Boeing announced yesterday that it successfully tested a fuze for high-speed penetrator warheads in addition to a fuze well (i.e., area where fuze is installed) in July at Holloman AFB, N.M. During the test, these components were fitted in a bomb that penetrated reinforced concrete at supersonic speeds, the company said. “Hard and deeply buried targets have always been difficult to find and prosecute, but this new fuze design makes it possible because it stays intact as the bomb penetrates and detonates when and where it’s needed,” said Carl Avila, Boeing’s director of advanced weapons and missile systems. The fuze and well design resulted from data collected during a penetrator test conducted at Holloman in 2006. Steve Vukelich, Boeing’s director of special programs, said these components are “currently being considered for a number of advanced weapons.” Speaking of HDBTs, Boeing is also building the massive ordnance penetrator, a 30,000-pound bunker buster, for the Air Force. Last we heard, a flight test of the MOP from the B-52H was being planned for later this year or in 2009.
How Miss America 2024 Took the Air Force Somewhere New
Dec. 20, 2024
When 2nd Lt. Madison Marsh became the first ever active service member crowned Miss America on Jan. 14, top Air Force officials recognized a rare opportunity to reach women and girls who otherwise might not consider military service as an option.