Boeing unveils lightweight bomb for urban combat (making 24,000 for USAF)

[UpInArms]

http://www.chicagobusiness.com/cgi-bin/news.pl?id=20711

(AP) — Boeing Co. on Monday unveiled a line of small, lightweight bombs that the U.S. Air Force will use in urban combat situations like the war in Iraq.

The small-diameter bombs weigh 250 pounds and can be used by all Air Force bombers, according to Boeing. By using the smaller bombs, planes can carry about four times as many bombs and fire them from farther away. A B-2 Stealth bomber can carry as many as 80 of the small-diameter bombs.

The bombs also will help limit civilian casualties during airstrikes in urban areas, Air Force Col. Richard Justice said at an unveiling ceremony. Boeing said its own tests show the bombs hit within 4 feet of their target.

Justice said Boeing's development of the bomb was one of the speediest and most successful weapons development in Air Force history. He said the bomb should be used in combat as early as this summer.

<snip>

Last year, the Government Accountability Office - the investigative arm of Congress - found that Boeing's contract for the bombs had been influenced by an Air Force official who was sentenced to nine months in prison for giving Boeing preferential treatment.

...more...

[stop the bleeding]

1. BA is up about .50 per share this morning on pre market indicators

this is a fun one to watch

[unhappycamper]

2. our tax dollars at work.....

~snip~

The small-diameter bomb contract is valued at about $2.5 billion, but Boeing has only won the first phase of the whole project.

~snip~

Winning the first phase of the contract has been good news for Boeing, which hasn't always benefited from changing war plans at the Pentagon. The company makes some military equipment that could get the ax as Pentagon planners shift priorities.

Boeing spokesman Steve Miller said the company might have to cut back production of its C-17 Globemaster III, a large transport plane. Miller said there is risk that Congress won't approve funding for more Globemasters in the 2007 budget.


This sure beats the hell of investing in education, health care, poverty, etc. etc. etc. :sarcasm:

[TechBear_Seattle]

3. "Limit civilian casualties"

Last time I checked, any deliberate targeting to civilian areas was a violation of the Geneva Conventions, a convention that came directly from WW II and the Blitz, the firebombing of Dresden, and the US' use of nuclear weapons at Hiroshima and Nagasaki. That these are "small bomb" that will "limit civilian casualties" is like saying that it ain't murder until you hit 100 dead in a single rampage.

[NJ_Lib]

9. The Geneva what...? Chimp shits on our constitution...

... ya think he gives a hoot about the Geneva conventions...? He can't even pronounce it...

[saigon68]

12. Besides those are Islamics being killed

according to the AWOL CHIMPANZEE Unless they are Saudi Prince's and their families, they can go f*** them selves

[NJ_Lib]

15. Ya, wasn't there a provision inserted in the convensions...

... that says brown people aren't included? Well, the poor ones anyway...

[saigon68]

26. Seems that way doesn't it.

[B3Nut]

36. Bomb those poor Iraqis who had nothing to do with 9/11

but french-kiss the king of the Saudis (a country who helped finance the 9/11 attacks) on national television, and try to give control of our ports to one of the other terrorism financiers (UAE). Thanks a lot, Mr. President.

War on terror, my ass.

Todd in Beerbratistan

[WinkyDink]

13. The only part of "Geneva" Bush recognizes is "gin".

(It is the same. Hee.)

[TechBear_Seattle]

32. Also, please note...

Two of the three atrocities -- the firebombing of Dresden and the use of nuclear weapons of mass destruction -- were committed by the United States. Add in other incidents such as the use of napalm in Vietnam and the carpet bombing of Iraq.... I guess I should complain; at least these bombs will be smaller.

[NJ_Lib]

34. Ah, but they're not really violations since...

... the people being killed were poor, brown or yellow people... There is an exclusionary provision in the Geneva agreements about this (...see post above...) colored people don't really "count"... :sarcasm:

[bullimiami]

4. bushco preparing for war with us.

[ConcernedCanuk]

5. Well kudos for Boeing and their concern for humanity

.
.
.

We WERE running out of bombs ya know, a necessity for human survival

doesn't matter if they can "hit within 4 feet of their target"

If there is a child walking one foot away . . . .

We need a bunch of Gandhis in this world

Not Bushes and Harpers

[maryallen]

24. But just any ole bomb wouldn't do:

We had to have "designer" (lightweight) bombs, don'tcha know!

[Paulie]

6. Just proves the point

Low tech dumb equipment can be made easily. A light weight version of a dumb iron bomb? Speediest development in history? OMG, hurray for Boeing! Welcome to the world of body kits and new hoods for cars!

I wonder if ANY joint live fire testing was done with this wizbang new lightweight bomb were done...

:nuke: :sarcasm: :nuke:

[RufusEarl]

7. Oh great! just what we need a smaller bomb!

And how in the hell do they know if they're are killing fewer civilians or the enemy at 30 thousand feet. I still believe if Boeing worked on technology that allowed automobiles to get 100 miles per gal of gas, would be tax money better spent.

