Relay Unit RE-22/ARW-9 of AN/ARW-10A Airborne Remote Control Bomb Release System BOXED

The AN/ARW-10A Airborne Remote Control Bomb Release System was developed during WWII but did not see active use until the Korean War. The system was designed to release bombs simultaneously from all planes in a formation, usually twelve, by a single bombardier in the lead aircraft. Three pages in the photo gallery explain the system in greater detail. During WWII, bombardiers often released their bombs manually upon observing the drop of the lead aircraft. The Airborne Remote Control Bomb Release System used radio signals between aircraft to remove the delay associated with observation and manual effort. This was intended for use in bombing targets requiring concentrated bombing patterns, such as rail yards and factories.  This reduced the effective bomb concentration diameter from 5,000 ft to 1,000 ft. Tests showed that bombs released by this equipment drop within one-half second of each other. The utility of the system was increased by using radar bombing equipment in the lead aircra