Breaking News: U.S. Air Force B-2 Bomber Tests New QUICKSINK Naval Munition to Defeat Modern Maritime Threats
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According to information published by the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory on June 4, 2025, the U.S. Air Force has successfully demonstrated a new lightweight variant of its QUICKSINK (Quick Reaction Kinetic Defeat of Ships) maritime strike weapon. In a landmark test at the Eglin Air Force Base Gulf Test Range, a B-2 Spirit Stealth Bomber delivered a 500-pound version of the QUICKSINK precision munition, underscoring the weapon’s flexibility and expanding the strategic toolkit available to U.S. combatant commanders. Follow Army Recognition on Google News at this link
U.S. Air Force Airmen from the 393rd Bomber Generation Squadron load GBU-38 JDAMs onto a B-2 Spirit at Whiteman AFB during QUICKSINK demo operations showcasing a new low-cost air-delivered weapon to defeat maritime threats. (Picture source: U.S. DoD)
This latest test confirms the integration of QUICKSINK maritime strike munitions with strategic stealth bombers, significantly advancing the Air Force’s capability to neutralize surface vessels swiftly and economically. Unlike the previously fielded 2,000-pound variant, which was successfully deployed during the Rim of the Pacific Exercise (RIMPAC) in 2024, the 500-pound version brings a more agile, scalable strike option for operations across vast maritime domains. The use of the B-2, the world’s only operational long-range stealth bomber, showcases the Air Force’s intent to leverage its low-observable platforms for high-stakes anti-ship operations while reducing munition payload weight.
QUICKSINK, which stands for Quick Reaction Kinetic Defeat of Ships, is a precision-guided, air-delivered munition concept that adapts conventional bombs, primarily the GBU-31 Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM), into highly effective anti-ship weapons capable of neutralizing surface vessels with surgical accuracy. By modifying a standard JDAM with custom guidance software and maritime-targeting algorithms, the weapon can identify, track, and strike a moving ship with pinpoint precision. It mimics the role of a torpedo but is deployed from the air, offering faster strike delivery and broader operational reach without the need for naval platforms.
This innovative capability provides a rapid response to maritime threats across vast ocean expanses, significantly bolstering the U.S. Air Force’s counter-maritime deterrence and operations. The development of the 500-pound variant addresses the growing demand for scalable effects and enhanced sortie efficiency in modern naval warfare. By reducing the size and weight of the munition, the Air Force effectively increases the loadout capacity of strike aircraft, enabling a single platform to engage multiple targets during a single mission, which is crucial in swarm or saturation scenarios increasingly seen in potential near-peer conflicts.
The B-2 Spirit, built by Northrop Grumman, is a highly survivable, long-range strategic bomber designed to penetrate dense anti-aircraft defenses. Its stealth characteristics, advanced avionics, and long endurance make it an ideal platform for delivering precision munitions in contested environments. With the capacity to travel intercontinental distances without refueling and deploy both nuclear and conventional payloads, the B-2 remains the cornerstone of U.S. global strike capability. By pairing this aircraft with advanced maritime strike weapons like QUICKSINK, the U.S. Air Force greatly expands its maritime reach and threat response spectrum.
In addition to the B-2, the modular nature of the QUICKSINK guidance kit offers compatibility with other Air Force and Navy platforms such as the F-15E Strike Eagle, F-35 Lightning II, and even unmanned aerial vehicles in the future. This versatility supports the Joint All-Domain Operations (JADO) framework where multi-platform, multi-service integration is key to winning future conflicts. It allows rapid, adaptive response options in both open ocean and littoral environments, which are critical to U.S. and allied interests in the Pacific and other global theaters.
Col. Dan Lehoski, commander of the 53rd Wing, emphasized the operational benefits, stating that QUICKSINK “adds options for the warfighter and enhances operational flexibility.” The joint effort behind this capability included the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), the Air Force Test Center (AFTC), and Air Combat Command’s 53rd Wing. Their collaboration enabled live-fire validation of the munition’s combat effectiveness.
Col. Matthew Caspers, commander of the AFRL Munitions Directorate, highlighted the innovation timeline, describing QUICKSINK as the result of a rapid joint prototyping initiative designed to produce an affordable method of countering naval threats. With the integration of a stealth delivery platform, the 500-pound QUICKSINK represents a breakthrough in cost-effective lethality that supports deterrence missions without compromising survivability or strategic reach.
This advancement is particularly significant as global naval powers invest in distributed maritime operations and increasingly deploy heavily armed and mobile surface vessels. QUICKSINK provides the United States with a fast, precise, and relatively low-cost method to deny enemy naval freedom of movement. Unlike expensive ship-launched torpedoes or long-range anti-ship missiles, QUICKSINK leverages existing airframes and munitions infrastructure to generate anti-ship effects with limited modification and exceptional scalability.
As geopolitical tensions increasingly shift toward maritime domains, the U.S. Air Force’s continued investment in fast-deployable and scalable anti-ship munitions demonstrates a forward-leaning approach to securing sea lanes and projecting power from the air. This latest evolution of QUICKSINK reinforces American commitment to maritime dominance through technology-driven innovation and integration across platforms. The ability to adapt standard munitions for new roles will be a defining feature of future warfare, and QUICKSINK stands as a premier example of that strategy in action.
