#demo aircraft

[nocternalrandomness]

Arrival day at Oshkosh 2024

[opelman]

Solo Turk by Treflyn Lloyd-Roberts Via Flickr: The Turkish Air Force F-16 demonstration team pilot makes an impressive departure from Fairford, having taken part in the flying display at the 2024 Royal International Air Tattoo. Aircraft: Turkish Air Force (Türk Hava Kuvvetleri) General Dynamics F-16C Fighting Falcon 88-0021 from 132 Filo. Location: RAF Fairford, Gloucestershire.

[usafphantom2]

The F-16 @soloturk displaying - and he still has time for a wave for the crowd 😂😂👋👋 @airtattoo

@Swisscheese80 via X

[friendlywinglet]

F-22 Demo Team, EA-18 Growler Demo Team, and the Blue Angels on the hot ramp at the 20204 Pikes Peak Regional Airshow.

[nasa]

What We Learned from Flying a Helicopter on Mars

The Ingenuity Mars Helicopter made history – not only as the first aircraft to perform powered, controlled flight on another world – but also for exceeding expectations, pushing the limits, and setting the stage for future NASA aerial exploration of other worlds.

Built as a technology demonstration designed to perform up to five experimental test flights over 30 days, Ingenuity performed flight operations from the Martian surface for almost three years. The helicopter ended its mission on Jan. 25, 2024, after sustaining damage to its rotor blades during its 72nd flight.

So, what did we learn from this small but mighty helicopter?

We can fly rotorcraft in the thin atmosphere of other planets.

Ingenuity proved that powered, controlled flight is possible on other worlds when it took to the Martian skies for the first time on April 19, 2021.

Flying on planets like Mars is no easy feat: The Red Planet has a significantly lower gravity – one-third that of Earth’s – and an extremely thin atmosphere, with only 1% the pressure at the surface compared to our planet. This means there are relatively few air molecules with which Ingenuity’s two 4-foot-wide (1.2-meter-wide) rotor blades can interact to achieve flight.

Ingenuity performed several flights dedicated to understanding key aerodynamic effects and how they interact with the structure and control system of the helicopter, providing us with a treasure-trove of data on how aircraft fly in the Martian atmosphere.

Now, we can use this knowledge to directly improve performance and reduce risk on future planetary aerial vehicles.

Creative solutions and “ingenuity” kept the helicopter flying longer than expected.

Over an extended mission that lasted for almost 1,000 Martian days (more than 33 times longer than originally planned), Ingenuity was upgraded with the ability to autonomously choose landing sites in treacherous terrain, dealt with a dead sensor, dusted itself off after dust storms, operated from 48 different airfields, performed three emergency landings, and survived a frigid Martian winter.

Fun fact: To keep costs low, the helicopter contained many off-the-shelf-commercial parts from the smartphone industry - parts that had never been tested in deep space. Those parts also surpassed expectations, proving durable throughout Ingenuity’s extended mission, and can inform future budget-conscious hardware solutions.

There is value in adding an aerial dimension to interplanetary surface missions.

Ingenuity traveled to Mars on the belly of the Perseverance rover, which served as the communications relay for Ingenuity and, therefore, was its constant companion. The helicopter also proved itself a helpful scout to the rover.

After its initial five flights in 2021, Ingenuity transitioned to an “operations demonstration,” serving as Perseverance’s eyes in the sky as it scouted science targets, potential rover routes, and inaccessible features, while also capturing stereo images for digital elevation maps.

Airborne assets like Ingenuity unlock a new dimension of exploration on Mars that we did not yet have – providing more pixels per meter of resolution for imaging than an orbiter and exploring locations a rover cannot reach.

Tech demos can pay off big time.

Ingenuity was flown as a technology demonstration payload on the Mars 2020 mission, and was a high risk, high reward, low-cost endeavor that paid off big. The data collected by the helicopter will be analyzed for years to come and will benefit future Mars and other planetary missions.

