GBU-44 Viper Strike: Death From Above
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The Viper Strike began life as the BAT – a canceled munition option for ground-fired ATACMS missiles. After USAF Predator UAVs armed with Hellfire missiles began to show promise in the Global War on Terror, however, US Army planners began to examine their options. Could they place a similar capability in the hands of Army ground commanders? In July 2002, these examinations led to the award of a 90-day contract to demonstrate the possibility of BAT deployment on a modified U.S. Army RQ-5 Hunter UAV.
Those tests went well, and Viper Strikes are currently carried by RQ-5B Hunter UAVs in Iraq – see this video of a Viper Strike in testing [MPG, 13.2 MB]. The weapon’s small size (3 feet long, 44 pounds) and special advantages in urban fights, mountainous terrain, etc. give it a chance of spreading to other platforms. Special Operations Command has shown interest, but without front-line deployment, progress has been very slow.
Is the Viper Strike a case of “the right weapon at the right time”? Or a case of “caught betwixt and between”? A recent announcement may offer some hope for this innovative weapon…
- Viper Strike: The Weapon
- SOCOM’s Solution: Viper Strikes for AC-130s?
- Contracts & Key Events
- Additional Readings
Subscribe here, and keep on top what’s new and developing with the tiny but smart GBU-44 Viper Strike glide bomb. Our cross-linked article network and reference materials include:
- Viper Strikes history, design, and characteristics
- The weapons' potential with special operations forces
- Contracts executed and key events within program
- Pictures showing the Viper Strike concept, and use
- Related DID articles like "Mortars from Aircraft? The Shadow Knows..."
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