US Air Force: Weapons
US Air Force: Weapons
Introduction
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Ever since an Italian pilot threw a large grenade from his
cockpit at a
Libyan oasis on 1 November 1911, airplanes and their weapons
have been dedicated
to the proposition that the 'Bad Guys' of the world seem to
behave best with a
knee on their chest and a knife at their throat. Today,
warplanes are the knee,
their weapons are the knife. There is nothing 'nice' or humane
about these tools
their job is to destroy things and people. Precision-guided
weapons were not
developed to conduct more humane warfare, they simply enable
more targets to be
destroyed more quickly with fewer aircraft. Cluster bombs
specialize in killing
and maiming large numbers of people who happen to be outside
shooting at
airplanes or friendly troops.
A warplane without its weapons is useless. This is why the
questions, "How
fast does your airplane go?" or "How far can it fly?" usually
elicit a reply of
"It depends," from a pilot. Just like the family car can not go
as fast or far
as the salesman said it would when it is loaded with Mom and Dad
and the kids,
and a luggage rack on the roof, neither will a warplane ready
for the business
of war. How many weapons are carried, what kind they are, what
altitude they are
delivered from, what defenses have to be penetrated, what other
kinds of
aircraft are in the strike package, and even which fuzes are
being used are
typical of the factors evaluated for their impact on a given
mission (and
aircraft performance).
It is important to realize that just because an aircraft is able
to carry a
given weapon does not mean that it actually trains to employ it
operationally
and commanders are extremely reluctant to send their aircrew
into combat with
weapons they have not trained with. Two examples: while A-10s
are authorized to
deliver laser-guided bombs, they never do Mavericks are their
fort; on the
other hand, F-111Fs are authorized to employ Maverick, but they
never touch it
preferring their trusty LGBs instead.
It is interesting to note how warplane design is affected by
weapon
performance. For instance, during the Vietnam War air-to-air
missile performance
was abysmal. This, combined with the inability to positively
identify aircraft
as friend or foe until they were within visual range, resulted
in numerous
dogfights. It is no coincidence that every fighter produced
since that war has
had a gun and incredible maneuverability. But, with airborne
warning and control
system (AWACS) airborne radars to identify the bad guys and the
increased
lethality of air-to-air missiles, almost all aerial engagements
during the Gulf
War were over 'before the merge' (when dogfighting begins),
leaving both the
maneuverability and gun virtually unused for their intended
purpose. This is
even more interesting in light of the recent selection of the
advanced tactical
fighter, when the engine/airframe combination with the lowest
thrust and highest
drag was selected, at least in part because of a perception that
it will be
slightly more maneuverable in a slow-speed dogfight something
good fighter
pilots avoid like the plague, despite what the film 'Top Gun'
might lead one to
believe.
This article 'demystifies' weapons designations as much as
possible. Most
of the prefixes and suffixes which append the nomenclature have
simple meanings.
For instance, the prefix ' AF/' indicates an item used only by
the Air Force,
while ' AN/' means one used by both the Air Force and Navy.
Using the current
weapon designation system, an '/A' indicates the device remains
attached to the
exterior of the aircraft, a '/B' suffix that it is released from
the aircraft to
do whatever it is designed to do, and a '/C' is retained within
the bomb bay.
While the original design has just a numerical designation,
subsequent models
are indicated by a letter following the number (e.g. GBU-12/B,
-12 A/B, etc.).
Dropping and firing live weapons is something done infrequently
during
training, and most of the time training ordnance is used. For
missiles this
means rounds with working seekers, but no rocket motors,
warheads or guidance
sections. Where a live missile would display black (guidance),
yellow (warhead),
or brown (rocket motor) bands, training rounds display either
blue bands or
paint the entire section blue.
Copyright (c) 1995 SoftKey Multimedia Inc.; All Rights
Reserved.