Just as the Sojourner rover led to the MER-class (Spirit and Opportunity) rovers, and the MSL-class (Curiosity and Perseverance) rovers, the team believes Ingenuity’s success will lead to future fleets of aircraft at Mars.

In general, NASA’s Technology Demonstration Missions test and advance new technologies, and then transition those capabilities to NASA missions, industry, and other government agencies. Chosen technologies are thoroughly ground- and flight-tested in relevant operating environments — reducing risks to future flight missions, gaining operational heritage and continuing NASA’s long history as a technological leader.

You can fall in love with robots on another planet.

Following in the tracks of beloved Martian rovers, the Ingenuity Mars Helicopter built up a worldwide fanbase. The Ingenuity team and public awaited every single flight with anticipation, awe, humor, and hope.

Check out #ThanksIngenuity on social media to see what’s been said about the helicopter’s accomplishments.

Learn more about Ingenuity’s accomplishments here. And make sure to follow us on Tumblr for your regular dose of space!

[shatteredearth-if]

SHATTERED EARTH INTRO POST

DEMO | DISCORD

Shattered Earth is an Interactive Sci-Fi/Fantasy Fiction about retreading old ground and working for your good ending. less formally, this is meant to go on my portfolio

Five years ago, you watched the world split open, bore witness to what you could only refer to as "dragons" made manifest in scale, flesh and skin. You saw cities razed to the ground, asphalt streets shattered like ice. Fleets of dragons and foreign—almost alien—aircrafts alike seared across the skies, while towers of dirt and metal tore free from the landscape. The world has inexplicably, incomprehensibly changed, but you know this to be true: Earth never really stood a chance.

With your world now overrun by dragons and dangers alike, you've lived alone, hiding from the world you once called home, scrounging for scraps and surviving by the skin of your teeth. But when a chance encounter with a mercenary ship leaves you reeling with the realization that you're not the average-joe of a human that you thought you once were, you're forced into an ultimatum: enlist with the Seekers, or live out the rest of your life in a Human compound on Therius. But your horrors extend far beyond the threat of the dragons; your monsters are at home in your head, but they might just be the key to stopping all of this madness… if they don't take you out first.

The gears turn, the worlds spin inwards like ever-onwards like painted tops. You will undergo a journey of self-discovery, of potential romances and of incredible loss. And somehow, you can't shake the sensation that this has all happened before…

A customizable protagonist: Customize your gender, your body type, your pronouns, and personality.

Five ROs to romantically pursue—some in the most conventional sense, others in… a not so conventional sense.

Engage in brief flings, one of which is... an RO's estranged divorced mother. (Your crewmates will disapprove.)

Train your body or your mind to perfection. Are you a frontline fighter, or do you prefer the aethereal arts?

Cute cat dog wolfboy…?

The female version of a himbo

There's no good way to put this: you remember things you shouldn't. The end of your story is not the end; something awaits you at the place where your endings converge. What is it? What are you?

There's an egotistical mind entity in your head, and the flags aren't just red; they're blood-crimson. Romanceable, but at a steep cost to your sanity. Or maybe…

Skippable, customizable NSFW content. My friends have advised me not to continue.

Avett Ironsturm

Role: RO

Gender: Male (he/him)

Race: Kattish

Age: 20

Specialization: Arms specialist

Appearance: Avett is a Kattish man of average height. His complexion is fair. Perched upon his head are two swivelling cat-like ears, and at the base of his spine is a prehensile tail that is about the length of his arm—both are adorned with soft, black fur. His hair is black, hangs just below the shoulders, and he keeps most of it in a messy ponytail. Most of his frontal hair frames his boyish, youthful face. His irises are copper colored, his pupils slitted.

Personality: Avett is bristly, prickly, and very easy to anger if he's not trying to get into your pants. He's a flirt through and through, and knows how and when to be charming, just… not with his coworkers. Or you. Though if you can get him to let his guard around you, you might just find him a lot more bearable.

