"The Dawn of Precision Strike: The Origins of Guided Weapons in World War II"
by Richard Dunn
March 18, 2026
The Shift Toward Precision Warfare
"Precision strike is often viewed as a modern development, but its foundations were laid during the Second World War. Faced with the limitations of conventional bombing—particularly against maneuvering warships—military planners and engineers developed guided weapons that could be controlled after release. These early systems, though imperfect, demonstrated capabilities that would not be fully realized for decades. How amazing. You don’t have to burn down an entire city to cripple an enemy’s command, control and communications or disrupt industrial operations. Underground facilities and weapons stores can be hit with remotely controlled weapons. A nation’s navy can be disabled without risking aircrews confronting antiaircraft defenses."
The Hs 293 and the Birth of Guided Bombs
The idea behind a remotely controlled air-launched bomb began prior to World War two not in a government laboratory or with a military specification but at a private company. Interestingly, today many innovations with military as well as civil applications begin as private ventures. After the war began the idea gained German Air Force (Luftwaffe) support. The first successful test flight of the Hs 293 “glider bomb” took place in December 1940. . . Hs 293 was 12 feet long with a ten foot wingspan. Its warhead was about 650 pounds. Its rocket engine fired for about ten seconds driving it to a speed in excess of 500 m.p.h. before it entered its unpowered glide mode. The observer in the launching aircraft guided it with radio control via a joystick and a Lofte telescopic bomb sight.
https://rldunn.com/the-dawn-of-precision-strike/