An F-15 fighter jet took out a surface ship during a test of the US Air Force's 'Quicksink' bomb

The Integrated Test Team at Eglin Air Force Base demonstrated a new low-cost, air-delivered smart weapon capability intended to defeat maritime threats.

On April 28, 2022, an F-15E Strike Eagle destroyed a full-scale surface vessel in the Gulf of Mexico during a test.

This test is funded by the Office of the Under Secretary of the Air Force and is part of the Quicksink Joint Capability Technology Demonstration.

Quicksink is an answer to an urgent need to counteract maritime threats to freedom around the world.

—Air Force Research Lab - AFRL (@AFResearchLab) May 2, 2022

The Quicksink program, which is being developed in a partnership with the US Navy, aims to provide new options to rapidly neutralize stationary or moving surface maritime targets at minimal costs while also demonstrating the inherent flexibility of the joint force for future combat scenarios.

Quicksink is unique in that it can provide new capabilities to existing and future DOD weapons systems, giving combatant commanders and our national leaders new ways to defend against maritime threats.

US Air Force/1st Lt. Lindsey Heflin

When dealing with enemy ships, the weapons of choice are submarine-launched heavy-weight torpedoes, which pay their effectiveness with a high cost and a small portion of naval assets being able to use them.

Heavy-weight torpedoes are effective at sinking large ships but are expensive and employed by a small portion of naval assets.

The AFRL released a video showing the moment the modified JDAM bomb hit the target and split the old cargo ship in half.

The bomb appears to explode below the waterline. Modifications were added to the GBU-31 to achieve this effect.

The weapon guidance package in the tail is a combination of the existing gps-assisted insturment system and a new one mounted on the nose, which is not visible in the photos released.

According to the press release, the AFRL is developing a Weapon Open Systems Architecture, or WOSA, to enable precise placement of the weapon, lowering the costs while providing the ability to plug-and-play different manufacturers' seeker components.