us aircraft bombs

Aircraft Bombs in Afghanistan

5. US Aircraft Bombs

1. US / Coalition Guided Bombs

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GBUs Guided Bomb Units

• US Guided Bombs normally have 1 of the three guidance systems:

• Laser Guidance

• Television (TV) Guidance

• GPS (Global Positioning System) satellite guidance (Termed JDAMs –Joint Direct Attack Munitions)

GBUs Guided Bomb Units 2

• Whichever guidance system is selected it will be attached as a nose and tail unit, or a tail unit only (if a JDAM) to a standard GPLD (General Purpose Low Drag) or Penetrator bomb body

• The bomb will be fitted with the same type of electronic impact/ inertia impact fuze as would be fitted to an unguided bomb (but not with the earlier type of mechanical vane armed fuzes)

Laser Guided Bomb Units

• With Laser Guided bombs, the Guidance unit is in an attachment which screws onto the front of the bomb body,

• This unit has a glass dome in the front and four moveable fins to steer the bomb as it glides towards the target.

Laser Guided Bomb Units - 2

• The tail unit has 4 large spring out fins (sometimes called wings) which give the bomb a certain amount of aerodynamic “lift” and enable it to glide to the target.

• The Guidance unit detects the Laser beam which is projected onto the target by either the aircraft drooping the bomb, a separate aircraft tasked as target marker, or a ground laser “designator” used by ground forces

TV Guided Bomb Units -

• With the Television Guided bomb, the Television Camera, and guidance control fins are an attachment mounted to the bomb nose.

• The large fins ( or “wings”) form part of the bolt on tail unit.

TV Guided Bomb Units - 2

• The Television camera sends back pictures to the weapons officer in the aircraft who dropped the bomb.

• The weapons officer, via radio contol sends signals back to the bomb to steer in onto the designated target

JDAMs (Joint Direct Attack Munitions)

• Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAMs) are bombs with a GPS (Global Positioning System) Guidance unit in the tail unit.

• The guidance unit picks up signals from satellites in orbit to ascertain its position in relation to the position of the target (whose co-ordinates are pre programmed into the guidance unit)

JDAMs (Joint Direct Attack Munitions) - 2

• The Tail has 4 moveable fins which are linked to the guidance unit. Movement of the fins steers the bomb towards the target.

• All the JDAM configured bombs (except for the smallest in the series, the Mk 82 500 lb GPLD, have a 4 piece attachment which fits around the centre of the bomb body.

• This attachment or “saddle” has 4 long thin, fin known as “strakes” which reduce the bomb roll in flight and act as secondary antennae for the GPS guidance system

Guided Bomb Units (GBUs)(Laser Guided Bombs)

British Paveway Guided Bomb Units Laser Guided Bombs

GBU 10 (Guided Bomb Unit) Laser Guided Bomb with Mk 84 GPLD

GBU 10 Laser Guided Bomb with Mk 84 GPLD

GBU 16 (Guided Bomb Unit) Laser Guided Bomb with Mk 83 GPLDGBU 16 Laser Guided

Bomb with Mk 83 GPLD

GBU 24 (Guided Bomb Unit) Laser Guided Bomb with BLU 109GBU 24 Laser

Guided Bomb with BLU 109

GBU 28 (Guided Bomb Unit) with BLU 113/B 2,002 kg Penetration bomb

GBU 28 (Guided Bomb Unit)

GBU 28 (Guided Bomb Unit)

US JDAM (Joint Direct Attack Munition)

GPS (Global Positioning System) Guided Bomb Unit (GBU)

JDAM GBU 31 (with Mk 84 GPLD)

JDAM GBU 31 (with BLU 109)

JDAM GBU 31

(with BLU 109)

US Guided Bomb Unit (GBU) Walleye

(Television Guided Bomb)

2. US / CoalitionGeneral purpose and

Penetrator Bombs and Warhead Sections for Guided

Bombs

Old Pattern GP Bombs

• The Older pattern GP (General Purpose) HE bombs are not used so much by the US Air Force and if used will normally be carried internally in the bomb bays of the large bombers such as the B-52 .

