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2mo ago

US Air Force Tests 500-Pound Quicksink Anti-Ship Bomb From B-2 Stealth Bomber

The live-fire exercise at Eglin Gulf Test Range showcases a precision-guided bomb designed to broaden strike flexibility against China’s growing navy.

A United States airman prepares GBU-38 Joint Direct Attack Munitions to be loaded onto a B-2 stealth bomber at Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri for a QUICKSINK test on April 22, 2025.
Airmen assigned to the 393rd Bomber Generation Squadron load GBU-38 Joint Direct Attack Munitions in a B-2 Spirit stealth bomber at Whiteman Air Force Base, Mo. The loading operations were a component of the Air Force Research Laboratory QUICKSINK Joint Capability Technology Demonstration, a new low-cost, air-delivered capability for defeating maritime threats. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Joshua Hastings)

Overview

  • Late-April trials at Eglin Gulf Test Range validated the 500-pound Quicksink’s ability to rapidly sink maritime targets when dropped from a B-2 Spirit stealth bomber.
  • The lighter variant is based on the GBU-38 JDAM and enables B-2s to carry more munitions, engage multiple vessels per sortie and evade sophisticated defenses.
  • Quicksink converts existing GPS-guided bombs into low-cost, precision anti-ship weapons without requiring new delivery platforms.
  • The programme advances the Air Force’s multi-domain, anti-access/area-denial strategy by bolstering sea-denial capabilities in contested waters.
  • Cross-command collaboration among the Air Force Research Laboratory, Air Force Test Center and 53rd Wing accelerated the weapon from concept to live-fire in under a year.