The SMKB (Smart-MK-Bomb) is a guidance kit that turns a standard
Mk 82
The Mark 82 (Mk 82) is an unguided, low-drag general-purpose bomb, part of the United States Mark 80 series. The explosive filling is usually tritonal, though other compositions have sometimes been used.
Development and deployment
Wi ...
(500 lbs) and
Mk 83 (1.000 lbs) into a
Precision-guided weapon
A precision-guided munition (PGM, smart weapon, smart munition, smart bomb) is a guided munition intended to precisely hit a specific target, to minimize collateral damage and increase lethality against intended targets. During the First Gu ...
, respectively called SMKB-82 and SMKB-83. The kit provides extended range up to and are guided by an integrated
inertial guidance system
An inertial navigation system (INS) is a navigation device that uses motion sensors ( accelerometers), rotation sensors (gyroscopes) and a computer to continuously calculate by dead reckoning the position, the orientation, and the velocity (d ...
coupled to three satellites networks, relying on wireless to handle the flow of data between the aircraft and the munition.
Development
In April 2009,
AEQ and
Mectron
SIATT is a Brazilian company headquartered in São José dos Campos, São Paulo. It is a company focused on high-tech market, especially for the defense industry.
The company was founded on 2015 as Mectron through an association of engineers from ...
, defense division of
Odebrecht Organisation
Odebrecht S.A. (), officially known as Novonor, is a Brazilian conglomerate, headquartered in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil, consisting of diversified businesses in the fields of engineering, construction, chemicals and petrochemicals. The company ...
, displayed at LAAD 2009 the first mock-up of a Brazilian precision guided weapons kit. Development of the SMKB was officially started in November 2009, and included a partnership with the
Brazilian Air Force
"Wings that protect the country"
, colours =
, colours_label =
, march = Hino dos Aviadores
, mascot =
, anniversaries = 22 May (anniver ...
, through the "General Command of Aerospatial Technology" (Comando-Geral de Tecnologia Aeroespacial, CTA).
[
In the early stages of development, it was tested with GPS as the only ]satellite navigation
A satellite navigation or satnav system is a system that uses satellites to provide autonomous geo-spatial positioning. It allows satellite navigation devices to determine their location ( longitude, latitude, and altitude/ elevation) to hi ...
network, however it is known that the U.S. (and other nations) have methods and devices to interfere with the satellite signal ( jamming), thereby degrading weapon accuracy. In order to improve the resilience against jamming, it was decided to create a guide system, capable of operating with three satellite navigation networks: GPS
The Global Positioning System (GPS), originally Navstar GPS, is a satellite-based radionavigation system owned by the United States government and operated by the United States Space Force. It is one of the global navigation satellite sy ...
( USA), Galileo (European Union
The European Union (EU) is a supranational political and economic union of member states that are located primarily in Europe. The union has a total area of and an estimated total population of about 447million. The EU has often been ...
) and GLONASS
GLONASS (russian: ГЛОНАСС, label=none, ; rus, links=no, Глобальная навигационная спутниковая система, r=Global'naya Navigatsionnaya Sputnikovaya Sistema, t=Global Navigation Satellite System) is ...
(Russia
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eigh ...
). The software coupled to the SMKB reads simultaneously and individually the three systems and assesses the positioning based on a verification algorithm, which provides greater reliability, because the data are crossed to allow correct positioning. In addition, the company has developed anti-jamming capability with encrypted software which provides complete system integrity, also enhanced by the use of a highly directive radiation pattern
In the field of antenna design the term radiation pattern (or antenna pattern or far-field pattern) refers to the ''directional'' (angular) dependence of the strength of the radio waves from the antenna or other source.Constantine A. Balanis: � ...
.[
Super Tucano aircraft were used during a 2 weeks long trials at which the first in-flight launch of the weapon took place in December 2010 at Natal Air Force Base.][ The SMKB-82 was cleared for use with the AMX, F-5, Kfir and Super Tucano by December 2012. Qualification test for SMKB-83 are scheduled to commence in 2013][
]
Variants
*SMKB-82 - Kit for Mk-82
*SMKB-83 - Kit for Mk-83
See also
* FPG-82
;Similar Weapons
* Joint Direct Attack Munition
The Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) is a guidance kit that converts unguided bombs, or "dumb bombs", into all-weather precision-guided munitions. JDAM-equipped bombs are guided by an integrated inertial guidance system coupled to a Global ...
* AASM
* Paveway IV
Paveway IV is a dual mode GPS/INS and laser-guided bomb manufactured by Raytheon UK (formerly Raytheon Systems Limited). It is the latest iteration of the Paveway series.
The weapon is a guidance kit based on the existing Enhanced Paveway II Enh ...
* HGK
* Spice
A spice is a seed, fruit, root, bark, or other plant substance primarily used for flavoring or coloring food. Spices are distinguished from herbs, which are the leaves, flowers, or stems of plants used for flavoring or as a garnish. Spices a ...
* Umbani
* LT PGB
References
External links
Mectron: Smart WeaponsAEQ: SMKB-82 - Wireless Systems (official brochure)
{{Use dmy dates, date=June 2017
Aerial bombs of Brazil
Guided missiles of Brazil
Guided bombs