• GP bombs (in particular the 750 lb – 340 kg M 117) may have been used in carpet bombing operations by B52s by the US Air Force against Taliban trench lines away from villages or urban areas

Old Pattern GP Bombs - 2

• The M 117 has the same internal “plumbing” electrical conduit pipes from the central charging point on the bomb body to the nose and tail fuze wells.

• These pipes either carry the electrical leads for the electrical charging of electronic fuzes from the aircrafts power supply.

• Or the arming lanyard for thermal battery initiation systems


• A base plate with the rear fuze well is screwed into the rear of the bomb body,

• and there is a “V” shaped groove (at the rear of the bomb body) into which are screwed the tail securing bolts for the hollow tail unit.


• The bomb may be fitted with a nose fuze or a tail fuze ,or both.

• The fuzing system may be mechanical vane armed impact / inertia impact (with a flexible drive fitted from the wind vanes on the side of the tail unit to the tail fuze


• Or may be of the more recent electronic fuzing systems.

• The bomb body is about 15mm thickness, • but a separate “fragmentation sleeve” may

be fitted around the bomb body to increase the fragmentation effect.

• The charge weight ration of the bomb is approximately 50 / 50

750 lb US GP HE bomb (406mm wide x 1.2 metres long without

tail)

750 lb (340 kg) M 117 GP (General Purpose) Aircraft Bomb with standard (un-retarded) tail unit

750 lb M117 GP Bomb (cutaway view)

EOD Action – GP US Bombs• 1. Rocket Wrench / De-Armer for Mechanical nose

or tail fuzes.

• 2. Manual de-fuze for certain electronic nose or tail fuzes (e.g. FMU 139 Series)

• 3. 1 x Ballistic Disc, half fill, at centre line of the bomb body (150mm Standoff)

• 4. 2 x Ballistic Discs, half fill, one at the nose fuze well, ( if empty),(200mm standoff) one at the ear half of the bomb in line with the rear suspension lug (150mm standoff).

EOD Action – GP US Bombs-2• 5. CLC (Charge Linear Cutting) full, 4 or 6 pieces,

to open up bomb casing for bomb burn out

• 6. BLADE (Flexible Linear Charge), around the circumference of the body near the nose, and near the tail, and one piece longitudinally along the bomb body, between the two.

• 7. Round Tom, PE 3A charge fill of the “V” shaped groove around the rear of the bomb body (to remove tail fuze of bomb)

• 8. PE 3A fill of the rear suspension lug cavity, to open up the rear end of the bomb body. (to remove tail fuze of bomb)

Typical new type low drag HE General Purpose bomb

tail

Base plate

HE filling

body

Tail impact fuze

Tail fuze well

Suspension lugs

Charging well

Proximity sensing element

Typical new type low drag HE General Purpose bomb

GPLD (General Purpose Low Drag) Bombs -1

• This slide shows a typical new design General Purpose Low Drag bomb.

• The bomb shown has a proximity fuze fitted so that the bomb will explode above the target to give the optimum blast and fragment pattern against personnel in trench

GPLD (General Purpose Low Drag) Bombs -2

• As can be seen from the picture, the GPLD (General Purpose Low Drag) series of bombs are long and thin in shape,

• this is to give the bomb a better aerodynamic shape, so that there is minimum air resistance and interference with the flying characteristics of the aircraft carrying them externally on wing pylons.

GPLD (General Purpose Low Drag) Bombs - 3

• The bombs have the facility of fitting both nose and tail fuzes.

• Two pipes pass through the centre of the bomb from the centrally located charging well, one to the tail fuze well and one to the nose fuze well. These pipes are known as the Plumbing or conduit Pipes)

GPLD (General Purpose Low Drag) Bomb – View of Bomb Body


• Arming wires for mechanical fuzes, or electrical cables for the electronic fuzes pass from the charging well to the nose and/or tail fuzes via the plumbing (conduit pipes)

• Either nose or tail fuzes can be fitted or both if desired, or a proximity sensing element or TDD (Target Detecting Device) can be fitted in the nose, linked via the Charging Well to the electronic fuze fitted in the tail.


