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Wolf Pack F-16 drops the bomb

PACAF News

7/08/2003

By Capt. Krista Carlos 8th Fighter Wing Public Affairs

A new precision weapon capability was introduced to the 80th Fighter Squadron today when an F-16C dropped two joint direct attack munitions over Chik-Do Island, Republic of Korea.

Lieutenant Col. Eric Schnitzer, 80th FS commander, made history by becoming the first active-duty pilot to drop JDAMs from a block 30 F-16C.

"JDAMs are standard bombs with a guidance kit attached," said Colonel Schnitzer. "They have inertial navigation systems and GPS receivers that tell the bomb its exact position and that of the target."

"They also give us all-weather, near precision capability to kill fixed targets day or night," said Col. Kurt Neubauer, 8th Operations Group Commander. "Inertially-guided munitions like JDAM provide greater flexibility and lethality to the air component commander."

Although JDAM is a new capability to the 80th FS, it is not a completely new system for the Wolf Pack.

"Here at Kunsan, we have two different types of F-16s," said Colonel Schnitzer. "The Pantons [35th Fighter Squadron] have the block 40s, and last year they got the capability. We just got the capability for active-duty block 30s"

"The flight went very well today," said Colonel Schnitzer. "All systems worked great, and we hit the spot on the target."

The introduction of JDAM to the 80th FS will double the squadron's precision capability as well as increase the 8th Fighter Wing's by 25 percent, said Colonel Schnitzer.

"Now we don't have to plan for different weather back ups," he said. "Both squadrons will have the same capability to take the fight north." (Courtesy of Pacific Air Forces News Service)