Hegseth says that the strike was “in international waters just off of the coast of Venezuela”.
US Southern Command coincidentally uploaded a video today showing the armament of US Marine F-35B aircraft, with 500lb GBU-54 laser guided JDAMs (able to hit moving surface targets like speedboats) and AIM-120C-7 and/or AIM-120D AMRAAM active radar guided air to air missiles (both pictured) along with AIM-9X-2 Sidewinder infrared guided air to air missiles on external stealthy pylons. So the aircraft were operating in a stealth configuration despite the presence of external stores.
According to the text in the video “only” 192lbs of the bomb is PBXN-109 explosive filler. The rest is the casing and so forth. It’s probably the cheapest bomb for hitting moving targets. There are no JDAMs, yet alone laser guided ones, below 500lbs, the 250lb JDAM got cancelled. The 250lb bombs are from the SDB glide bomb series and are significantly more expensive. F-35s can’t carry AGM-65 Maverick missiles either, and some variants of those have a 300lb warhead. Drones can carry AGM-114 Hellfire missiles, but carrying out a strike right next to Venezuela with one would be risky for the US, plus Hellfires are also more expensive.
Just look at the video of the strike. There’s shrapnel all over the water. Don’t think there are any humane concerns here.
Hegseth says that the strike was “in international waters just off of the coast of Venezuela”.
US Southern Command coincidentally uploaded a video today showing the armament of US Marine F-35B aircraft, with 500lb GBU-54 laser guided JDAMs (able to hit moving surface targets like speedboats) and AIM-120C-7 and/or AIM-120D AMRAAM active radar guided air to air missiles (both pictured) along with AIM-9X-2 Sidewinder infrared guided air to air missiles on external stealthy pylons. So the aircraft were operating in a stealth configuration despite the presence of external stores.
god what fucking overkill. unless the boat’s a military vessel there is no way this is a proportional amount of ordnance to use on it.
According to the text in the video “only” 192lbs of the bomb is PBXN-109 explosive filler. The rest is the casing and so forth. It’s probably the cheapest bomb for hitting moving targets. There are no JDAMs, yet alone laser guided ones, below 500lbs, the 250lb JDAM got cancelled. The 250lb bombs are from the SDB glide bomb series and are significantly more expensive. F-35s can’t carry AGM-65 Maverick missiles either, and some variants of those have a 300lb warhead. Drones can carry AGM-114 Hellfire missiles, but carrying out a strike right next to Venezuela with one would be risky for the US, plus Hellfires are also more expensive.
Just look at the video of the strike. There’s shrapnel all over the water. Don’t think there are any humane concerns here.