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WCMD
IOC: 2001
Total Production: 47,500
Total Program's Cost: USD$560 million
Production: 40,000
Unitary Cost: USD$14,000
Also Known As:
CBU-103, CBU-104, CBU-105, CBU-107, CBU-87, CBU-89, CBU-97
Origin:United States of America
Contractor/s:
Lockheed Martin
Description:
The Wind Corrected Munitions Dispenser (WCMD) is an expensive tail kit that turns existing unguided cluster munitions dispensers into all-weather precision guided weapons. It corrects for launch transients, ballistic errors, and winds aloft even released from high altitude or weather condition.
The WCMD contains an Inertial Measurement Unit, active control surfaces and advanced algorithms for trajectory correction. Each WCMD-modified CBU dispenser can be targeted independently. This weapon was used successfully for the first time during operation Enduring Freedom over Afghanistan in 2001.
The US Air Force plans to procure up to 40,000 WCMD tail kits for the CBU-87 Combined Effects Munitions (CEM), CBU-89 Gator and CBU-97 Sensor Fused Weapons (SFW) dispensers. CBU-97 refitted with the WCMD are designated the CBU-105. WCMD dispenser will be used by the F-15E, F-16, F-117, B-1B, B-2, B-52H, A-10 and F-35. In 2003, the weapon saw combat for the first time in Iraq dropped from the F-16 and B-52 aircraft.
In May 2005 (5-19-2005), Lockheed-Martin was awarded a $52.9 million contract to supply the US Air Force 1,655 WCMD tail kits and 100 WCMD-ER tail kits. This contract, that corresponds to WCMD production Lot 5, marked the production launch for the longer range WCMD-ER tail kit. WCMD and WCMD-ER dispensers were planned to be mated with Sensor Fuzed Weapons (SFWs) for reduced collateral damage. With Lot 5 production contract the US Air Force received or had on order around 28,000 WCMD tail kits along with 100 WCMD-ER kits.
Specifications
Performance: CEP 26 m (85 ft)
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Notes
(*) lead contractor
IOC: Initial Operating Capability
FOC: Full Operating Capability
CEP: Circular Error Probable
Comm: Commissioning Date
Meters (m) Kilometers (km) Nautic Miles (nm) Inch (in) Yard (yd) Foot (ft) Millimeter (mm)
Pound (lb) Kilogram (kg) kN (KiloNewton) Ton (t)
Meters per Second (mps) Kilometers per Hour (kph) Knot (kt) Miles per Hour (mph)
Liter (l) Galon (gl)
Year (yr) Minutes (min) Second (sec)
Shaft-Horse-Power (shp)
Last Updated: Sunday, August 24, 2008
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