5. US Aircraft Bombs
GPS (Global Positioning System) satellite guidance (Termed JDAMs Joint Direct Attack Munitions)
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.
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
GBU 12 Laser GBU 12 (Guided Bomb Unit) Guided Bomb Laser Guided Bomb with Mk 82 GPLD with Mk 82 GPLD
GBU 24 (Guided Bomb Unit) Laser Guided Bomb with BLU 109
GBU 28 (Guided Bomb Unit) with BLU 113/B 2,002 kg Penetration bomb
US JDAM (Joint Direct Attack Munition) GPS (Global Positioning System) Guided Bomb Unit (GBU)
JDAM GBU 31
(with BLU 109)
2. US / Coalition General purpose and Penetrator Bombs and Warhead Sections for Guided Bombs
750 lb (340 kg) M 117 GP (General Purpose) Aircraft Bomb with standard (un-retarded) tail unit
Typical new low drag HE Typical newtype type low drag HE General Purpose bomb bomb General Purpose
Suspension lugs Charging well Base plate Tail impact fuze tail
GPLD (General Purpose Low Drag) Bomb View of rear of Bomb Body and Tail
From left to right,US Mk 84, Mk 83, Mk 82 and Mk 81 General Purpose Low Drag Bombs
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
2,000 lb (906 kg) Mk 84 GPLD (General Purpose Low Drag) Aircraft Bomb 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 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 unguided GPLD unguided bomb bomb with Conical tailwith unitconical 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
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)
GBU 28 (Guided Bomb Unit) with BLU 113/B 2,002 kg Penetration bomb
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
US 15,000 lb BLU 82/B HE (High Explosive) Blast Bomb (Diameter 1.37 metres x 3.5 metres long)
US 15,000 lb BLU 82/B US 15,000 lb BLU 82/B HE (High Explosive) Blast Bomb HE (High Explosive) Blast Bomb (Diameter 1.37 metres xx 3.5 metres long) (Diameter 1.37 metres 3.5 metres long)
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