What is the point of the US Air Force's QuickSink bomb when anti-ship missiles already exist?
Short answerA bomb can destroy ships that do not justify an expensive missile, especially when stealth aircraft can approach targets with limited air defense.
NotesMerchant ships and lightly defended combatants may not justify an expensive anti-ship missile. Bombs remained useful against shipping in the Falklands War and against Iranian naval forces in the 1980s. Limited air defenses can make a bomb attack practical even when more sophisticated missiles are available. Internal carriage also lets stealth aircraft avoid carrying a large missile externally.