BOLT-117

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The Texas Instruments BOLT-117 (BOmb, Laser Terminal-117), also known as the GBU-1/B^[1] was the world's first laser guided bomb (LGB). It consisted of a standard M117 750-pound bomb case with a KMU-342 laser guidance and control kit. It was commissioned by the United States Air Force in 1967 and successfully completed a combat evaluation in 1968. Only a limited number of BOLT-117 bombs were produced before it was discontinued in favour of a more powerful LGB, the 2,000-pound GBU-10. The larger bomb had proven twice as accurate and had far more explosive power.

The impact of the BOLT-117 on airpower was revolutionary. Laser guidance kits turned standard "dumb" ordnance into "smart bombs," yielding a 100-fold increase in effectiveness compared with free-falling, unguided bombs.

[edit] References

[edit] See also

• Precision-guided munition

[edit] External links

• BOLT-117 (BOmb, Laser Terminal-117) - Global Security

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