美国的七件“国防神器”

高级精确杀伤武器

    我们已经进入数码时代了，为什么还要展出这么多２.７５英寸的非制导空地火箭弹模型呢？BAE公司推出的高级精确杀伤武器系统（即上图最后侧的那枚较小的火箭弹）让以前非智能的炸弹摇身一变，变成了为２１世纪战争所准备的精确激光制导炸弹。

    高级精确杀伤武器系统（简称APKWS）的好处在于它不需要对使用该弹药的飞机的硬件进行升级。这种火箭弹在美军各单位中非常普遍，它可以从AH-10或MH-60“黑鹰”武装直升机上发射，也可以从A-10“雷电”攻击机或鹞式战斗机上发射。美国国防部的仓库里有成千上万这种传统的非制导炸弹（这种炸弹也叫Hydra 70，它基本上就是朝鲜战争和越战中用到的MK40火箭弹的现代化改款）。不过在现代战场上，这种非制导炸弹可不仅仅是一件古董，它很可能会对战斗地点附近的友军和非战斗人员造成危险。

    军事技术公司BAE就此给出了它的解决方案：给军火库中积压的现有火箭弹安装一个激光制导模块。这个模块安装在火箭弹的马达与弹头之间。作战时，其打击目标可由地面的前线人员制导，也可以由执行打击任务的战机自身或该空域的其他飞机制导（这种方式叫做“配合发射”。BAE把这项小项术与一种久经战火考验的弹药结合在一起，为如何把现有传统武器改造成能精确制导的智能武器点明了方向。这不仅能使国防部门从已经投资的经费中获得最大效果，同时也意味着击中一个给定目标所需要的弹药消耗少了。另外它每发射一次的成本只有2.8万美元，所以它的意义是非同寻常的。

Advanced Precision Kill Weapon

    What's a digital age fighting force to do with storehouses full of 2.75-inch unguided, analog air to ground rockets? BAE's Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System (it's the smaller projectile on the far right in the image above) turns formerly dumb munitions into precision laser-guided rockets ready for 21st-century warfare.

    The beauty of the APKWS is that it requires no hardware upgrade to the aircraft that use it. These particular rockets are fairly universal among American military branches and can be fired from workhorse helicopter platforms like the AH-10 or MH-60 Black Hawk as well as fixed-wing aircraft like the A-10 Warthog or the Harrier "jump jet." The Department of Defense has thousands upon thousands of these conventional, unguided rockets laying around (known as Hydra 70s, they are basically modern variants of the Mk 40 rocket used in the Korean and Vietnam wars). But on a modern battlefield, such unguided rockets are not only somewhat antique -- they're potentially dangerous for close-in friendly ground troops as well as any non-combatants in the area of operations.

    Defense technology firm BAE's solution: a laser guidance module that can be retrofitted onto existing rockets already in the arsenal. Tucked between the rocket motor and the small warhead in the nose of the rocket, the guidance system can detect targets "painted" with a laser by forward operators on the ground, the attacking aircraft itself, or other aircraft in the area (that's known as a "buddy lase"). By embedding this small technology package on a proven, battle-tested armament, BAE has figured out how to turn existing stores of dumb weapons into precision, guided smart weapons. That not only allows the armed services to get the most out of money already invested, but it means fewer rockets have to be fired to take out a given target. At just under $28,000 a shot, that makes a real difference.