I have seen many people post the issue of TS250 is a wrong name, but the developers do not acknowledge it.
Firstly, given that many people, including developers, are not familiar with Chinese guided bombs. I must talk about the development history of guided bombs in China in order to better explain why TS250 is the wrong name, and the correct name should be GB250 or GB3.
China's first generation guided bomb
The earliest guided bomb in China originated in the 1970s, when the United States launched the Paveway guided bombs on the Vietnam battlefield. So China also began to develop its own guided bomb.
The research and development task was entrusted to the “national team” in the field of aviation bombs -624 Factory (Harbin Jiancheng Machinery Factory, now a subsidiary of China Ordnance Industry Corporation, Harbin Jiancheng Group Co., Ltd.)
The project team for the development of laser guided bombs at 624 Factory began planning and argumentation in 1974, and in 1980, the technical status of the bombs was finally determined and the first batch of sample bombs were produced.
In order to facilitate the verification of product performance, Factory 624 found the nearest bomber unit to modify and mount this bomb.
H-5 responsible for testing tasks, photographed at Datushan Station in Zhengjiatun, Shuangliao.
But due to the tight military budget in the mid-1980s, the project was ultimately discontinued.
LT series guided bomb
Affected by the Gulf War, China has restarted the development of guided bombs.
In May 1992, the Aviation Industry 613 Institute began developing laser targeting pods for new laser guided bombs, and completed the functional demonstration of the prototype by the end of 1995.
After a year of preparation, the National Defense Science and Technology Commission officially approved the development of a new laser guided bomb weapon system. The development of the bomb was entrusted to the 612 Institute, while the production was still resumed by the 624 Factory.
The result of development is the LT series guided bomb. Launched by Aviation Industry Corporation of China, Ltd., abbreviated as AVIC
The design concept of the LT-2 is similar to that of the Paveway Ⅱ, while the technology adopted by the LT-3 laser guidance system belongs to the same technical level as the Paveway Ⅲ.
LS series guided bomb
The LS series guided bombs have been renamed from the LT series and have developed more models, including glider guided bombs and 1000kg level guided bombs.
LT-3 was renamed LS-6 and developed the LS-6 series.
However, it is still unknown what name LT-2 has been changed to.
As it uses the first generation guidance head, which is already outdated. Therefore, the recent Zhuhai Air Show no longer showcases LT-2, and instead uses the GB500 (GB1) with the second generation guidance head.
So I have doubts about the name of LS-500J in the game, as there are no pictures or materials to prove that LT-2 has been renamed to LS-500J, and even valid information about LS-500J cannot be found on the Chinese internet.
So I still prefer to call it LT-2, at least the name has clear photos and official information.
TG series guided bomb
TG is the abbreviation of TIANGE, the TG series is a new generation guided bomb series developed in China, launched by Harbin Jiancheng Group Co., Ltd.
The TG series also has two special models, TIANGANG500 GPS glide guided bomb, and TL500 glide guided cluster bomb.
The TG series was later renamed as the GB series guided bomb.
GB series guided bomb
The GB series guided bombs were renamed and developed from the TG series, covering 25 kg, 50 kg, 100 kg, 250 kg, 500 kg, and 1000 kg levels.
You may feel a bit confused, I have made a simple diagram to help you understand.
I must emphasize that the GB series guided bombs are not only used for export, but also standard equipment used by PLA.
In this official CCTV video at 21:10, some of the weapons used for jH7A are displayed, including the GB500(GB1).
At 05:55 in this CCTV official report video, PLA Air Force’s jH7A was mounted with a GB500 (GB1) for live fire attack training.
Also displayed at 02:15 in this video.
Regarding the difference between LT-2 (LS-500J in game) and GB500 (GB1), I have already made it clear that the GB series is the new generation of guided bombs.
There are four laser guidance modes developed for these guided bomb series.
①Namely the first generation laser beacon seeker.
②The second generation using gyroscope stabilization system and proportional guidance law.
③The third generation seeker with scanning, preset, and automatic tracking functions.
④And the fourth generation adding GPS/INS guidance on top of the third generation.
LT-2 (LS-500J in game) belongs to the first generation and is a relatively backward technology. And GB500 (GB1) belongs to the second generation. The guidance mode is also known as laser+IOG in the game. which is the same as guidance mode of Paveway III.
I think as long as there are no problems with the eyes and brain, it can be seen that they are using different guidance seekers, just like Paveway II and Paveway III. And wouldn’t think that GB500 (GB1) is an export version of LT-2(LS-500J in game).
Returning to the main topic, some GB series guided bombs have two names.
For example, the GB500 I mentioned above is also known as GB1, and I think it may be the difference between the export name and the name used by the PLA itself.
So now we can explain why TS250 is the wrong name. The name of TS250 has never been used, and because the TG series has been renamed to the GB series, the correct name is GB250 or GB3. Hope that Gaijin can correct it as soon as possible.
YJ/YL series guided bomb
Finally, I want to talk about the YJ/YL series guided bombs, which are quite special because many of them are cluster bombs.
This video shows many scenes of using the YJ/YL series guided bombs.【精准毁伤弹药中国航展登场-哔哩哔哩】 精准毁伤弹药中国航展登场_哔哩哔哩_bilibili
Alright, now we have basically finished talking about the current guided bomb series in China. If there is anything I have missed, please supplement in the comments section.
Finally, I hope Gaijin can acknowledge the issue of incorrect TS250 name and correct it, and add more GB series guided bombs, such as GB500 (GB1).