Sovereign sustainability has taken a leap, with Royal Australian Air Pressure (RAAF) No. 81 Wing accepting and efficiently expending the primary Australian manufactured BLU-111(AUS)B/B. The BLU-111(AUS)B/B is designed as a direct alternative for the older-generation Mk82 500lb warheads, delivering comparable efficiency whereas bettering security traits. The 500lb high-explosive warhead was delivered to No. 3 Squadron at RAAF Base Williamtown final 12 months, the place it was configured by armament technicians as a Paveway II laser guided bomb earlier than being loaded onto the F-35A Lightning II for a coaching sortie. This warhead represents the following step in Australian defence business supplying sovereign manufactured weapons to be used by present and future air fight platforms.
AIR6000 Weapons Venture Engineering Supervisor, Squadron Chief Ryan Kell stated,”As soon as totally launched into service, the BLU-111(AUS)B/B can be used because the go-to 500lb high-explosive warhead for Air Pressure throughout operations and coaching workouts. The BLU-111(AUS)B/B is meant to be used in each Paveway II laser guided bombs and the Joint Direct Assault Munition (JDAM) household of guided bombs. The event and manufacturing of the BLU-111(AUS)B/B has been an ongoing collaboration between the US Authorities, Defence and Australian business, particularly the producer, Australian Munitions.”
Commercial
Sovereign manufacturing of the BLU-111(AUS)B/B commenced after the success of BLU-126(AUS)/B, 500lb low-collateral bomb which first demonstrated Australian means to provide decreased sensitivity warheads utilizing domestically manufactured components for the explosive fill. The design is predicated on the US manufactured BLU-111B/B, however has been tailor-made to satisfy Australian manufacturing strategies whereas offering improved security traits. Plane bomb warheads have been produced in Australia for a variety of a long time, however the BLU-111(AUS)B/B warhead represents a generational change in explosives manufacture and security applied sciences by means of use of a polymer-bonded explosive fill and design options which scale back the probability of the warhead detonating within the occasion of a security incident.
Whereas preliminary use of the BLU-111(AUS)B/B is primarily by the F-35A, future use of the BLU-111(AUS)B/B is more likely to lengthen past No. 81 Wing to incorporate Hawk 127 lead-in fighter, F/A-18F Tremendous Hornet and future platforms such because the MQ-9B Sky Guardian, which is able to make use of 500lb-class weapons. Having 500lb bombs produced in Australia will increase self-reliance and resilience of RAAF air-combat platforms and the warfighting functionality they supply. As a future line of effort, the power to behave as a second line of provide to allied nations may see Australia offering warheads to be used by allies throughout operations or coaching, which might significantly improve worldwide relationships and interoperability.
