Supersonic JDAM drop marks increase in Raptor capability

Posted on: Jul. 26th, 2005 || Source: af.mil | E-mail Article | Print Article

EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. (AFPN) -- As the midafternoon sun blazed on the Mojave Desert and thunderclouds loomed in the distance, a sleek dark gray war bird took to the sky to push the envelope of flight testing.

At the controls, Maj. John Teichert, a 411th Flight Test Squadron test pilot, pushed the F/A-22 Raptor past Mach 1, opened the weapons bay and released a guided bomb unit-32 1,000-pound joint direct attack munition, marking the first time a Raptor has dropped a JDAM at supersonic speed.

"Qualifying the Raptor to release GPS-guided bombs at supersonic speeds is a significant milestone for the program," Major Teichert said. "Releasing a bomb under such conditions provides a notable increase in Raptor tactical capabilities."

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