Your impression: Once upon a time, you saw his old ID, stuffed in a cabinet along with his boxers and body spray, and you realized he was smiling in his photo. Not outwardly—they don't want you smiling on those cards, but behind those eyes was a laugh ready to bust out at any moment. That was four years ago. Now? All he does now is sulk and yell at people. Something happened in those four, long years, and those years have only been getting longer since.

Sexuality: Bisexual (woman-leaning)

Yuda Hellsbridge

Role: RO

Gender: Female (she/her)

Race: Half Gallian, Half Kattish

Age: Secret?

Specialization: Restrainer

Appearance: Yuda is a half-Gallian, half-Kattish woman of above average height. Her complexion is a pale, seafoam green—common for most Gallians. Her hair is white with blue undertones in the right lighting, and is short and choppy. If you look too closely into her metallic gray eyes, you will notice a swirling, foggy substance within her irises, as is common for all Gallians who are at least a bit adept in magic… which is to say, almost all of them. Yuda is extremely fit and exercises often, and as a result her build is stocky and muscular—very uncommon for a Gallian, though she claims that she's half Kattish.

Personality: Yuda is outwardly cheerful, loud, and brash—tact is not her forte. But behind every sunny smile is a shadow, and Yuda keeps her shadows well away from the spotlight.

Your impression: It's not trauma. It's not a blip in her personality. There is something genuinely terrifying hiding behind Yuda's eyes, and that's not including the fact that you don't know how old she is. Oh, she's nice, and she's got no ulterior motives, you'll give her that. But it's like she's wearing her own body like a shadow.

Sexuality: doesn't care for labels, but for clarity's sake she is pansexual.

Ysh'vanna O'Raal

Role: RO

Gender: Female (she/her)

Race: Draconian

Age: 26

Specialization: Captain/Pilot

Appearance: Ysh'vanna is a short girl with wispy, white hair that topples down to her waist—if she doesn't brush it out of her face, it has a tendency to smother her slight frame like an oversized scarf. Her irises are orange, with a ring of emerald green around her pupils. Trailing from her ears are two, small, green webs that resemble translucent dragon wings.

Personality: Everyone onboard the Seeker is a wreck, yes, but Ysh'vanna is always at least two crises away from a mental breakdown everyday. Sorting through admin, funds, Avett's shenanigans and the odd dragon attack has left her riddled with anxieties. She has difficulty forming bonds outside of work because of this, so her relationship with Avett isn't great. After any particularly grueling mission, she will often be found comatose in front of the navigation panels, staring off into the skyline. Otherwise, Ysh'vanna tries to be cheerful. Most of the time. Some of the time.

Your impression: She's probably by far the most average person on this ship. Every morning she takes her coffee with three sugars and a cupful of milk; every night she takes a nail-sized tablet along with a full glass of water. "For the anxiety," she says. She's incredibly open about most things... until it comes to her family. What's the deal?

Sexuality: bisexual (woman-leaning)

Auren Draksparrow

Role: Platonic Option

Gender: Male (he/him)

Race: Gallian

Age: According to Avett, "Like, a hundred or something." He looks about forty in Human years to you.

Specialization: Warder

Appearance: Auren is a Gallian man of above average height. His frame is gaunt, almost frail; his hair is platinum blond, and is secured in a low ponytail that reaches down to his waist. His complexion is seafoam green, and his eyes are a faint violet. Swimming in his irises is a fog, a trait most Gallians share. His facial features are long and soft, but his cheekbones sit high upon his face.

Personality: Auren is cold, aloof, and it can be difficult to discern what he's thinking from speech and body language alone. He is clear in mind, even during high-pressure situations, until his abilities as a caster fail him.

Your impression: Here's the deal about living past one hundred and one; you're going to mess up. You're going to mess up a lot more than the average person, and your book of guilt's going to be pushing a trilogy if you don't start forgiving yourself for some of those mess-ups. You know for a fact that Auren has never forgiven himself, not even once, because he's yet to save the Seekers. Because he's yet to, in his eyes, make himself useful. But you're his lucky break: he's the only one on the ship who can see that thing in your head for what it is, and he knows it's a threat.

