CLEAVER project: how to turn conventional transport vehicles into strike aircraft

As part of its innovation, the Pentagon, among other things, is implementing a program for the development of palletized ammunition. This type includes shells placed on cargo platforms. The latter can be dropped from an aircraft transport vessel, allowing him to act as a bomber.

The U.S. defense is now focusing on the CLEAVER project. What is noteworthy, it provides for the development of a specialized palletized projectile. The new type of ammunition has four stabilizers and a streamlined design. Visually, the bomb resembles an AGM-154, the “fins” of which allow it to soar over long distances.

As expected, the mechanism works according to the traditional scheme. The pallet (in the case of the CLEAVER project - with two bombs) is dropped from a transport aircraft using a parachute. When it is flipped in the air, the ammunition is already in free fall mode.

In general, this idea is designed to provide the possibility of a forced increase in the number of shock aviation. Thanks to the CLEAVER program, an ordinary transport aircraft will be able to turn into a bomber, thus increasing the combat power of the Air Force in the desired direction.

Comments

[Kars]

This option is only by poits, or in a total war when air defense was crushed. What is it for.

[mitroha]

They are coming up with, in case of a threat of conflict, their transit civil and transport sides will sprinkle with peas, solely in order to avoid and "out of harm's way"
Who would want to find out their stuff there

[Zomanus]

By the way, yes, although the idea is certainly not bad.
This is either when air defense is suppressed, or from hopelessness, when there are no bombers.

[The leader of the Redskins]

In principle, the idea of ​​using transporters is not Nova. Even in Spain, 52 of the Junkers bombed. At night and not with a stick but with hands.

[KCA]

In the Second World War, all passenger LI-2 (DC-3) were converted into transporters and bombers, armed

[Piramidon]

Quote: Kars

This option is only for poits

Provided that there are many Papuans and all in one heap. It seems to me something like a dump truck. Turned over, and to whom God will send.

[Aqr009]

Turned over, and to whom God will send.

Well, why is it necessary for manpower, it can be anti-bunker bombs, as well as railway nodes or electrical substations. Again, if you bomb the dam or the oil pipeline, the damage will be done multiple times.
It is more a terrorist weapon than a military one.

[hydrox]

For such work, even more, a sight is needed, but not a single navigator of the An-12-x or IL-76-x in my service worked with such a device. The familiar OTAP did not do such things.

[Reserve buildbat]

History goes in a spiral. Such projects were very popular in the 1930s. The transporter in the passenger, the passenger in the bomber ... And other options

[KVU-NSVD]

In the USSR, to the very end, if I am not mistaken, transport workers also envisioned and practiced similar tasks.

[Reserve buildbat]

That's right. Only without alterations, but with quick-release holders

[Alexey RA]

Quote: stock buildbat

That's right. Only without alterations, but with quick-release holders

An-12 generally regularly dropped bombs directly from the cargo compartment.

[Ros 56]

The USSR was full of bombing regiments equipped with Li-2, and they fought nothing. Yes, recently, bombs under the IL-76 were hung up on exercises and bombed to their full height. Of course, the effect is not the same, but nonetheless.

[Alexey RA]

Quote: stock buildbat

History goes in a spiral. Such projects were very popular in the 1930s. The transporter in the passenger, the passenger in the bomber ... And other options

Later they were also popular. And even used in practice: the An-12 was designed taking into account the possibility of dropping bombs from the cargo compartment and was used as a bomber during the Indo-Pakistani Aoyna and, EMNIP, in Ethiopia.
The Yankees can recall the C-130 with the "Daisy Cutter" and, EMNIP, plans to use the C-130 as directors of sea mines

[hydrox]

What's funny: none of the commentators even hinted at the heading of the article that there was a wish from the General Staff, the Ministry of Defense allocated funds, and some of the well-known design bureaus were not averse to building a "gunship" on the An-12 platform - and talk about this in the military leadership took place about a year ago.
This means that by today the prototype should have already been discussed and its assembly should even begin.
Who knows how things are going with this, what design bureau is doing this, and at what stage is pr-in?

[Alexey RA]

Quote: hydrox

What's funny: none of the commentators even hinted at the heading of the article that there was a wish from the General Staff, the Ministry of Defense allocated funds, and some of the well-known design bureaus were not averse to building a "gunship" on the An-12 platform - and talk about this in the military leadership took place about a year ago.
This means that by today the prototype should have already been discussed and its assembly should even begin.

PMSM, this idea was supposed to die after those involved in it learned the age of the living An-12. We also remembered where Antonov Design Bureau and the engine-manufacturer for An-12 are located.

[hydrox]

The machine is Soviet, so figs with it, with design bureau, and AI-20 analogues, it turns out, we do not produce.
Then how do An-12s fly now?

[Alexey RA]

Quote: hydrox

The machine is Soviet, so figs with it, with design bureau, and AI-20 analogues, it turns out, we do not produce.
Then how do An-12s fly now?

Just like all aircraft of the Air Force and Civil Aviation with Motor Sich engines - we have engine repairs, new engines go from there in different ways. Boguslaev never missed a profit.
Dunning's quote about the actions of the capitalist with 300% profit in this case is more relevant than ever.

[hydrox]

Quote: Stroibat stock

Such projects were very popular in the 1930s. Transport worker in passenger, passenger in bomber ...

And not only in the 30s: already after the war, the An-12 transporter became the An-10 passenger, the Tu-16 bomber became the Tu-104 airliner, and the Tu-95 bomber became the Tu-114 main airliner.

[V.I.P.]

It turns out no targeted bombing? They just throw a big bomb, approximately ..... Plants can be bombed so or residential buildings. And what else can you bomb with this method. In theory and there is no sight

[Phoenix]

Adjustable bombs, for example, on GPS. They don’t really care how to throw accurately.

