Quicksink munitions use existing guidance kits with a new open architecture seeker to take out naval targets.

Earlier in September, a B-2 Spirit stealth bomber struck a mock target in the Norwegian Sea with a Quicksink munition. Four Norwegian F-35A Lighting IIs provided fighter jet support, a P-8 Poseidon conducted surveillance, and a KC-135 Stratotanker refueled the strike package.  

The strategic bomber released a modified Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) Quicksink munition against a mock target in Andøya in Nordland. The test was successful, with the Quicksink munition sinking its target.   

“Allies train, practice and operate regularly in Norway to be ready to operate in all seasons, in the event of major crises or war. This contributes to increased collective security and deterrence of future attacks against Norway and the Nordic region. NATO is a defensive alliance, but at the same time the alliance is always ready to react if we are challenged,” Vice Admiral Rune Anderssen, chief of the Norwegian Armed Forces Operational Headquarters, said in a press statement. 

In foreign policy and defense, nothing happens without reason. The third demonstration of the Quicksink munition (and first in Europe) was very likely a message to Russia, showcasing the US military’s and NATO’s advanced maritime strike capabilities.  

“The close defense cooperation with the United States has been important to Norway for more than 75 years. The United States is the leading country in NATO and the largest contributor to the alliance. Further development of the bilateral cooperation is of mutual interest,” Anderssen added.

Norway is a stalwart US ally and a founding member of NATO. Its proximity to Russia (and its northern submarine fleet) makes Norway a strategic ally.  

“We are building readiness on both sides of the Atlantic and creating options that make maritime strike more distributed, survivable and integrated,” Air Force lieutenant colonel Stephen Bressett, the commanding officer of the 72nd Test and Evaluation Squadron, said in an Air Force press release. “We anticipate, adapt and respond to what our senior leaders need at a speed that’s relevant to the strategic environment we’re in – that’s what the 53rd Wing does best!”   

Quicksink Mission  

Developed as a way to counter China’s growing naval fleet, Quicksink munitions use existing guidance kits with a new Weapon Open Systems Architecture (WOSA) seeker to create a Quicksink munition that can take out naval targets.  

The test in Norway highlighted the Quicksink munition’s versatility.  

“The test also advanced the development of both large and small variants of the precision strike system under evaluation, expanding operational options for commanders in maritime-focused operations. Together, the team validated prototype performance and refined operational concepts in a real-world setting, strengthening the Air Force’s ability to deliver agile and resilient combat power,” the 53rd Wing stated. 

Perhaps one of the best aspects of the Quicksink program is that WOSA seekers can be attached to a wide variety of existing and future munitions, thus giving several and diverse strike options to military commanders. Depending on the requirements of the mission, a munition can be used for its intended goal or quickly be modified as a Quicksink munition. Moreover, an increasingly wide range of aircraft can take Quicksink munitions, including the F-15EX Eagle II fighter jet, in addition to the B-2 Spirit.