US Air Force: Weapons
Cluster bombs
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While structures and other 'hard' targets are best dealt with by
classical 'bombs,'
area targets such as troop and armor concentrations, truck parks
and artillery batteries
are more susceptible to cluster munitions. Many early cluster
munitions were dispersed
from containers retained by the aircraft. This had two major
drawbacks. First, it
increased aircraft drag, thus decreasing range. Also, the
dispersion pattern of the
bomblets was very dependent on speed and altitude, forcing the
aircraft to maintain a
predictable flight path during deliverynever a wise move in
combat! For these reasons,
only dispensers released from the delivery aircraft are used
today. Once these are
released from the aircraft, the dispenser shell breaks apart,
scattering the bomblets.
Most cluster bomb dispensers have 14-in (35-cm) suspension lug
spacing.
Modern cluster bombs, like general-purpose bombs, are employed
by all tactical
fighters as well as B-52s. Unexploded cluster bomblets in
general, especially the older
ones used with the USAF's SUU-30 and the Navy's Mk 20, were the
most difficult weapons to
dispose of after the end of the 1991 Gulf War.
M129 Cluster Bomb
The M129 cluster is used to deliver propaganda leaflets. Shaped
generally like the
M117 750-pound class bomb, but constructed of fiberglass
reinforced plastic, it weighs 92
pounds empty and about 200 loaded. It splits longitudinally to
dispense about 30,000 5-in
x 7-in leaflets. Painted overall olive drab, the M129 is
currently qualified for use with
the B-52 and F-16. During Desert Storm, two M129s were mixed
into loads of M117 bombs
dropped by B-52Gs. Sixteen were also dropped over Baghdad by a
four-ship of F-16s on 26
February 1991.
Mk 20 Rockeye II Cluster Bombs
The Mk 7 dispenser was the basis of most Navy cluster bombs from
Vietnam well into
the 1990s. The $3,400 Mk 20 ' Rockeye II ' anti-armor weapon was
the most widely used
version of the Mk 7. Developed by the Naval Weapons Center and
adopted by the Air Force,
this subsonic-delivery dispenser first entered service in 1968
and was used extensively
during both Vietnam and Desert Storm. This was the ONLY cluster
bomb to bear the title
'Rockeye II'. (The USAF's CBU-87 was often mistakenly identified
as Rockeye II during
Desert Storm, but is a completely different weapon. The Mk 12 '
Rockeye I ' was a
pre-Vietnam developmental 750-pound dispenser containing 96
anti-armor bomblets that
wasn't produced.) Rockeye has been widely exported and used on
all USAF combat aircraft
except the B-1, B-2 and F-117. Although many later Navy versions
of Rockeye were thermal
protected for increased safety in case of a fire during
carrier-based operations, non of
the versions used by the Air Force have this feature.
The Rockeye II's Mk 118 shaped-charge bomblets look very much
like throwing darts
and are designed to be effective against both tanks and ships.
The detonation of each
bomblet focuses a slug of copper against the point of impact
with a force of 250,000 psi.
All versions of Rockeye use the Mk 118 Mod 0 bomblet except for
the Mk 20 Mod 4, which
uses the Mod 1. The only difference between the two bomblets is
that the Mk 118 Mod 0
requires 1.2 seconds to arm after being dispensed, while the Mk
118 Mod 1 only takes 0.5
seconds, allowing it to be used from the lower altitudes
expected to be encountered in
combat against the now defunct Warsaw Pact.
The Mk 20 Mod 0 and Mk 20 Mod 1 were probably preliminary
designs, but never
entered production. The Mk 20 Mod 2 was used by both the Navy
and Air Force and was the
only Rockeye II lacking a fuze timer setting observation window
for its Mk 339 Mod 0
fuze. It was also unique in having only a single fuze arming
wire, which meant only the
4.0-second timer would function unless the fuze was manually
reset to 1.2 seconds on the
ground. Finally, it was also the only version to use a hat
box-shaped fuze cover on the
ground. Distinctive markings were a single three-inch wide, FSN
23538 or 33538 yellow
band, centered 102 inches aft of the nose fairing joint. Early
production USAF Mk 20 Mod
2 bombs were overall FSN 24084 olive drab, while all subsequent
Rockeye IIs were FSN
27875 white, with all having a 0.5-inch FSN 23638 or 33538
yellow semi-band over the top
half of the weapon to mark the center of balance.
