PANAMA CITY, Fla. – Since WWII, the tactics needed to pave the way through from any surf zone (water depth up to 10 feet) to the shore to conduct a military operation have only grown in complexity, specialization, collaboration, and importance. One of today’s major mine countermeasures (MCM) capabilities used to successfully breach mines and obstacles within that littoral (coastal) battlespace prior to an amphibious assault is the Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) Assault Breaching System (ABS) or JABS.
This system is a combination of 2,000-lb guided bombs (MK 84 or BLU-117 JDAM) paired with Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama City Division’s (NSWC PCD) lethality database and mission planning software in MINEnet Tactical to ultimately help the Warfighter neutralize identified targets based on mission objectives. JABS has also been a collaborative effort between NSWC PCD, NSWC Indian Head Division, Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., and support contractors from Innovative Professional Solutions, Inc.