Sexuality: he's not looking for a relationship right now, if ever. He's married to his tomes and the study of aether.

Liam Salazar

Role: RO

Gender: Male (he/him)

Race: Human

Age: 24

Specialization: Researcher

Appearance: Liam is tall with an athletic frame and broad shoulders. He usually keeps his dark brown hair in a nest of curls atop his head. His skin is a deep umber, and his eyes are an even deeper shade of brown. He often wears a white lab coat over a simple sweater and dress shirt.

Personality: Quiet, but goofy; aloof, but sensitive. You sense that this boy would rather bury his head in a good book or some other complicated research than look you in the eye. That's not to say he's meek, though—come any threat, and he'll lash out swinging. You had to be a special kind of tough to have survived the Migration as a Human, and Liam is no exception.

Your impression: You didn't expect to make friends at the IRC training facility—most Humans there wanted your head on a stick for the cardinal sin of having a deal with a merc ship already. The Migration wore everyone's patience thin, but not Liam's. For a hot moment at that facility, you were two renegades against the hateful world. Until your training period finished up.

Sexuality: Panromantic demisexual, though initially he believes that he's straight.

The Entity

Role: RO

Gender: Customizable/it

Race: Something intangible. A voice in your head.

Age: It laughs when you ask this. "How old is a concept? The fear of death, the love of life? How old? Are you counting? Think about that."

Appearance: A dark wisp of smoke that occasionally shifts to form parts of a person.

Personality: Loves you, like an overbearing parent. Punishes you, like a torturer gleaning for answers. It maims you and calls it affection.

Your impression: When you're not talking to it, it's rummaging through your memories. Why? For fun. It knows about that time you did this and that in the locker room and almost got caught for it. It knows about that time you stopped someone from leaving after class just so you could hit on them, unsuccessfully, for ten minutes before they had to beg you to leave. It knows everything about you, all the bad, all the good—and it loves you anyway. That's the purest kind of love, isn't it?

Sexuality: Wouldn't you like to know.

With that all said, thank you for checking out this post, and DOUBLE thank you if you decide to try out Shattered Earth. 🙇🙇

[marimayscarlett]

'Reise Reise' turns 20 today 💿🎶

20 years from today, on the 27th of September 2004, Rammstein's fourth studio album 'Reise Reise' was released in Germany, Switzerland, Austria and several other countries. It was most likely named after the old saying "Reise, Reise!" as a signal for the sailors of a sailing ship to get up.

Recordings of this album took place in the El Cortijo Studio in Málaga, Spain, where the band gathered in November 2003. Producer for this record was once again Jacob Hellner, and a making of about this recording process and the band's time in Spain was released on the 'Völkerball' DVD in 2006. During interviews for this documentary, the bandmembers expressed that this recording session seemed to be more relaxed than the last ones, and thought about several alternative names for this album - Schneider liked the title "Rot", Flake rooted for "Nein", Paul thought about "Amerika" and "Amore" as titles, Olli liked "Reise Reise" and Richard, a bit clueles, refrained from making a suggestion. Till apparently wasn't asked or declined talking about his ideas. Documentary parts with english subtitles can be found here, here and here.

The album was originally planned as a double album, but this idea was ultimatly discarded. The following songs were recorded during the session for this album, but were used on 'Rosenrot' later: Rosenrot, Wo bist du, Mann gegen Mann, Zerstören, Ein Lied, Feuer und Wasser and Hilf mir. Additional demos exist for the following: Absinth, Eisenmann, Holz und Sonntag bei Omi.

The promotional photosession for this album was done by Olaf Heine and most likely was inspired by the movie "Falling down", starring Michael Douglas.