The Mk 20 Mod 3 (Mk 7 Mod 3) was also used by both services. It
incorporated a fuze
timer setting observation window, two access holes on the lower
nose fairing, dual arming
wires (enabling in-flight selection of either fuze setting), a
streamlined fuze cover,
and could use either the Mk 339 Mod 0 or Mod 1 fuzes. The single
'live' band was shifted
to 14.5 inches aft of the nose fairing joint.
The Mk 20 Mod 4 (Mk 7 Mod 4) was the primary (and last) version
used by the USAF
and had several unique features. Aside from using the already
mentioned Mk 118 Mod 1
bomblet, the Mod 4 had two sets of 14-in suspension lug wells, a
longer fin release wire
and conduit, with additional cutouts in the conduit. It was also
used by the USAF as the
basis of the canceled GBU-1 LGB. Mod 4s were fitted with either
the Mk 339 Mod 0 or Mod 1
fuzes. The 'live' band on these weapons was centered 11 inches
aft of the nose fairing
joint.
Mk 7, SUU-58, SUU-75, and SUU-76 Cluster Bomb Summary
Bomb Dispenser Sub-munitions Remarks Weight
Mk 20 Mod 2 Mk 7 Mod 2 247 Mk 118 Mod 0 490 lb.
Mk 20 Mod 3 Mk 7 Mod 3 inflight fuzing option
Mk 20 Mod 4 Mk 7 Mod 4 247 Mk 118 Mod 1 primary USAF version 496
lb.
SUU-30 Cluster Bombs
Developed during the Vietnam War, the SUU-30 family has been
qualified for use by
all present USAF combat aircraft up to the newer B-1, B-2 and
F-117, and widely exported.
Nine different versions of the subsonic dispenser were
developed, but only five were
actually produced. The original SUU-30/B was a redesign of the
Navy's Mk 5 ' Sadeye '
dispenser that reduced the size of latter's fins enough to
permit carriage on MERs and
TERs. The SUU-30/B(Mod) and SUU-30A/B featured a modified fin
assembly, with fintip
plates aligned with the air flow. The SUU-30C/B was externally
identical to the
SUU-30A/B, but featured some internal structural modifications.
All of these SUU-30s were
FSN 34087 olive drab with an 8-in (20-cm) diameter, 3-in
(7.6-cm) wide FSN 33538 yellow
band around the nose.
The SUU-30B/B was a complete redesign which resulted in a
blunter nose to the
dispenser. The SUU-30D/B through SUU-30G/B were used to test
various fin configurations,
but were not produced. The final SUU-30H/B configuration had
drag plates attached to the
trailing edges of the fins to stabilize the weapon during its
separation from the
aircraft. This was the final SUU-30 produced, and the only one
used after the Vietnam
War. These SUU-30s are FSN 34087 olive drab with a 0.5-in
(1.3-cm) wide FSN 33538 yellow
band around the front of the cylindrical portion of the
dispenser.
Operational SUU-30H/B cluster bombs are filled with spherical
bomblets with
sharp-edged ridges called 'flutes' on their exteriors. These
cause the bomblets to
spin-arm and self-disperse. The BLU-61A/B is a grapefruit-sized
fragmentation bomblet
that weighs about 3 lb and detonates on impact. The BLU-63/B
bomblet is similar in
function, but is only orange-sized, weighing about 1 lb, with
the BLU-63A/B having an
additional incendiary capability. The BLU-86/B is functionally
identical to BLU-63/B
except that it features a random time delay fuze.
SUU-30H/B Cluster Bomb Summary
Bomb Dispenser Sub-munitions Remarks Weight
CBU-52B/B 217 BLU-61A/B $1,500 fragmentation 790 lb.
CBU-58/B 650 BLU-63/B $2,900 frag/incendiary 810 lb.
