Airpower’s Crucial Role in Irregular Warfare

[jcustis]

PGM small diameter bombs

Saw those for the first time on that Military Channel show Weaponology. They look pretty versatile. They need to get them within payload specs for Global Hawk, Predator, and the future generation of UAVs if they are not already there.

[pcmfr]

SOCOM is in the process of arming just about everything that flies in their inventory, both manned and unmanned, with some sort of PGM. Within a couple of years, the SOCOM CAS/ISR joint Air Force will be remarkably capable for COIN, not to mention CT.

[Adam L]

They are certainly impressive devices and a bargain (30K a piece) for what they are. My only concern is that from the videos of their impacts that I've seen on the Military Channel, and people say there's nothing to watch with 500 channels, or any literature that I've seen on it I don't believe they were designed, more accurately programed, to significantly increase their angle of atack before impact. I am concerned about their abilites to avoid obstacles, in an urban scenario, when released from a longer distance (the claimed 60 miles.)

The fact that they have been able to get the guidance systems costs down so much is by far the largest leap made by this project.

I love the Global Hawk concept but I don't know if we want to spend $48 million a piece.

If they can get these things to fit on the Predator they have a real masterpiece.