Paul Lewis/WASHINGTON DC
The US Air Force is seeking industry participation in the development and demonstration of an anti-chemical and biological agent warhead to fit to a range of guided air-to-surface munitions.
According to the USAF Research Laboratory's Munitions Directorate, the Gulf War against Iraq highlighted the need for a dedicated weapon with the ability to destroy chemical and biological development, and manufacturing and storage facilities. The use of conventional weapons creates the danger of inadvertently releasing chemical or biological agents into the atmosphere.
The proposed Agent Defeat Warhead (ADW) is intended to neutralise such agents without any dispersal taking place. Various options are being studied, including the thermal effects from high-temperature incendiary, low-blast fragmenting warheads and neutralising chemicals.
"We're attempting to prove a concept and want some assistance from industry," says the Eglin-based Munitions Directorate's Ordnance division. "If it has some promise, the air force will take it from us and give it to one of the programme offices."
The USAF wants the ADW to be interchangeable with its 900kg (2,000lb) BLU-109 penetrating warhead, used against hardened targets. It would have to be compatible with the Boeing GBU-24 and -27, the AGM-130 and the GBU-31 joint direct attack munition. The service says that there are no plans to fit an ADW to Lockheed Martin's 454kg joint air-to-surface stand-off missile.
The selected industry partner will be required to conduct a 42-month demonstration in two phases. The winner's task will be to demonstrate effectiveness against soft and hardened targets, to destroy the chemical and biological agents inside and to limit the risk of collateral damage.
Potential participants have been given until the end of April to respond.
Australia has already signalled its interest in a chemical and biological burning type warhead to fit to a 185km (100nm)-range stand-off weapon to be carried by its Boeing F/A-18 or General Dynamics F-111 strike aircraft.
Source: Flight International
