GB500 (570 kg)

From War Thunder Wiki
(Redirected from LS-500J (570 kg))
Jump to: navigation, search

Description

The GB-500J, previously LS-500J, aka TG500 (天戈 TianGe 500; lit. Heavenly dagger-axe; where dagger-axe 戈 was a traditional Chinese melee weapon) in NORINCO's catalogue, is one of the guided aerial bombs in PLAAF/PLANAF and the first LGB developed by Asian countries in the 1980s. The project for domestic LGB was started way back in the 1980s and was tested by H-5 (IL-28 (Family)) with ground guidance units controlled by PLAGF; the bomb was later used by the experimental Q-5E/F series and later by PLAAF domestic jets after the 2000s guided by onboard targeting pods.

Vehicles equipped with this weapon

General info

Bomb characteristics
Mass 570 kg
Guidance Laser
Explosive mass 220 kg
Explosive type TNT

Effective damage

With 220 kg of TNT filled inside the bomb, the GB-500J can sometimes destroy multiple targets packed within a certain radius with overpressure, explosive and shrapnel damage.

Comparison with analogues

  • GBU-16 Paveway II - NATO 1000 lbs (~500 kg) class LGB with higher explosive content
  • KAB-500L - Warsaw-Pact/CIS 500 kg LGB with much higher explosive content

Usage in battles

Although it has lesser explosive content than its Western counterparts while being heavier (the heaviest along all 500 kg/1000 lbs class LGBs), the sheer size can still make sure grouped targets will face their end quickly if the bomb lands between them within a certain radius, let alone single target. Be sure to pick the target wisely - it's better to leave the bomb for targets in their stronghold or covers, or those racing for friendly capture points; leave the SPAAs or IFVs for the 130/90 mm rocket pods instead.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • The earliest accessible LGB to players (as low as 9.7)
  • Sufficient explosive content to take out multiple targets at a certain radius

Cons:

  • Lesser explosive content than NATO/Warsaw-Pact equivalents
  • The heaviest 500 kg-class LGB, requires well-planned drops (at high altitude/using CCRP)

History

After seeing the potential of guided bombs during the Vietnam War and the demand for military modernization, PLAAF called for domestic guided bombs by the late 1970s; there were earlier tests with domestic LGB with a testbed based on H-5 in 1983 and ground targeting tests were done by 1984, but the lack of dedicated airborne platform still hindered the progress of LGBs. By the time Q-5 had undergone modernizations in the 1990s, a Q-5 was modified into the E variant with a revised bomb pylon for LGB while another one as the F variant for carrying targeting pod; although the test was successful, it was Q-5L and Q-5N that eventually become the first PLAAF jet to carry domestic LGB.

By 2012, the LS-500J (TG500) was sold by NORINCO Harbin Jiancheng Machinery Group Co. Ltd (中国兵器工业集团 哈尔滨建成集团有限公司) under the name TianGe (天戈) alongside with its 250 kg and 1000 kg variants; thanks to its lesser weight and smaller size, most PLAAF jets, especially domestic multirole fighters in the 21st century can carry the bomb while maintaining flexibility to self-defence.

Media

Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.

See also

Chinese LGBs
  • GB250 (TG250/TS250) - 250 kg class LGB
  • GB-1000J (LS-500J) - 1,000 kg class LGB

Overseas equivalents

External links

Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:

  • topic on the official game forum;
  • other literature.


Guided bombs
USA 
1,092 lb  GBU-16 Paveway II
505 kg  AGM-62A Walleye I
510 kg  AGM-62A Walleye I ER
2,000 lb  GBU-8 · GBU-15(V)1/B
957 kg  GBU-10 Paveway II
Germany 
1,400 kg  PC 1400 X (Fritz X)
USSR 
500 kg  KAB-500Kr · KAB-500Kr-E · KAB-500L
Britain 
277 kg  GBU-12 Paveway II
546 kg  Mk.13
2,000 lb  GBU-24 Paveway III
China 
250 kg  GB250
500 kg  GB-500J
1,000 kg  GB-1000J
France 
400 kg  BGL-400
970 kg  BGL-1000
See also  List of unguided bombs · List of retarded bombs