|
General wants more JDAMs for possible use in Nork
From East-Asia-Intel.com, subscription reqâdThe commander of U.S. air forces in the Pacific wants to stockpile more Joint Direct Attack Munitions, otherwise known as satellite guided bombs, to use in possible Asian conflicts. "I donât have enough JDAM stocks to make me very comfortable," said Gen. William Begert, commander of Pacific Air Forces Command and air-component commander in that region. We definitely want the general to be comfortable. When he is, we are. The general told reporters this week that JDAMs are extremely attractive weapons in facing the North Koreaâs thousands of hardened artillery tubes along the Demilitarized Zone separating North and South Korea. Especially when scores of the units can be individually programmed and dropped from one platform. The JDAM, which is guided to its target by satellite navigation, was the star in the recent Iraq war. In a conflict in Korea, JDAMs could be dropped from high attitudes, at night or in bad weather. Begert said that more combat aircraft should be equipped with JDAMs, including F-15 jets. "The more airplanes that we can get dropping JDAMs, the better Iâll like it, but my first priority is to get more JDAMs," he said. "Hopefully weâll continue to produce the JDAMs at the accelerated rate that we surged to during Iraqi Freedom until our stocks are back up and go beyond that to try to meet that requirement." The JDAM is essentially a dumb bomb with a special Global Positioning System navigation package on its nose and a tail fin kit on its end to guide the bomb to its target. The Air Force has stockpiled some JDAMs on the Pacific island base of Guam. The base also has air-launched cruise missiles stored over the past several years. Begert said he would like to station additional fighter aircraft on Guam to keep them in easy distance of North Korea. Many strike aircraft were removed from Guam during the 1990s as a cost-saving measure. Public statements like this by a general discussing JDAMS and deployment of additional strike aircraft at Guam are obviously ratchets on the Kimmie Sweat Ray that are approved from the top. Posted by: Alaska Paul 2004-01-17 |
| http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=24548 |