Peace!

[UpInArms]

16. Sounds a lot like when the Taliban said they would use smaller stones

during the Sharia trials for fallen women.

http://www.nypress.com/15/3/news&columns/wildjustice.cfm

excerpt:

Shortly before the turn of the year Justice Minister Karimi declared Afghanistan’s new government would still impose Sharia Islamic law on its people, but with less harshness. The details were fleshed out by Judge Ahamat Ullha Zarif, who told the French news agency Agence France Presse that public executions and amputations will continue, but there will be changes: "For example, the Taliban used to hang the victim’s body in public for four days. We will only hang the body for a short time, say 15 minutes." Very Warholian.

Kabul’s sports stadium, financed by the International Monetary Fund, was where the Taliban used to carry out public executions and amputations every Friday. No longer. "The stadium is for sports. We will find a new place for public executions," says Judge Zarif.

Judge Zarif makes it clear that the ultimate penalty will remain in force for adulterers, both male and female. They would still be stoned to death, Zarif told the French news agency, "but we will use only small stones."

Now there’s progress!

[RufusEarl]

25. Amazing story!

These are the people we want to bring democracy to? It's a head scratcher for sure!

[Igel]

27. Yes. Not disposing of the court system

in Afghanistan in 2001/02 was a serious mistake.

A lot of people thought so at the time. The State Department had a shortage of them, however.

Islamic law is all many of the judges know; and all they think is worthwhile knowing. Typical madrasseh graduates, people who think they know everything, and yet know so little.

[sweetheart]

8. 4 feet of their target

their target being wherever they land.

[ramapo]

10. Great marketing tag

The story leaves me queasy. It has such an upbeat tone as it extols the benefits of this wonderful new invention.

[Supersedeas]

20. free market war & killing profiteers

[The2ndWheel]

11. Dick Justice?

Perfect name for a guy making/using bombs. Wow.

Anyway, the machine is hungry, needs to feed. The flesh and blood of humans, especially innocent ones, is all that with satisfy.

[AngryAmish]

21. Dick Justice was the Dean of Discipline at U of I in the 80s

Ihad a nice little visit with Mr. Justice a few times.

[confludemocrat]

14. So it can be used "as soon as this summer"? a summer bomb season?

If there is a hell I would hope it's for these people

[truthisfreedom]

17. don't you understand, people? these are ADVANCES. do i have to spell it

out for you? we are ADVANCING as a race, see? don't you get it? A-D-V-A-N-C-I-N-G. okay? sheesh.


can't you feel us advancing?

[blackhorse]

18. Lightweight, my a**

In the Second World War, a 220-pound bomb produced over 8000 lethal or severely incapacitating fragments within a 40-foot radius of the explosion. 220 pounds is a LOT of explosive of any kind.

BH

[daleo]

19. Why believe them, given the scamming that has gone on?

"Last year, the Government Accountability Office - the investigative arm of Congress - found that Boeing's contract for the bombs had been influenced by an Air Force official who was sentenced to nine months in prison for giving Boeing preferential treatment."

So, why believe them on the "hit within 4 feet" statistic then. I note that they don't say how often this accuracy is met:

"Boeing said its own tests show the bombs hit within 4 feet of their target."

75% of the time? 50% of the time? 10% of the time?

How were the tests set up? Under what conditions? Was it windy? Was the target zone identified by a beeping GPS marker on the ground?

I notice one of the benefits of this is to be able to bomb from higher up and farther away. Given that the Iraqi and Afghani resistance have no air defense to speak of, what is the necessity for this? Could it be Iran?

[reprobate]

22. My biggest wish is for a United States that spends more on the Dept.

of Peace than on military killing machines. It seems to me that WE are the only thing standing in the way of a better world.

[sweetheart]

33. or rather the arms buildup scenario

You could as well wish, that they stockpile exactly 6,000,000,000 of these weapons
in case terrorism arises on a massive scale requiring a cull, and become bankrupt
and bereft of all else to amount the armament pile, that the society crumble in to
dust.

[WhiteTara]

23. OMG When do you think the UN is going to step

in and arrest *co? We are the worst of the worst. I expect bombs to fall on us anyday. We are the pariahs of the world.

[0007]

28. Argh!!

What a sick sick time we live in....

[Az_lefty]

29. Oh great, the Air Force has a new bomb to play with...

hundreds of small bombs dropped on an urban area, wonder what collateral damage will be?

[fshrink]

30. Let's hope the ceremony was blessed by a prayer.

[High Plains]

31. Is it impolitic to start talking about shutting down this war machine?

Is it time for direct action and civil disobedience, blocking the troop trains and the like?

Congress is hopelessly compromised with this war.

We can march by the millions and nobody gives a shit.

Time to start shutting it down, I say.

[LeftHander]

35. If you drop it on civilians....does it matter....? nt