{loadposition bannertop}
{loadposition sidebarpub}
According to information published by the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory on June 4, 2025, the U.S. Air Force has successfully demonstrated a new lightweight variant of its QUICKSINK (Quick Reaction Kinetic Defeat of Ships) maritime strike weapon. In a landmark test at the Eglin Air Force Base Gulf Test Range, a B-2 Spirit Stealth Bomber delivered a 500-pound version of the QUICKSINK precision munition, underscoring the weapon’s flexibility and expanding the strategic toolkit available to U.S. combatant commanders.
Follow Army Recognition on Google News at this link
U.S. Air Force Airmen from the 393rd Bomber Generation Squadron load GBU-38 JDAMs onto a B-2 Spirit at Whiteman AFB during QUICKSINK demo operations showcasing a new low-cost air-delivered weapon to defeat maritime threats. (Picture source: U.S. DoD)
This latest test confirms the integration of QUICKSINK maritime strike munitions with strategic stealth bombers, significantly advancing the Air Force’s capability to neutralize surface vessels swiftly and economically. Unlike the previously fielded 2,000-pound variant, which was successfully deployed during the Rim of the Pacific Exercise (RIMPAC) in 2024, the 500-pound version brings a more agile, scalable strike option for operations across vast maritime domains. The use of the B-2, the world’s only operational long-range stealth bomber, showcases the Air Force’s intent to leverage its low-observable platforms for high-stakes anti-ship operations while reducing munition payload weight.
QUICKSINK, which stands for Quick Reaction Kinetic Defeat of Ships, is a precision-guided, air-delivered munition concept that adapts conventional bombs, primarily the GBU-31 Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM), into highly effective anti-ship weapons capable of neutralizing surface vessels with surgical accuracy. By modifying a standard JDAM with custom guidance software and maritime-targeting algorithms, the weapon can identify, track, and strike a moving ship with pinpoint precision. It mimics the role of a torpedo but is deployed from the air, offering faster strike delivery and broader operational reach without the need for naval platforms.
This innovative capability provides a rapid response to maritime threats across vast ocean expanses, significantly bolstering the U.S. Air Force’s counter-maritime deterrence and operations. The development of the 500-pound variant addresses the growing demand for scalable effects and enhanced sortie efficiency in modern naval warfare. By reducing the size and weight of the munition, the Air Force effectively increases the loadout capacity of strike aircraft, enabling a single platform to engage multiple targets during a single mission, which is crucial in swarm or saturation scenarios increasingly seen in potential near-peer conflicts.
The B-2 Spirit, built by Northrop Grumman, is a highly survivable, long-range strategic bomber designed to penetrate dense anti-aircraft defenses. Its stealth characteristics, advanced avionics, and long endurance make it an ideal platform for delivering precision munitions in contested environments. With the capacity to travel intercontinental distances without refueling and deploy both nuclear and conventional payloads, the B-2 remains the cornerstone of U.S. global strike capability. By pairing this aircraft with advanced maritime strike weapons like QUICKSINK, the U.S. Air Force greatly expands its maritime reach and threat response spectrum.
In addition to the B-2, the modular nature of the QUICKSINK guidance kit offers compatibility with other Air Force and Navy platforms such as the F-15E Strike Eagle, F-35 Lightning II, and even unmanned aerial vehicles in the future. This versatility supports the Joint All-Domain Operations (JADO) framework where multi-platform, multi-service integration is key to winning future conflicts. It allows rapid, adaptive response options in both open ocean and littoral environments, which are critical to U.S. and allied interests in the Pacific and other global theaters.
Col. Dan Lehoski, commander of the 53rd Wing, emphasized the operational benefits, stating that QUICKSINK “adds options for the warfighter and enhances operational flexibility.” The joint effort behind this capability included the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), the Air Force Test Center (AFTC), and Air Combat Command’s 53rd Wing. Their collaboration enabled live-fire validation of the munition’s combat effectiveness.
Col. Matthew Caspers, commander of the AFRL Munitions Directorate, highlighted the innovation timeline, describing QUICKSINK as the result of a rapid joint prototyping initiative designed to produce an affordable method of countering naval threats. With the integration of a stealth delivery platform, the 500-pound QUICKSINK represents a breakthrough in cost-effective lethality that supports deterrence missions without compromising survivability or strategic reach.
This advancement is particularly significant as global naval powers invest in distributed maritime operations and increasingly deploy heavily armed and mobile surface vessels. QUICKSINK provides the United States with a fast, precise, and relatively low-cost method to deny enemy naval freedom of movement. Unlike expensive ship-launched torpedoes or long-range anti-ship missiles, QUICKSINK leverages existing airframes and munitions infrastructure to generate anti-ship effects with limited modification and exceptional scalability.
As geopolitical tensions increasingly shift toward maritime domains, the U.S. Air Force’s continued investment in fast-deployable and scalable anti-ship munitions demonstrates a forward-leaning approach to securing sea lanes and projecting power from the air. This latest evolution of QUICKSINK reinforces American commitment to maritime dominance through technology-driven innovation and integration across platforms. The ability to adapt standard munitions for new roles will be a defining feature of future warfare, and QUICKSINK stands as a premier example of that strategy in action.