The cover for this album shows the outside of a aircraft's blackbox with the German imprint "Flugrekorder nicht öffnen" ("Do not open flight recorder") on it. Linked to this design, there is a hidden track before the first song on REISE, REISE - it can be heard on standard CD players by rewinding. It features radio messages (the black box recording) from the Boeing 747SR (Japan Airlines Flight 123), which crashed on August 12, 1985, killing 520 people. Up to now, it remains the deadliest single-aircraft crash in history. This dark aesthetic of all of this combined also suits the song "Dalai Lama" on the album. This song is based on the German ballad "Erlkönig", written in the 18th century by Goethe, and for this song the first instrumental tracks were written and finished for this album.

The limited digipack contained a picture from the above mentioned photoshoot.

The Japanese cover of the album is the same one that was later used for Rosenrot, a picture of the ice breaker USS Atka in the Antarctic from 1960.

As part of the promotion for 'Reise Reise', three additional CDs were published with interviews of the band members. CD 1 contained an interview with Till and Flake, CD2 with Olli and Paul and CD3 with Richard and Schneider. The linked videos contain the original soundtrack with the german interviews and a spoken english translation.

Regarding the success of this album: REISE, REISE reached number 1 in the album charts in seven countries (Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Finland, Iceland, Estonia and Mexico). After the release of REISE, REISE, Billboard declared Rammstein to be the most successful German-speaking band internationally. The album achieved 1x silver, 3x gold and 6x platinum. The song 'Mein Teil' was nominated for a Grammy. All in all, Reise, Reise reached 47th place in the Top 50 album charts of 2005.

The Reise Reise tour started with one concert (September 30th 2004) at the Label showcase party "10 Jahre Motor" and marks the only acoustic concert the band has ever played. For the occasion, the band dressed up as East Berlin police women.

After that, three concerts at the Knaack club followed on the 11th, 12th and 13th of October, 2004, where the album was presented at fan club only concerts.

Two examples for tickets for the Reise Reise tour:

Sources: rammwiki, affenknecht, rammsteinworld, rammsteinblogcollection, metal-hammer, photo.sibnet

[thatsrightice]

Iceman would have been a perfect fit for the VF-101 Grim Reapers. One of the coolest squadrons of F-14 Tomcats, VF-101 was stationed in Oceana, Virginia. They traveled around the country performing air show demonstrations of what the F-14 was capable of. The demonstration routine must be flown a specific way with little room for errors or creativity liberty. Iceman is ice-cold, no mistakes. He’s calm, calculated, disciplined, and every other quality that is necessary to fly airshows perfectly (and safely).

Maverick is not.

Maverick is an amazing pilot but he is dangerous. He is reckless, unpredictable, and has a looooong history of disobeying orders. Never in a million years would they let him fly airshows, regardless of how many MiGs he’s taken down. At an air show you can’t go off script or you’ll be putting everyone’s lives at risk.

But Iceman? He’s perfect. With him and Slider, they’d be the ultimate recruiting force. You’ve got the pilot and RIO who are so fucking cool and funny and know they’re the best. Everyone wants to be them.

VF-101 doesn’t just fly air shows though. It’s a collateral duty. They’re a replacement squadron who fills in gaps at aircraft carriers temporarily or train crews in carrier operations on carriers in extreme situations when necessary. The crews in VF-101 deploy at sea with their other squadrons and the when they’re not deployed they’re demo pilots and FRS instructors. That’s what makes it a perfect fit for Iceman and Slider. They’re still being deployed and serving their country but when they’re back on land they get to have a little fun.

[nocternalrandomness]

Lockheed S-3B Viking demonstrator - 1985

[opelman]

Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II by David G. Schultz Via Flickr: Major Kristin "Beo" Wolfe

[hogans-heroes]

Hi 😊 I was wondering if you had any headcanons about modern AU Buck and Bucky as pilots. What if they met at an air show? 😉 How would that go? What are they like?