CBU-58A/B SUU-30H/B 650 BLU-63A/B 820 lb.
CBU-71/B 650 BLU-86/B $2,000 frag/incendiary mine 810 lb.
CBU-71A/B 650 BLU-86A/B 820 lb.
SUU-64/65/66 Cluster Bombs
The Honeywell tactical munitions dispenser (TMD) was developed
by the USAF in the
1980s to replace the Vietnam-era SUU-30 and Mk 7 dispensers.
Managed by Odgen ALC, both
the CEM and Gator TMD-based munitions were widely used in the
1991 Gulf War. All TMD
dispensers are capable of carriage and release speeds of 700 kt
IAS/Mach 1.4. They used
the FZU-39 airburst fuze, which can be set to function at any of
12 altitudes between 300
and 3,000 ft (91 and 914 m) AGL. There are two basic versions of
the TMD: the
non-spinning SUU-64 and -66 and the spinning SUU-65. The $6,000
SUU-65 dispenser's fins
unfold after release and cant to spin it to a preselected rate
before opening, permitting
ideal bomblet dispersion, even when released from very low
altitudes. It can be
distinguished from the very similar $4,600 SUU-64 and SUU-66 by
the large crossbar at the
back of its fin assembly.
The $14,000 Aerojet General CBU-87/B combined effects munition
(CEM) uses the
SUU-65 TMD to dispense over 200 CEM bomblets. The CBU-87/B was
rapidly qualified on
British Jaguars during the 1991 Gulf War when their low-altitude
BL.755 cluster bombs
proved unusable for the high-altitude delivery tactics adopted.
The CBU-87A/B features a
factory-installed FZU-39/B fuze. The otherwise identical
CBU-87B/B uses the BLU-97A/B
bomblet. The change to the FZU-39(D-4)/B fuze results in the
CBU-87C/B. Honeywell was the
second source contractor for CEM.
Similar in size and shape to a beer can, the 3.4-lb BLU-97/B
bomblet is stabilized
by a tail-mounted ballute. It features an anti-material shape
charge in the nose along
with a body that explodes into anti-personnel and incendiary
fragments. Because these
bomblets suffered airburst malfunctions after being dispensed, a
change from
piezo-electric to mechanical firing mechanisms was made,
resulting in the BLU-97A/B.
The $40,000 Aerojet General/Honeywell CBU-89/B ' Gator ' uses
the SUU-65 to deliver
a combination of BLU-91 and BLU-92 mines. The CBU-89A/B features
a factory-installed
FZU-39/B fuze.
Honeywell's $265 BLU-91/B anti-personnel mine weighs 3.75 lb and
deploys trip wires
that detonate it when they are disturbed. Aerojet General's $613
BLU-92/B anti-tank mine
weighs 4.31 lb and senses magnetic disturbances to determine
when and where to fire its
self-forging warhead at passing tanks. Both mines eventually
self-destruct. (US Army
designations for these mines are XM74 and XM75,
respectively.)
The Textron Defense Systems CBU-97 sensor fuzed weapon (SFW)
entered low-rate
initial production (LRIP) in mid-1992. In tests against
formations of armored vehicles,
kill rates of over 2.5 tanks per CBU-97 dropped have been
demonstrated. SFW's ability to
kill multiple targets per pass became crucial as the size of the
fighter force shrank,
leading to its identification as one of the four 'pillars' for
halting a regional attack
(along with the C-17, E-8 J-STARS, and military equipment
prepositioning). Consideration
has also been given to using the BLU-108 with the AGM-86C and
BGM-109 cruise missiles.
Initial plans had been to build 20,000 SFWs, but budget cuts
dropped this to only 5,000.
Originally expected to cost $186,000 per weapon, manufacturing
improvements subsequently
reduced this by as much as $72,000. Built at the Kansas Army
Ammunition Plant in Parsons,
Kansas, LRIP weapons were delivered in 1993, followed by the
production versions in April
1994.
