8 August 2016, 17:21 GMT
WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — An F/A-18 Super Hornet jet, carrying two MK-82 bombs, successfully tested the new bomb technology by hitting the targets at the Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division in China Lake, California.
"Dual Mode Plus benefits from the reliability and affordability of the Paveway™ II Plus Laser Guided Bomb [LGB] system," Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control, Precision Guided Systems Director Joe Serra stated in the release.
Serra noted that the new technology benefits from integrating the Global Positioning System and Inertial Guidance System all-weather moving target capability.
The laser-guided 500-pound bombs are effective against fixed, relocatable and moving targets at extended standoff ranges, according to Lockheed Martin.
The United States developed the MK-80 class of bombs during the Vietnam War. The bombs are considered some of the most lethal conventional weapons in the US inventory.
