US Air Force tests low-cost method to defeat surface vessels from the air
A B-2 Spirit stealth bomber sunk a roll-on roll-off vessel in the Gulf of Mexico. (Photo: US Air Force)
The demonstration was conducted under the QUICKSINK programme in partnership with the US Navy.
The US Air Force (USAF) announced a successful demonstration of a low-cost, air-delivered method for defeating surface vessels from the air on 8 August. The test in the Gulf of Mexico near Eglin Air Force Base was an outcome of a partnership with the US Navy.
In the trial, a B-2 Spirit stealth bomber hit the former roll-on roll-off vessel MV MONARCH COUNTESS. Conducted during the RIMPAC 2024 SINKEX exercise, the test was part of the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) Munitions Directorate’s QUICKSINK programme.
QUICKSINK is a Joint Capability Technology Demonstration (JCTD) effort intended to provide an air-delivered, vessel
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