Each CBU-97 spreads 10 BLU-108/B orientation and stabilization
devices (OSD) over
an area of 1,200 x 600 ft (365 x 183 m). Each OSD descends by
parachute until properly
aligned above the target area as it extends four 'skeet'
explosively forged penetrator
anti-armor sub-munitions from its body. As they deploy from the
OSD, each skeet actively
searches for targets with a passive, two-color infra-red sensor.
When targets are
detected, the parachute is released and a rocket fires to spin
the OSD, stopping its
descent and flinging the skeets along a horizontal trajectory.
When positioned over a
target the skeet explodes, transforming a flat 5.25-in (13.3-cm)
diameter copper plate
into a 6,000 ft (1,828 m) per second kinetic energy projectile
directed at the target.
The direction of this 1-lb slug is controlled within the
sensor's 0.5 degree field of
view so as to penetrate reactive and/or main battle tank armor,
destroying the interior
of the tank and killing its crew.
By the spring of 1994, with about 100,000 TMDs of all versions
in existence, plans
were announced to buy about 40,000 inertial guidance kits to
provide 'PGM-like' accuracy
from delivery altitudes as high as 40,000 ft (12,192 m). The
wind corrected munitions
dispenser (WCMD) will correct ballistic and wind errors with a
combination of a processor
to accept target data, pop-out, moving tail fins and actuators,
and nose ballast to
maintain weapon CG limits. Each kit is expected to cost
$20,000-$30,000. This
modification will primarily be applied to the CBU-97 SFW, with
funding beginning in FY96.
While initial plans focus on use of the 8-nm (14.7-km) range
WCMD with the B-1B and B-2A,
any aircraft fitted with a 1760 databus will be capable of
employing it, including the
F-15E and Block 50/52 F-16C/D. Initial plans called for WCMD to
become operational with
the bombers at about the turn of the century. By mid-1994,
consideration was also being
given to equipping the WCMD with 'Kit 2' carbon fiber warheads,
like those used by
BGM-109s during the 1991 Gulf War.
The TMD-based CBU-98 direct airfield attack combined munition
(DAACM) contained a
mix of BLU-106 boosted kinetic energy penetrators (BKEP) and
HB.876 area denial mines.
The 5.5-lb Hunting HB.876 is used as part of the British JP.233
anti-runway munition used
successfully by British and Saudi Tornado GR.Mk 1s during the
1991 Gulf War. The $1,200
mine has a ring of curled springs legs around its base which
help rotate it to an upright
position after landing. It then sits, waiting to greet a
disturbance with a detonation.
After a preset interval, the HB.876 self-destructs. The 45-lb
Textron Defense Systems
BLU-106 was similar in concept to many other runway penetrator
munitions in that it was
parachute retarded long enough to point it earthward before its
rocket motor fired,
driving beneath the runway where it exploded, heaving the runway
upward. At least, that
is how the $5,100-class submunition was supposed to work.
Textron was never able to make
the BLU-106 work reliably and, with the end of the Cold War, the
need for
runway-cratering munitions that required manned overflight of a
highly defended airfield
disappeared, as did the $119,000 CBU-98.
TMD Cluster Bomb Summary
Bomb Dispenser Sub-munitions Type Weight
CBU-87/B 202 BLU-97/B CEM w/field-installed FZU-39/B
CBU-87A/B SUU-65/B 202 BLU-97/B CEM w/pre-installed FZU-39/B
CBU-87A/B w/improved BLU-97
CBU-87B/B 202 BLU-97A/B CBU-87A/B w/FZU-39(D-4)/B 960 lb.
CBU-87C/B 202 BLU-97A/B
CBU-89/B 72 BLU-91/B Gator anti-personnel and anti-tank
mines
SUU-64/B 22 BLU-92/B 710 lb.
CBU-89A/B 72 BLU-91/B Gator w/pre-installed FZU-39/B
22 BLU-92/B
CBU-97/B SUU-66/B 10 BLU-108/B SFW anti-armor 927 lb.
