US F-15E launches strange trick using laser bombs to hunt Iranian suicide UAVs

In the context of Israel facing a wave of UAVs and missiles from Iran, the US F-15E squadron tested LJDAM laser-guided bombs to shoot down UAVs.

Amid escalating Middle East conflicts, a squadron of US Air Force F-15E Strike Eagles boldly tested an unprecedented measure: using laser-guided bombs (LJDAMs) to shoot down an Iranian kamikaze drone, after the aircraft's missile arsenal was depleted.

The information was revealed at the Air, Space and Cybersecurity 2025 Conference, where Colonel Timothy “Diesel” Causey, commander of the 494th Squadron, and Major Benjamin “Irish” Coffey shared rare experiences from battles defending Israel against waves of Iranian UAVs and missiles.

494 Squadron, based at RAF Lakenheath (UK), was urgently deployed to the Middle East immediately after the unprecedented attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. The unit operated continuously for several months, contributing to the defense mission until May 2024.

The night of April 13, 2024 marked one of the fiercest battles, when Iran launched a massive barrage of long-range kamikaze drones, cruise missiles, and ballistic missiles at Israel. Many of these UAVs were copies of the Shahed-136, widely used by Russia in Ukraine, which is slow but difficult to detect.

In the heat of battle, the American F-15Es had almost no time to rest, constantly flying into the sky to hunt down UAVs and then hastily landing to resupply. However, there was a moment of suffocating tension: all AMRAAM and Sidewinder missiles were exhausted, forcing the pilots to consider an unusual plan, both reckless and risky.

The F-15Es don't just carry missiles, they also carry a 20mm Vulcan cannon and JDAM bombs. The JDAM bombs also have laser seekers, turning them into weapons that can lock onto moving targets, making them ideal for chasing low-flying UAVs.

Colonel Causey said the idea of ​​“bombing UAVs” came from the experience of the 1991 Gulf War, when an F-15E hit an Iraqi Mi-24 Hind helicopter with a Paveway laser-guided bomb just as it took off. That proved that in theory, this option was not impossible.

However, real-life testing is far different. Coffey personally piloted an F-15E using the Vulcan cannon to shoot down a UAV in a battle in April 2024, but failed. When switching to JDAM, the squadron must meticulously calculate the dive angle, the target speed, and especially the safety zone under the bomb's drop path.

During one mission, a pilot dropped a JDAM on a low-flying UAV. The bomb exploded, creating a huge cloud of smoke, making the crew think the target had been destroyed. However, from the smoke, the UAV suddenly reappeared – a scene Causey described as “exactly like Star Wars”.

Two more attempts were made with JDAM, but both were unsuccessful. The bombs either missed their targets or exploded at the wrong time. Concerned about the risk of accidental bomb landing in an area with civilians, the commander decided to stop all field testing.

Despite the failure, both Causey and Coffey say it’s still a tactic worth considering in the future, especially when faced with massive swarms of UAVs and when the main arsenal is depleted. Another reason is cost: a JDAM typically costs only $40,000 to $50,000, much cheaper than the AIM-120, which costs nearly $1 million, or the AIM-9X, which costs about $450,000.

Currently, the US Air Force has added other more effective solutions, such as the 70mm APKWS II laser-guided missile, allowing the F-15E to carry up to 42 in a single mission. However, the story of the “UAV hunting” laser bombs still leaves its mark, showing the level of creativity and desperation of US pilots in the face of the increasingly overwhelming UAV threat.

The War Zone See source link

Original post link Copy link

https://www.twz.com/air/f-15e-tried-to-shoot-down-iranian-drone-with-a-laser-guided-bomb-during-frantic-barrage-on-israel

Source: https://khoahocdoisong.vn/f-15e-my-tung-chieu-la-dung-bom-laser-san-uav-cam-tu-iran-post2149055768.html