On 21 May 2004 22:38:40 -0700, Eric Moore wrote:
Another idea would be for a UAV to drop large numbers of small
guided bombs -- something like the 81 mm and 120 mm guided mortar
shells that currently exist -- onto a target.

There's already a weapon like that, it's called "Viper Strike". See:

http://www.defense-update.com/direct...per-strike.htm

It's similar, though different in terms of its intended usage. Viper
Strike uses a single human-controlled projectile designed for
attacking specific targets in urban areas.

What I had in mind would use largish numbers of warheads (about
10-100), which would be autonomously guided (the bomblets would have
IR or radar homing), to be used against armoured columns.

It would probably also be useful against ships; the UAV could fly
fast (Mach 2 or more) and high (20 km), which would put it out of
trhe range of many SAMs. The bomblets would be too numerous for SAMs
to intercept them, and CIWS usually can't fire directly upwards. In
any case the small size and high terminal velocity of the bomblets
would make it hard for CIWS to catch them all.

Considerations such as this suggest to me that any naval or land SAM
system must to be useful include a missile capable of intercepting
the very highest aircraft.

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