Fam I love this concept so much but I STRUGGLED with this one! Mainly because I want to make Bucky a stunt pilot SOOO bad because he has exactly the personality to be doing insane stunts in something like an Extra 300 but those cockpits are TINY and really tall people don’t do well with aerobatics/G-forces without a g-suit so that’s not gonna work 😭

But that’s ok because I like my second idea even better: Bucky is on the Air Force F-35 Demo team and Gale is a ferry pilot who owns a Waco he flies for fun to shows around the country:

This is soooo perfect for them individually! F-35 pilots are the cream of the crop, absolute jet-jockeys and I’m really leaning into Top Gun AU territory which I loooove. Bucky is a larger than life personality with a callsign like Rambo or something and is known for being an excellent pilot and leader. He loves doing the craziest and hardest stunts for crowds at air shows all over the country and LIVES for the excitement and drama.

Gale enjoys the much more relaxed and nostalgic flying. The job ferry pilot is moving aircraft around the country for people who have bought or sold or just planes that need to be moved for whatever reason. It’s interesting and fun and Gale loves seeing the country. But his pride and joy is the Waco biplane he owns that is in pristine condition. He loves the open cockpit and feeling the wind and seeing the beautiful views at a slow pace. He flies it to air shows around the country and camps in the grass with his plane along with others doing the same thing.

At one of these shows he runs into Bucky and some after-show event, maybe one of his employers gets him invited. The F-35 pilots are there and of course no one can miss Bucky’s presence. When they are introduced they hit it off and get to talking, and of course Gale is smitten but tries to hide it. Isn’t everyone smitten with these hot-shots? Why would Bucky be interested? But when he shows Bucky photos of his Waco Bucky is OBSESSED and begs to see it. It’s already dark so it’s easy to sneak out of the event tent and out to Gale’s plane. Bucky listens as Gale talks about his baby and is slowly melting in the face of his sweetness. They end up talking into the night and sitting on the grass under the wing to watch the night airshow and fireworks. (They might kiss, just maybe).

So what of it if Gale just so happens to show up at the events where Bucky is scheduled to perform? And so what if Bucky disappears to Wyoming on his time off? Pure coincidence. The first time Bucky gets a ride in the Waco he thought his heart would burst. It’s so beautiful and fun and Gale’s happy voice in his headset makes him want this forever.

[jjwphotography1990]

The EA-18 Growler demo team flying during golden hour! These electronic warfare aircraft put on a great show, and I can't wait to see them again!

.

The 2023 Stuart Air Show

.

#sunset #goldensun #goldenhour #ea18 #ea18growler #growler #f18 #navy #usnavy #electronicwarfare #jet #fighterjet #pilot #aviationphotography #airshow #airshowphotography #aviation #aviationgeek #airplane #canon #canoneosr #eosr #canonphotography #photography #pictureoftheday #photooftheday #sigma #sigmalens #sigma60600mmsports #stuartairshow

[boxturret]

Robot Army

A pretty neat robot army I saw in some old catalogs.

7111

This is some sort of aircraft that can shift to using its wings as legs. Pretty neat. I used a lot of constraints and drivers to get the legs working.

7212

This is some sort of hover vehicle for a lone robot soldier. Pretty neat. Looks pretty fast.

7126

This is some sort of hover sled that can carry a large number of the robot soldiers when they're folded up in to their sleeping mode. Pretty neat. The rack can slide out, and is basically the same build as the later one so they're cross compatible, minus the antenna.

7155

This one is a hover tank. Pretty neat. Turret traverse seems hampered by the construction though. Its supposed to have some holes printed on the dish but the part wasn't available and I couldn't find good reference, and I really didn't want to deal with UVs.

7184

This one is a bigger, more armoured version of the hover sled. It carries the same number of troopers but it can be deployed as a mobile base. Pretty neat. I like the little guns that pop out on hatches along the side.

Robot Soldiers

The soldiers are these neat skeletal guys, they can fold up pretty small and come in various forms. There's the normal one with a communications backpack, the red marked ones which I think are security like in Star Trek, the blue ones are the drivers, and the yellow one is the commander.

There's also this 3 legged one that can seemingly roll in to a ball. I think it and the red guys do internal security. There's a bigger technic version of both of these guys that I really quite like. I've got the tripod, I'm looking for the soldier one.

