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BLU-118 Bomb Development
Problem Statement and Objectives
The Pentagon urgently needed a weapon
that would be more effective than current penetrating weapons
against enemies seeking sanctuary in tunnels and caves during
Operation ENDURING FREEDOM. Several Services and a Defense Agency
were tasked to develop a more energetic, deeper penetrating and more
reliable warhead. The deployment of the resulting warhead was the
goal of the BLU-118 Quick Reaction Development project.
ARA was contracted to provide systems
engineering and integration support, test planning and execution
support, test instrumentation and data analysis, weapon effectiveness
analysis and modeling, and weaponeering and attack planning
capability. To meet the aggressive schedule without sacrificing
performance or safety, ARA applied a wide range of expertise from
several divisions and developed custom analytical tools to assess the
increased effectiveness of the explosive warhead fill.
ARA
further reduced risk through the use of our three dimensional hydrocode
(SHAMRC) to model the complex warhead detonation process.
Results and Benefits
Responding to the need for improved capabilities to defeat enemies seeking refuge in tunnels in the early-days of Operation ENDURING FREEDOM, ARA helped deliver a 25%-30% improvement over the existing BLU-109 bomb. From the formation of the ARA and government team until the successful operational demonstration of the new weapon took only 60 days, an exceptional accomplishment compared with the year or more this would have taken in a typical system development. The new BLU-118 Quick Reaction Development was completed on budget, deployed to forces in the field on schedule, and utilized in the performance of high-priority national security missions.
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The warhead was
developed, tested, and delivered to the warfighter in an unprecedented
60 days. |
