Wind Corrected Munitions Dispenser
| Wind Corrected Munitions Dispenser (WCMD) | |
|---|---|
| Type | Bomb guidance kit |
| Place of origin | United States of America |
| Service history | |
| Used by | See Users |
| Production history | |
| Variants | See Variants |
| Specifications | |
Guidance system | Inertial guidance/GPS |
The Wind Corrected Munitions Dispenser or WCMD system is a US tail kit produced by Lockheed Martin for use with the Tactical Munitions Dispenser family of cluster bombs to convert them to precision-guided munitions. In 1997 the United States Air Force issued contracts to complete development and begin production of the WCMD, planning to modify 40,000 tactical munitions dispensers - 30,000 for CEM and 5,000 each for Gator and SFW - at a cost of US$8,937 per unit.[1]
When fitted with the WCMD the CBU-87 Combined Effects Munition, GBU-89 GATOR and the CBU-97 Sensor Fuzed Weapon are respectively known as the CBU-103, CBU-104 and the CBU-105; the latter anti-armor weapon was deployed but not used during Operation Allied Force in the Kosovo War, and fired in combat during the 2003 invasion of Iraq.
Variants
[edit]WCMD
[edit]- Guidance: INS updated with GPS data from launch platform before release.[2]
- Range: 16–20 km (9.9–12.4 mi).
- Accuracy: 26 m (85 ft) CEP.
WCMD-ER
[edit]- Guidance: INS combined with integral GPS.
- Range: Wing kit extends range to 40–65 km (30–40 miles).
- Accuracy: 26 m (85 ft) CEP.
The WCMD-ER program was cancelled in August 2006 due to poor test results and budgetary pressures.[3]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ Pike, John. "Wind Corrected Munition Dispenser (WCMD) - Smart Weapons". www.globalsecurity.org.
- ^ "Lockheed Martin WCMD (Wind Corrected Munitions Dispenser) - Designation Systems".
- ^ "USAF terminates WCMD-ER contract".