Reach Glide Bomb Debuts at Asian Aerospace

Singapore -- On show here for the first time is the Reach glide bomb, the result of a 10-year collaboration between Singapore Technologies and Leigh Aerospace of the US. Reach is a standard wing and guidance package which can be attached to any unitary bomb or dispenser and is compatible with almost any combat aircraft.

The Reach system attaches to the existing bomb carriage lugs and comprises a folding wing, with inboard elevons, a GPS guidance unit and a power supply. The elevons provide all flight control, so there are no moving tail surfaces. The target location is transferred from the aircraft to the weapon by a low-power radio link, using one of the existing antennas on the aircraft. This makes Reach compatible with older or non-US aircraft which do not have a MIL-1760A data interface in the pylon.

Another feature of the Reach system is that the sweep angle is variable. After release, typically at high speed, the wings swing into a swept position and the elevons pitch the bomb upward, converting speed into altitude. Then, the wings swing forward to zero sweep for maximum lift-to-drag ratio and the longest possible glide.

Demonstrating the ease of integrating Reach into any aircraft, ST and Leigh used a U.S.-owned, civil-registered Saab Draken when they tested the weapon at the US Army test range in Yuma, Arizona.