Comment on Oop
ProfessorProteus@lemmy.world 2 days ago
Jokes aside, would this pose a threat other than the physical impact? I don’t know many specifics about aircraft and their ordnance, but would this missile be armed just before launch, or once it clears a safe minimum distance, as with RPGs?
Zwiebel@feddit.org 2 days ago
The pilot has to flip a big “master arm” switch to make any of the weapons work. For this kind of bomb (jdam) you also have to go into the bombs configuration menu and enable the fuze(s). Then select an air-to ground mode. Now it depends on the mode, but generally even in “manual mode” you have to tell the computer in some fashion where on the ground you want the bomb, and then hold the bomb release button, intil the computer drops the bomb at a calculated position and attitude to make it hit.
The only way to accidentilly drop it would be with one of the two jettison buttons, but then the bomb won’t be armed.
ProfessorProteus@lemmy.world 2 days ago
Thanks for the info! I’m aware of JDAM from following the invasion of Ukraine, but I wasn’t aware of the whole arming process.
Now, I may be underestimating my ignorance, but that doesn’t look like JDAM to me. Seems a bit small. Also, the fact that the pilot suddenly looks toward the wing tells me that he was expecting it to shoot out in front, and only felt the mechanical release (or do they use small explosive bolts? I’m more versed in spaceflight so that’s my only other guess 😅) and saw no visual confirmation that it fired.
Zwiebel@feddit.org 1 day ago
Oh he didnt expect it to shoot out front, these bombs don’t have rocket engines. They just drop down and steer a bit while falling.