Odd Super Tucano weapon

[cluttonfred]

I stumbled on this image on the Embraer site (https://defense.embraer.com/global/en/super-tucano). What is the pod with little blue bombs that appear to launch forward through holes at the front? Just an artist's invention or does it represent an actual weapon?

 

[Machdiamond]

It is the SUU-20 practice bomb dispenser and rocket launcher.

 

[cluttonfred]

Thanks for that, I suspected that those were practice bombs from the color but I couldn't figure out why they needed launch tubes. I wonder...is anyone making a smart munition interchangeable with the 25 lb practice bomb? Six 25 lb smart bombs launched from altitude and four guided 2.75 in rockets under each wing would actually be quite a handy loadout for some applications.

 

[TomS]

The practice bomb is really dense -- basically a solid steel shape with a hole for a marker charge. But there are a bunch of small guided bombs around 5-7kg that ought to work.

You would probably have to smarten up the dispenser with a databus. And likely lighten it up a bit too. Right now it weighs about as much empty as the munitions it can carry.