Guided Bomb
A conventional bomb fitted with a guidance system, laser, GPS, or electro-optical, that steers it to a specific aim point, dramatically increasing accuracy over unguided free-fall bombs.
Guided bombs, also called precision-guided munitions or smart bombs, are conventional gravity bombs equipped with guidance kits that steer them to a designated target. The first widely used guided bomb was the Paveway laser-guided bomb (LGB), which uses fins controlled by a laser seeker to steer toward a spot of laser light placed on the target by a designator on the aircraft or held by forces on the ground.
The introduction of GPS guidance through the JDAM kit revolutionized precision bombing by eliminating the need for a laser designator and enabling accurate delivery in all weather conditions. A JDAM kit bolts onto a standard unguided bomb, adds a GPS/INS guidance system and steerable tail fins, and converts a "dumb" bomb into a precision weapon with a CEP of approximately 5 meters. At roughly $25,000 per kit, JDAM provides precision at a fraction of the cost of a cruise missile.
Modern guided bombs combine multiple guidance modes for maximum flexibility. The GBU-53/B StormBreaker, for example, uses a tri-mode seeker that combines millimeter-wave radar, infrared imaging, and semi-active laser guidance, allowing it to engage moving targets in any weather condition. This evolution from single-mode to multi-mode guidance has made precision-guided bombs the dominant air-delivered weapon in modern warfare.
Related Terms
JDAM(Joint Direct Attack Munition)
Joint Direct Attack Munition is a low-cost guidance kit that converts unguided gravity bombs into precision-guided weapons using GPS and inertial navigation.
PGM(Precision-Guided Munition)
Precision-Guided Munition is any weapon that uses a guidance system to steer itself to a specific target, achieving dramatically greater accuracy than unguided weapons.
CEP(Circular Error Probable)
Circular Error Probable is a measure of a weapon's accuracy, defined as the radius of a circle centered on the target within which 50% of strikes are expected to land.
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