Using Space-X landing rocket technology to deliver jdams

1,336 Views | 8 Replies | Last: 6 yr ago by Spyderman
aTmAg
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AG
Anybody working on this type of technology?

Imagine having a bunch of bombs stacked up in Kuwait. When some soldier/marine in Iraq needs something to blow up, a small rocket launches a SDB or something high enough above the target area that the bomb can guide itself on target, and the rocket can return back to base. All it would cost is the gas and the bomb. No F-35, F-16, pilot, etc. No $40k per flight hour cost, just to have the plane land with 100% of their payload 90% of the time. It seems you can get the bomb in target much faster too. The second some dude calls it in, the rocket is automatically launched.

What does this board think?
Naveronski
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I think there's something reassuring about having CAS in your AO already.

This may be the future, but I like the idea of an actual person in the air above me raining hate and discontent.
aTmAg
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I understand that sentiment. I assume that is because you assume he can put ordinance where you want quickly? Out of curiosity, if you call for artillery, how long does it typically take to arrive? And is that longer than an F-16 or something?
Rabid Cougar
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Those rocket boosters are re usable but their engines are removed and refurbished after every launch as are all the pumps, tanks and other components. They cost considerably more than $40K an hour to operate.
Ag_EQ12
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aTmAg said:

I understand that sentiment. I assume that is because you assume he can put ordinance where you want quickly? Out of curiosity, if you call for artillery, how long does it typically take to arrive? And is that longer than an F-16 or something?
Depending on the AO, arty can be pretty fast. Problem is we don't always have arty where we are operating. If you have a CAP you can get bombs on target pretty quickly. In terms of cost, an MQ-9 is pretty cheap - a Hellfire or a JDAM is relatively cheap.
aTmAg
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Rabid Cougar said:

Those rocket boosters are re usable but their engines are removed and refurbished after every launch as are all the pumps, tanks and other components. They cost considerably more than $40K an hour to operate.
That's not a fair comparison. An artillery shell costs about $1000 each, and they are only in the air for a few seconds. So by that argument, they are far more expensive per hour than our most expensive fighter aircraft.

We pay $40k per hour to fly aircraft that bomb nothing. Artillery, only cost something when they are fired. Yeah, it might be expensive for those few seconds, but as far as cost per thing blown up, I imagine they are much cheaper overall. It's their other limitations that hamper them.

SpaceX rockets do a lot more than what this would be asking of it's rockets. These would be a fraction of the size, would withstand a fraction of the forces those do. And they wouldn't be carrying billion dollar equipment each time they launch.
Change Detection
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The reliability isn't there yet. Still have to believe that the whole launch process of a liquid fueled hypergolic rocket is much more than operating a fighter aircraft. Handling any LOX (an oxidizer) is pretty difficult in any part of the world.
aTmAg
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Space X is now doing things that NASA engineers thought was impossible. I am assuming that their reliability continues to improve like it has to this point.
bigtruckguy3500
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aTmAg said:

Space X is now doing things that NASA engineers thought was impossible. I am assuming that their reliability continues to improve like it has to this point.
Like what?
Spyderman
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