] Approved just two months ago, the program represents a
] significant departure from the traditional method of
] drawing a simple circle around a target to show a bomb's
] estimated blast effect and determine what civilians might
] be at risk nearby, Air Force officials said.
]
] Instead, Bugsplat generates blob-like images --
] resembling squashed insects -- that military officials
] say more precisely models potential damage by a
] particular type and size of bomb dropped by a particular
] aircraft flying at a given altitude. This enables
] commanders to fine-tune attacks and, in some instances,
] can embolden them to order bigger bombs than they would
] have employed relying on less sophisticated modeling
] methods, the officials said.