All in all, a pretty neat set of fellows and vehicles. Not sure what theme they're from, some old space thing as far as I can see. I have some vague memories of some things like this being in an old game demo I played as a kid, but google is failing me. Might have been like Bionicle Legend of Mata Nui and been cancelled.

[usafphantom2]

B-2 Stealth Bomber Demoes QUICKSINK Low Cost Maritime Strike Capability During RIMPAC 2024

The U.S. Air Force B-2 Spirit carried out a QUICKSINK demonstration during the second SINKEX (Sinking Exercise) of RIMPAC 2024. This marks the very first time a B-2 Spirit has been publicly reported to test this anti-ship capability.

David Cenciotti

B-2 QUICKSINK

File photo of a B-2 Spirit (Image credit: Howard German / The Aviationist)

RIMPAC 2024, the 29th in the series since 1971, sees the involvement of 29 nations, 40 surface ships, three submarines, 14 national land forces, over 150 aircraft, and 25,000 personnel. During the drills, two long-planned live-fire sinking exercises (SINKEXs) led to the sinking of two decommissioned ships: USS Dubuque (LPD 8), sunk on July 11, 2024; and the USS Tarawa (LHA 1), sunk on July 19. Both were sunk in waters 15,000 feet deep, located over 50 nautical miles off the northern coast of Kauai, Hawaii.

SINKEXs are training exercises in which decommissioned naval vessels are used as targets. These exercises allow participating forces to practice and demonstrate their capabilities in live-fire scenarios providing a unique and realistic training environment that cannot be replicated through simulations or other training methods.

RIMPAC 2024’s SINKEXs allowed units from Australia, Malaysia, the Netherlands, South Korea, and various U.S. military branches, including the Air Force, Army, and Navy, to enhance their skills and tactics as well as validate targeting, and live firing capabilities against surface ships at sea. They also helped improve the ability of partner nations to plan, communicate, and execute complex maritime operations, including precision and long-range strikes.

LRASM

During the sinking of the ex-Tarawa, a U.S. Navy F/A-18F Super Hornet deployed a Long-Range Anti-Ship Missile (LRASM). This advanced, stealthy cruise missile offers multi-service, multi-platform, and multi-mission capabilities for offensive anti-surface warfare and is currently deployed from U.S. Navy F/A-18 and U.S. Air Force B-1B aircraft.

The AGM-158C LRASM, based on the AGM-158B Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile – Extended Range (JASSM-ER), is the new low-observable anti-ship cruise missile developed by DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) for the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Navy. NAVAIR describes the weapon as a defined near-term solution for the Offensive Anti-Surface Warfare (OASuW) air-launch capability gap that will provide flexible, long-range, advanced, anti-surface capability against high-threat maritime targets.

QUICKSINK

Remarkably, in a collaborative effort with the U.S. Navy, a U.S. Air Force B-2 Spirit stealth bomber also took part in the second SINKEX, demonstrating a low-cost, air-delivered method for neutralizing surface vessels using the QUICKSINK. Funded by the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering, the QUICKSINK experiment aims to provide cost-effective solutions to quickly neutralize maritime threats over vast ocean areas, showcasing the flexibility of the joint force.

The Quicksink initiative, in collaboration with the U.S. Navy, is designed to offer innovative solutions for swiftly neutralizing stationary or moving maritime targets at a low cost, showcasing the adaptability of joint military operations for future combat scenarios. “Quicksink is distinctive as it brings new capabilities to both current and future Department of Defense weapon systems, offering combatant commanders and national leaders fresh methods to counter maritime threats,” explained Kirk Herzog, the program manager at the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL).

Traditionally, enemy ships are targeted using submarine-launched heavyweight torpedoes, which, while effective, come with high costs and limited deployment capabilities among naval assets. “Heavyweight torpedoes are efficient at sinking large ships but are expensive and deployed by a limited number of naval platforms,” stated Maj. Andrew Swanson, division chief of Advanced Programs at the 85th Test and Evaluation Squadron. “Quicksink provides a cost-effective and agile alternative that could be used by a majority of Air Force combat aircraft, thereby expanding the options available to combatant commanders and warfighters.”