• An electronic nose fuze can be fitted under a conical nose plug, if required, for normal unguided (Free Fall) bombs or JDAMs (Joint Direct Attack Munition- GPS Guided Bombs.

• An electronic nose fuze may also be found fitted behind the Laser Guidance Unit on a Laser Guided Bomb or behind the Guidance unit on a TV guided bomb.


• Only tail fuzed bombs have so far been encountered in Afghanistan from those bombs dropped between October 2001 and December 2001.


• The bomb body thickness is about 15mm at the centre of the body becoming thicker at the nose.

• At the rear of the bomb body is a thick base plate which screws into the bomb body and the rear fuze well sits centrally in the base plate.


• Also at the rear of the bomb body is a “V” shaped groove into which the tail unit securing screws / bolts fit.

• The tail unit is a separate assembly which bolts onto the bomb body.

GPLD (General Purpose Low Drag) Bomb – View of rear of Bomb Body and Tail


• The tail unit may be:

• 1. a conventional tail unit with 4 fins

• 2. Or a retarded unit or parachute retarded unit for low level

bombing,


• 3. Or a unit with fixed or spring out fins for Laser Guided bombs,

• 4. or a unit with 4 moveable fins, connected to a computer Guidance system, to steer the bomb in flight on

the JDAM (Joint Direct Attack Munition – GPS –Global Positioning System – Guided Bomb). :


• The GPLD bombs have either

• 3 suspension lugs for the larger 2,000 lb and 1,000 lb bombs

• or 2 suspension lugs for the smaller 500 lb or 250 lb aircraft bombs.

• These lugs screw into the bomb body and can be removed.

GPLD (General Purpose Low Drag) Bomb – View of Bomb Body


• There are 4 models of GPLD bomb ,

• the smallest being the 250 lb (113 kg) Mk 81,

• the 500 lb (227 kg ) Mk 82,

• the 1,000 lb (454 kg) Mk 83,

• and the 2,000 lb ( 906 kg) Mk 84.

From left to right,US Mk 84, Mk 83, Mk 82 and Mk 81 General Purpose Low Drag

Bombs


• . The 250 kg Mk 81 does not appear to have been used in Afghanistan,

• the other 3 models were.

Naval GPLD Bombs

• Some models of the GPLD bomb, have a light grey plastic type coating over the bomb body.

• This coating is designed to be heat resistant and is normally applied to bombs designed to be carried on Aircraft Carriers.

• Such bombs are also normally filled with a rubberised explosive known as PBXN (Plastic Bonded Explosive Nature)

• which is designed to burn in a fire without burning to detonation.

US Mk 84 2,000 Lb General Purpose Low Drag Bomb

(457mm Wide X 2,47 metres Long Without Tail)

2,000 lb (906 kg) Mk 84 GPLD (General Purpose Low Drag) Aircraft Bomb without tail

US Mk 83 1,000 lb General Purpose Low Drag bomb (356mm wide x 1,84 metres long

without tail)

1,000 lb (454 kg) Mk 83 GPLD (General Purpose Low Drag) Aircraft Bomb without tail

1,000 lb (454 kg) Mk 83 GPLD (General Purpose Low Drag) Aircraft Bomb Naval pattern without tail

US Mk 82 500 lb General Purpose Low Drag bomb

(274mm wide x 1,54 metres long without tail)

500 lb (227kg) Mk 82 GPLD (General Purpose Low Drag) Aircraft Bomb with standard (un-retarded) tail unit

GPLD unguidedbomb with Conical tail unit

GPLD unguided bomb with conical tail unit

GPLD unguided bomb with retarded tail unit

Mk 82 500lb GPLD Unguided Bomb with retarded tail unit

US Mk 81 250 lb General Purpose Low Drag bomb

(229mm wide x 1,1 metres long without tail)

From left to right,US Mk 84, Mk 83, Mk 82 and Mk 81 General Purpose Low Drag

Bombs

EOD Action – GPLD US Bombs• 1. Rocket Wrench / De-Armer for Mechanical nose

or tail fuzes.

