Aircraft Bombs in Afghanistan

5. US Aircraft Bombs
1. US / Coalition
Guided Bombs
-
 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 12 Laser
Guided Bomb
GBU 12 (Guided Bomb Unit)
Laser Guided Bomb with Mk 82 GPLD

with Mk 82 GPLD
 GBU 16 (Guided Bomb Unit)
GBU 16 Laser Guided
Laser Guided Bomb with Mk 83 GPLD
Bomb with Mk 83 GPLD
 GBU 24 (Guided Bomb Unit)
Laser Guided Bomb with Mk 84 GPLD

GBU 24 Laser
Guided Bomb with
Mk 84 GPLD
 GBU 24 (Guided Bomb Unit)
GBU 24 Laser
Laser Guided Bomb with BLU 109

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 / Coalition
General 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
 Old Pattern GP Bombs - 3
• 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.
 Old Pattern GP Bombs - 4
• 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
 Old Pattern GP Bombs - 5
• 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
Typical newtype
typelow
lowdrag
dragHEHE
General Purpose
General bomb bomb
Purpose
tail
Tail impact
Suspension lugs fuze
Base plate

Charging
well

Proximity sensing element

Tail fuze well

HE filling
body
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
GPLD (General Purpose Low Drag)
Bombs - 4
• 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.
GPLD (General Purpose Low Drag)
Bombs - 5
• 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.
GPLD (General Purpose Low Drag)
Bombs - 6

• Only tail fuzed bombs have so far

been encountered in Afghanistan
from those bombs dropped between
October 2001 and December 2001.
GPLD (General Purpose Low Drag)
Bombs - 7
• 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.
GPLD (General Purpose Low Drag)
Bombs - 8

• 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
GPLD (General Purpose Low Drag)
Bombs - 9
• 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,
GPLD (General Purpose Low Drag)
Bombs - 10
• 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). :
GPLD (General Purpose Low Drag)
Bombs - 11
• 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
GPLD (General Purpose Low Drag)
Bombs - 12
• 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
GPLD (General Purpose Low Drag)
Bombs - 13

• . 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
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
 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
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
15,000lb (6,700kg)BLU 82/B HE
Blast Bomb - 3
• 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.
15,000lb (6,700kg)BLU 82/B HE
Blast Bomb - 4
• 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
15,000lb (6,700kg)BLU 82/B HE
Blast Bomb - 5
• 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)
 USUS15,000
15,000lblbBLU
BLU82/B
82/B
HE
HE(High
(HighExplosive)
Explosive)Blast
BlastBomb
Bomb
(Diameter
(Diameter1.37
1.37metres
metresxx3.5
3.5metres
metreslong)
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
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