Regarding weapon guidance, the QUICKSINK kit combines a GBU-31/B Joint Direct Attack Munition’s existing GPS-assisted inertial navigation system (INS) guidance in the tail with a new radar seeker installed on the nose combined with an IIR (Imaging Infra-Red) camera mounted in a fairing on the side. When released, the bomb uses the standard JDAM kit to glide to the target area and the seeker/camera to lock on the ship. Once lock on is achieved, the guidance system directs the bomb to detonate near the hull below the waterline.

Previous QUICKSINK demonstrations in 2021 and 2022 featured F-15E Strike Eagles deploying modified 2,000-pound GBU-31 JDAMs. This marks the very first time a B-2 Spirit has been publicly reported to test this anti-ship capability. Considering a B-2 can carry up to 16 GBU-31 JDAMs, this highlights the significant anti-surface firepower a single stealth bomber can bring to a maritime conflict scenario.

Quicksink

F-15E Strike Eagle at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. with modified 2,000-pound GBU-31 Joint Direct Attack Munitions as part of the second test in the QUICKSINK Joint Capability Technology Demonstration on April 28, 2022. (U.S. Air Force photo / 1st Lt Lindsey Heflin)

SINKEXs

“Sinking exercises allow us to hone our skills, learn from one another, and gain real-world experience,” stated U.S. Navy Vice Adm. John Wade, the RIMPAC 2024 Combined Task Force Commander in a public statement. “These drills demonstrate our commitment to maintaining a safe and open Indo-Pacific region.”

Ships used in SINKEXs, known as hulks, are prepared in strict compliance with Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations under a general permit the Navy holds pursuant to the Marine Protection, Research, and Sanctuaries Act. Each SINKEX requires the hulk to sink in water at least 6,000 feet deep and more than 50 nautical miles from land.

In line with EPA guidelines, before a SINKEX, the Navy thoroughly cleans the hulk, removing all materials that could harm the marine environment, including polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), petroleum, trash, and other hazardous materials. The cleaning process is documented and reported to the EPA before and after the SINKEX.

Royal Netherlands Navy De Zeven Provinciën-class frigate HNLMS Tromp (F803) fires a Harpoon missile during a long-planned live fire sinking exercise as part of Exercise Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2024. (Royal Netherlands Navy photo by Cristian Schrik)

SINKEXs are conducted only after the area is surveyed to ensure no people, marine vessels, aircraft, or marine species are present. These exercises comply with the National Environmental Policy Act and are executed following permits and authorizations under the Marine Mammal Protection Act, Endangered Species Act, and Marine Protection, Research, and Sanctuaries Act.

The ex-Dubuque, an Austin-class amphibious transport dock, was commissioned on September 1, 1967, and served in Vietnam, Operation Desert Shield, and other missions before being decommissioned in June 2011. The ex-Tarawa, the lead amphibious assault ship of its class, was commissioned on May 29, 1976, participated in numerous operations including Desert Shield and Iraqi Freedom, and was decommissioned in March 2009.

This year marks the second time a Tarawa-class ship has been used for a SINKEX, following the sinking of the ex-USS Belleau Wood (LHA 3) during RIMPAC 2006.

H/T Ryan Chan for the heads up!

About David Cenciotti

David Cenciotti is a journalist based in Rome, Italy. He is the Founder and Editor of “The Aviationist”, one of the world’s most famous and read military aviation blogs. Since 1996, he has written for major worldwide magazines, including Air Forces Monthly, Combat Aircraft, and many others, covering aviation, defense, war, industry, intelligence, crime and cyberwar. He has reported from the U.S., Europe, Australia and Syria, and flown several combat planes with different air forces. He is a former 2nd Lt. of the Italian Air Force, a private pilot and a graduate in Computer Engineering. He has written five books and contributed to many more ones.

@TheAviationist.com