[Piramidon]

Quote: V.I.P.

Plants so you can bomb or residential buildings

Provided that there will be no opposition.

[voyaka uh]

Rather, the transport can be turned into a drone carrier. Then it is possible not to approach the enemy's air defense, but to let the "chain dogs" on him. Catch the surviving "dogs" back using the net.

[Ros 56]

The network will trust you.

[Piramidon]

Quote: voyaka uh

Catch the surviving "dogs" back with a net

If the drones are "smart", with the presence of AI, they themselves should fly into the cargo bay.

[eklmn]

"Rather, the transport can be turned into a drone carrier."
Such a program exists with DARPA. They tested it in early 2020.
“DARPA conducted the first test of a new type of drones that can be launched from an airplane in a swarm and caught in the air when they do their job.”
https://www.technologyreview.com/2020/01/31/304849/darpa-is-testing-drone-swarms-it-can-launch-from-a-planethen-collect-mid-air/
Used drones Gremlin X-61A
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P3DncMeGqTg&feature=emb_logo

[tihonmarine]

If you put a motor on a bicycle, it will still remain a bicycle, but not a motorcycle.

[AllBiBek]

"More humanitarian bombings are needed."

[tlauicol]

why a bomb when you can rocket?
2nd minute

[Nikolaevich I]

Quote: Tlauicol

why a bomb when you can rocket?

I once read that the An-124 "Ruslan" was designed with the possibility of "converting" it into a carrier of X-55 cruise missiles!

[domovoy doma_2]

one of the options for oversaturation of enemy air defense with cheap ammunition, outside the air defense zone.

[eklmn]

Video with the reset from the plane “mother_all_bomb” to the program has nothing to do. But what it has is a link in the article to the AGM-154, and such ammunition is dumped.
Original article here:
https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/33716/air-force-unveils-first-test-of-arsenal-plane-concept-and-new-cleaver-munition
From the original article:
“The description of AFRL warheads and guidance systems as“ optional ”also indicates that CLEAVER is a modular design. If true, this could mean that it could potentially accommodate other payloads, including non-kinetic ones, such as electronic warfare silencers. The AFRL press release also mentions the ultimate goal of using an ammunition system on pallets to deploy a swarm of "semi-autonomous weapons with network inclusion," which "accompanies remotely piloted aircraft and fighters in combat missions."
Photo AGM-154 in this article:
https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/20446/jassm-is-grabbing-headlines-but-the-navys-own-stealthy-weapon-is-set-to-get-way-more-capable

[vkd.dvk]

Quote: Aqr009

Turned over, and to whom God will send.

Well, why is it necessary for manpower, it can be anti-bunker bombs, as well as railway nodes or electrical substations. Again, if you bomb the dam or the oil pipeline, the damage will be done multiple times.
It is more a terrorist weapon than a military one.

Do you imagine the technology of dumping pallets? To get somewhere, you need good sights, and millisecond responsive reset mechanisms. Otherwise, you will not get into the dam, but three kilometers past. GLONAS aiming? Bombs will be more expensive than airplanes. Transport workers, with their flight altitudes and speeds. Radar signature. Crew training.
Drop ammunition sabotage units behind enemy lines will go. And then, if the enemy is a camel.

[Revolver]

There is a bomb in the US arsenal that no bomber will raise, called MOAB, officially the Massive Ordnance Air Blast, and unofficially Mother of All Bombs. So under these bombs adapted transport C-130. Well essno, before sending the C-130 on a mission, the area is cleaned of everything flying and anti-aircraft, but the effect of this bomb is vaguely reminiscent of a long loaf, only without undesirable radioactive consequences.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GBU-43/B_MOAB

[vkd.dvk]

Quote: Nagan

There is a bomb in the US arsenal that no bomber will raise, called MOAB, officially the Massive Ordnance Air Blast, and unofficially Mother of All Bombs. So under these bombs adapted transport C-130. Well essno, before sending the C-130 on a mission, the area is cleaned of everything flying and anti-aircraft, but the effect of this bomb is vaguely reminiscent of a long loaf, only without undesirable radioactive consequences.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GBU-43/B_MOAB

Meet the Father of all Russian-made bombs. 4 times more militant. And it’s easier, which allows you to throw yourself from any heavy bomb. https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aviation_vacuum_power_bomb

[Mwg]

The concept comes from the USSR - things of dual use: for peace and for war at the same time. Even the Strugatsky brothers wrote about this in "Predatory Things of the Century".

[Ruby]

Quote: Leader of the Redskins

In principle, the idea of ​​using transporters is not Nova. Even in Spain, 52 of the Junkers bombed. At night and not with a stick but with hands.

This unit, although it was designed as a purely civilian aircraft, had the ability to quite easily alter both a bomber and a military transporter. Actually with them the bomber aviation of Germany began. Guernica on their conscience by the way. Well, of course, they didn’t bomb it there :) They had regular bomb racks.

[iouris]

Stylistic analysis of the test: "how to turn ordinary transport aircraft into strike aircraft."
1) The concept of "ordinary transport workers" is empty - it does not exist in the normative state (Russian) language. Use the term "military transport aircraft".
2) Turning a military transport aircraft into "aviation" or any kind of aviation is the same as turning an author (a person) into a "Russian people" or "humanity". This is contrary to formal logic, it is impossible.
3) Literary version:
CLEAVER project: to turn a transport aircraft into a carrier of long-range cruise missiles (I see SO)

[Quadro]

But if such news about the Russian Federation jumped out, then howling and laughter would be high. And here you see high-tech bombs will be dumped out of the "trunk", not like the poor Russians.