, an undeniable advantage: it had an infrared imagining unit, enabling the usage of the Pave Tack in bad weather or night. The Tack found greener pastures in the belly of the F-111 Aardvark. This much bigger aeroplane could carry it in a semi-recessed station in its bomb bay, thus minimising the massive drag it caused when mounted on the Phantom.
Fast-forward to the mid-to-late-80s, a new pair of pods entered service: the LANTIRN navigation and targeting pods. Feature-wise, it expanded the already noticeable capabilities of the Pave Tack, taking full advantage of the technological innovations of the digital revolution to provide higher definition, precision, and capabilities in a vastly smaller package.
The LANTIRN is especially known for enabling the transformation of the F-14 Tomcat from an analogue, de facto obsolete fighter in the post-Cold War years into a remarkable air-to-ground asset that shined in all the conflicts until its retirement in 2006.
In the years that followed or along the LANTIRN, multiple pods were introduced in different countries. For example, the British TIALD or the Israeli Litening made by Rafael ADS. The latter will later be joined by Northrop Grumman to create the Litening II and III. Another example is the French Damocles produced by Thales.
Back to DCS & Conclusions
In DCS, a number of pods are available, although many of the modern ones suffer from exceeding quality and precision, according to crews I spoke to, or such characteristics are mixed up. One example is the Sniper pod.
Two noticeable exceptions are Heatblur’s Pave Spike and LANTIRN, made for the F-4E Phantom II and the F-14 Tomcat. Since I spoke extensively of the LANTIRN in the last few years already, the subject of further chapters will be the Pave Spike pod carried by the F-4E Phantom II.
FlyAndWire 