• 2. Manual de-fuze for certain electronic nose or tail fuzes (e.g. FMU 139 Series)

• 3. 1 x Ballistic Disc, half fill, at centre line of the bomb body (150mm Standoff)

• 4. 2 x Ballistic Discs, half fill, one at the nose fuze well, ( if empty), (200mm Standoff) one at the ear half of the bomb in line with the rear suspension lug.(150mm Standoff)

EOD Action – GPLD US Bombs-2• 5. CLC (Charge Linear Cutting) full, 4 or 6 pieces,

to open up bomb casing for bomb burn out

• 6. BLADE (Flexible Linear Charge), around the circumference of the body near the nose, and near the tail, and one piece longitudinally along the bomb body, between the two.

• 7. Round Tom, PE 3A charge fill of the “V” shaped groove around the rear of the bomb body (to remove tail fuze of bomb)

• 8. PE 3A fill of the rear suspension lug cavity, to open up the rear end of the bomb body. (to remove tail fuze of bomb)

Penetrator Bombs -1

• The US “Penetrator” series of Bombs, like the Russian BetAB Concrete Piercing bombs are designed to punch through hard targets such as bunkers before exploding .

• The bombs are tail Fuzed only

• and have thick casings 25mm thick (for the 2,000 lb (906 kg) BLU 109 ) or 57mm thick (for the 4,414 lb (2,121 kg) BLU 113/B).

Penetrator Bombs -2

• The Penetrator series of bombs, in common with the GPLD series of bombs can either be used as an

• unguided free fall bomb, • or have a Laser Guidance Unit, • TV Guidance unit ,• or GPS (Global Positioning System)

Guidance unit fitted as a JDAM (Joint Direct Attack Munition).

Penetrator Bombs - 3

• Like the GPLD series of bombs the Penetrator bombs have a central Charging Well but only one Plumbing (Conduit) Pipe to the tail fuze well.

• (so that an Arming wire – for Mechanical Inertia Impact fuzes, or electrical cable, for electronic fuzes, can be passed from the Charging Well to the Tail Fuze).

Penetrator Bombs - 4

• The bomb body is parallel sided • but tapers down to a sharp point at the

nose, • and rapidly becomes wider towards the

tail. • The tip of the nose has a threaded spigot

onto which is normally fitted a conical cap.

• If a Laser Guidance unit is to be fitted to the bomb, the conical cap is removed and the Guidance Unit screwed on in its place.

Penetrator Bombs - 5• The rear of the bomb body has a

thick screw in base plate and a central fuze well for the tail fuze.

• Like the GPLD series of bombs, there is a “V” shaped groove at the rear of the bomb body into which the securing screws/ bolts of the tail unit are fitted.

Penetrator Bombs - 6• The Penetrator series of bombs can be fitted with

• a conventional 4 fin tail unit for unguided bombs,• • a tail unit with spring out fins (when fitted with • the Laser Guided Unit)

• or the tail unit with movable fins linked to a computer when the bomb is configured as a JDAM (Joint Direct Attack Munition) with GPS (Global Positioning System).

• (NOTE Retarded Tail Units or Parachute Retarded Tail units are not normally fitted)

Penetrator Bombs - 7• Unlike the GPLD bombs the

Suspension Lugs are welded into position, depending on the model,

• either directly onto the bomb body,

• or onto a metal plate which is itself welded onto the bomb body.

Penetrator Bombs - 8• Some models of the Penetrator bomb,

have a light grey plastic type coating over the bomb body.

• This coating is designed to be heat resistant and is normally applied to bombs designed to be carried on Aircraft Carriers.

• Such bombs are also normally filled with a rubberised explosive known as PBXN (Plastic Bonded Explosive Nature)

• which is designed to burn in a fire without burning to detonation.

Penetrator Bombs - 9• Currently there are two models of US Penetrator

bomb,

• the 2,000 lb (906 kg) BLU 109

• and the 4,414 lb (2,121 kg) BLU 113 / B.

• The BLU 113/B is the same diameter as the BLU 109, but has a thicker casing, is double the weight and length of the BLU 109, and therefore gives considerably greater penetration.

Penetrator Bombs - 10• The BLU 109 is the only US

Penetrator bomb known to have been used in Afghanistan,

• however it is possible that the BLU 113/ B may have been used against special hardened targets such as the caves at Tora Bora.

