Direct Strike Penetrator Systems

Abstract

The Direct Strike Penetrator Systems program develops and modifies a family of advanced precision-guided penetrator munitions to include evaluation of integrated technologies for the development/integration of advanced position, navigation, and timing (PNT) capabilities (i.e., Global Positioning System (GPS), non-GPS, optical, passive, active, etc.) and smart fuze systems, and all penetrator components, that will provide the Air Force with improved ability to attack Hard and Deeply Buried Targets (HDBT), such as bunker and tunnel facilities, using air-to-surface conventional munitions. Systems developed include, but are not limited to Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP), GBU-72 Advanced 5,000-lb Penetrator Weapon System (A5K), and Section 804 Rapid Prototype/Rapid Fielding activities. Systems developed will be integrated onto current and future platforms to reduce the number of weapons required to hold HDBTs at risk and will result in more targets engaged per mission flown. Direct Strike Penetrators will provide critical global strike capability not met by inventory conventional weapons and will hold at risk the best protected high value assets essential to an enemy's war fighting ability. The project also provides an opportunity to quickly insert emerging technologies into existing and developing aircraft munitions and fuzes. A Hard Target Munitions (HTM) Analysis-of-Alternatives (AoA) was conducted in 2014 to determine the best weapons and/or development efforts for addressing the HDBT mission area. The HTM AoA determined that it was necessary to develop a family of HTMs in order to apply effects to the entire range of HDBT sets. The Air Force is using the AoA to develop, produce and modify HDBT weapons identified as the most effective and affordable. Modeling and simulation is used to assess and characterize current inventory and, to drive design and explore the utility of new classes of penetrator munitions. This requirement supports performance of a full financial audit as required by title 10 U.S.C. Chapter 9A, Sec 240-D. This program element may include necessary emergent or unanticipated civilian pay expenses required to manage, execute, and deliver Hard and Deeply Buried Targets Defense System for emergent or unanticipated weapon system capability. The use of such program funds would be in addition to the civilian pay expenses budgeted in program element 0605831F. In FY20 $0M was expended for civilian pay expenses in this program element, and in FY21 $1.468M is forecasted for civilian pay expenses in this program element. The FY2022 funding was request was reduced by $0.848M to account for the availability of prior year execution balances. This effort is in Budget Activity 4, Advanced Component Development and Prototypes (ACD&P), because efforts are necessary to evaluate integrated technologies, representative modes or prototype systems in a high fidelity and realistic operating environment.

Document Details

• Document Type: Project
• Publication Date: Oct 01, 2022
• Source ID: 645341_0604327F_4_3600_PB_2022

Tags

Readers

• Aerospace Engineering.
• Munitions and Ordnance Engineering

Technology Areas

• Space