Suspended armaments
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.
| Bomb characteristics | |
|---|---|
| Mass | 570 kg |
| Guidance | Laser |
| Explosive mass | 220 kg |
| Explosive type | TNT |
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.
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.
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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.
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Overseas equivalents
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