US BLU 109 2,000 lb (906 kg) Penetrator HE bomb (2 metres long 368mm wide)

2,000 lb (906 kg) BLU 109 A/B Penetrator Aircraft Bomb (Naval pattern)

BLU 109 Penetration HE Bomb

BLU 109 Penetration HE Bomb (cutaway view)

GBU 28 (Guided Bomb Unit) with BLU 113/B 2,002 kg Penetration bomb

BLU 113 B , 4,484 Lb (2002 kg) Penetrator Aircraft Bomb

EOD Action – US Penetrator Bombs

• 1. Rocket Wrench / De-Armer for Mechanical tail fuzes.

• 2. Manual de-fuze for certain electronic tail fuzes (e.g. FMU 139 Series)

• 3. 1 x Ballistic Disc, full , at centre line of the bomb body (150 mm standoff) (for BLU 109 2,000 lb)

• 4. 1 x Ballistic Discs, half full, aimed at the central charging well, stand off 200mm( for BLU 113/B 4,484 lb)

EOD Action – US Penetrator Bombs-2

• 5. Mk 3 Shaped charges aimed at the centre of the body (standoff 70mm) for BLU 109 2,000lb or at the charging well at the centre of the bomb ( 100mm Stand off) if BLU 113/B 4,484 lb)

• 6. CLC (Charge Linear Cutting) full, 4 or 6 pieces, to open up bomb casing for bomb burn out (BLU 109 2,000lb)

• 7. BLADE (Flexible Linear Charge), around the circumference of the body near the nose, and near the tail, and one piece longitudinally along the bomb body, between the two. (BLU 109 2,000lb)

• 8. PG 2 HEAT Warhead at centre of bomb body (for BLU 113/B) stand-off 1 metre

3. Miscellaneous US / Coalition

Aircraft Bombs

15,000lb (6,700kg)BLU 82/B HE Blast Bomb

• This is a HCHE (High Capacity High Explosive) Blast bomb originally used for clearing an instant helicopter landing area in the jungles of Vietnam

• It is now often used for the psychological effect of the destructive power of the bomb on enemy forces

15,000lb (6,700kg)BLU 82/B HE Blast Bomb - 2

• The bomb, for its size is relatively thin cased, and 80% of the bombs weight (about 5,600 kg) is the explosive charge which is aluminised Ammonium Nitrate “Slurry” explosive

• The bomb uses two mechanical fuzes, a M904 Vane Armed Mechanical impact fuze in the nose and an M905 inertia impact vane armed fuze in the tail


• Owing to the size and weight of the bomb it is not carried by fighter aircraft, but is carried by a C 130 Hercules cargo aircraft and is manually pushed on a pallet, or cradle, out the back of the aircraft

• As the bomb is dropped from the aircraft the straps securing the bomb to the pallet or cradle are automatically cut.


• The bomb has several lugs welded to the body, and these are for the straps securing the bomb to the cradle.

• The bomb has a parachute to allow it to descend slowly to the ground, so that the aircraft can escape from the blast danger area


• The bomb has a nose extension tube fitted with the nose fuze, and a “brush deflector” at the end.

• The nose extension tube is designed to cause the bomb to explode just above ground level (hence the name “Daisy Cutter”

US 15,000 lb BLU 82/B HE (High Explosive) Blast Bomb

(Diameter 1.37 metres x 3.5 metres long)

BLU 82/B

15,000lb

Bomb

BLU 82/B 15,000lb Bomb

BLU 82/B 15,000lb Blast Bomb (cutaway view)

EOD Action – US BLU 82/B

• 1. BLADE on nose fuze extension tube to cut away the nose fuze

• 2. Unbolt rear fuze well from the rear of the bomb and remote pull to remove tail fuze well

• 3. CLC (Charge Linear Cutting) (full) on bomb body to cut open bomb body for burn out or flush out with high pressure water.

• 4. Multiple Ballistic discs (full) 150mm stand off 300mm between discs

us aircraft bombs

Documents

television guided bomb

bomb nose

penetrator bomb bodythe

bomb roll

unguided bomb

tail unit

laser beam

ground laser designator