Viper Strike
Encyclopedia
The GBU-44/B Viper Strike glide bomb
is a GPS-aided laser-guided variant of the Northrop Grumman
Brilliant Anti-Tank (BAT)
munition which originally had a combination acoustic
and IR seeker. The system was initially intended for use from UAV
s, and it is also planned to integrate the weapon with the Lockheed AC-130
gunship, giving that aircraft a precision stand-off capability.
Glide bomb
A glide bomb is an aerial bomb modified with aerodynamic surfaces to modify its flight path from a purely ballistic one to a flatter, gliding, one. This extends the range between the launch aircraft and the target. Glide bombs are often fitted with control systems, allowing the controlling aircraft...
is a GPS-aided laser-guided variant of the Northrop Grumman
Northrop Grumman
Northrop Grumman Corporation is an American global aerospace and defense technology company formed by the 1994 purchase of Grumman by Northrop. The company was the fourth-largest defense contractor in the world as of 2010, and the largest builder of naval vessels. Northrop Grumman employs over...
Brilliant Anti-Tank (BAT)
Brilliant Anti-Tank (BAT)
The Northrop Grumman Brilliant Anti-Tank is a US submunition round dispensed from a missile. It is capable of independently identifying and attacking armored vehicles...
munition which originally had a combination acoustic
Acoustic signature
Acoustic signature is used to describe a combination of acoustic emissions of ships and submarines.-Contributing factors:The acoustic signature is made up of a number of individual elements...
and IR seeker. The system was initially intended for use from UAV
Unmanned aerial vehicle
An unmanned aerial vehicle , also known as a unmanned aircraft system , remotely piloted aircraft or unmanned aircraft, is a machine which functions either by the remote control of a navigator or pilot or autonomously, that is, as a self-directing entity...
s, and it is also planned to integrate the weapon with the Lockheed AC-130
Lockheed AC-130
The Lockheed AC-130 gunship is a heavily-armed ground-attack aircraft variant of the C-130 Hercules transport plane. The basic airframe is manufactured by Lockheed, while Boeing is responsible for the conversion into a gunship and for aircraft support...
gunship, giving that aircraft a precision stand-off capability.
Launch platforms
- Current:
- MQ-5 Hunter
- MC-130W Combat Spear
- RQ-7B ShadowRQ-7 ShadowThe RQ-7 Shadow unmanned aerial vehicle is used by the United States Army and Marine Corps. Launched from a trailer-mounted pneumatic catapult, it is recovered with the aid of arresting gear similar to jets on an aircraft carrier...
- Planned:
- AC-27J Stinger
- AC-130U Spooky
- KC-130J Harvest Hawk
- MH-6 Little BirdMH-6 Little BirdThe MH-6 Little Bird , and its attack variant AH-6, are light helicopters used for special operations in the United States Army. Originally based on a modified OH-6A, it was later based on the MD 500E, with a single five-bladed main rotor...
- MQ-1 Predator
- MQ-1C Grey Eagle (formerly Warrior)
- MQ-8 Fire Scout
Specifications
- Length: 0.9 m (36 in).
- Weight: 20 kg (42 lb).
- Diameter: 14 cm (5.5 in).
- Wingspan: 0.9 m (36 in).
- Glide ratio: 10:1
- Guidance: GPS-midcourse/terminal laser homing.
- Accuracy: < 1 m CEPCircular error probableIn the military science of ballistics, circular error probable is an intuitive measure of a weapon system's precision...
. - Warhead: 1.05 kg (2.3 lb) (HEATHeatIn physics and thermodynamics, heat is energy transferred from one body, region, or thermodynamic system to another due to thermal contact or thermal radiation when the systems are at different temperatures. It is often described as one of the fundamental processes of energy transfer between...
).