CBU-98/B SUU-64/B 8 BLU-106/B BKEP anti-runway munition 1,039
lb.
24 HB.876 JP.233 area denial mine
Cluster Bomb Fuzing
Once again, fuzing is of critical importance. Two types can be
used, time delay and
proximity. A time delay fuze is set on the ground, and requires
bomb release at a
specific altitude and airspeed to produce optimum bomblet
dispersion. Proximity fuzing
uses a radar in the fuze to sense height above the ground,
providing much greater
latitude in delivery parameters. All CBU fuzes are nose-mounted
and serve to split open
the dispenser, releasing its payload.
USAF Cluster Bomb Fuzes
Fuze Type Remarks
FMU-56 proximity SUU-30H
FMU-107 timer M129 (also called AN-M147A1)
FMU-110 proximity SUU-30H
FZU-39 proximity SUU-30H, -64, -65, and -66
M909 timer M129
Mk 339 timer SUU-30H, M129, and Mk 20
Copyright (c) 1995 SoftKey Multimedia Inc.; All Rights
Reserved.
US Air Force: Weapons
General Purpose Bombs
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General-Purpose Bombs
General-purpose (GP) bombs are the most commonly used weapons of
aerial warfare.
They are inexpensive, easy to produce, and have numerous
applications, including
providing the warhead for many precision-guided munitions (PGM
s). All bombs weighing
less than 2,000 lb have suspension lugs spaced 14 in (35 cm)
apart; those weighing more
use 30-in (76-cm) spacing. Odgen ALC manages all USAF
conventional bombs, which are built
at plants located in McAlester, Oklahoma and Crain, Indiana.
The Mk 80 series bombs, with an explosive content of roughly 50
per cent, are based
on studies done by Douglas Aircraft in 1946. Production began
during the Korean conflict,
although they did not actually see service until Vietnam. The
250-lb Mk 81 was found to
be ineffective during Vietnam and its use was discontinued. Use
of the 1000-lb Mk 83 was
discontinued by the USAF after limited use during Vietnam,
although it will apparently be
used again for JDAM weapons for the F-22. The Tritonal-filled
500-lb Mk 82 and 2,000-lb
Mk 84 bombs are the mainstays of USAF weaponry and have been
widely exported. Live USAF
warheads and fins are painted FSN 34087 olive drab with a single
3-in (7.6-cm) FSN 33538
yellow band around the nose. Inert warheads have a non-explosive
filler and either
substitute a FSN 35109 blue band for the yellow, or are painted
overall blue.
The visually distinguishing characteristic of naval GP bombs is
their very rough
thermal protective (TP) coating. This was developed after
several tragic shipboard fires
during the Vietnam War, to make bombs burn in a fire instead of
exploding. During the
early 1990s, when the Navy switched its filler from H-6 to
PBXN-109, its Mk 80-series
casings received new designations: BLU-110 for the Mk 83,
BLU-111 for the Mk 82, and
BLU-112 for the Mk 84. The Air Force only uses non-thermally
protected (NTP) bombs.
The most common fin fitted to GP bombs is the low-drag,
general-purpose (LDGP) fin,
also referred to interchangeably as the conical fin assembly
(CFA). Initial CFAs did not
have independent designations, and were simply referred to using
the bomb designation
(e.g., Mk 82 conical fin). Bombs fitted with this kind of fin
are commonly called
'slicks'.
There are also a number of fins that can be configured so as to
either deploy or
not deploy their retarding fins. If not deployed, they have
ballistics virtually
identical to CFA bombs. Because of this, both the CFA and
non-retarding retard finned
bombs are referred to as low-drag (LD) bombs, while bombs using
their retarding devices
are referred to as high-drag (HD) bombs. High-drag bombs loaded
in weapon bays of B-52s
and B-1Bs have a MAU-111 strap that unwraps from around the bomb
body as it falls,
delaying fin opening until the weapon is well clear of the
aircraft.
Mk 82
All 500-lb class Mk 82 warheads have an exposed length of 71 in
(180 cm) (not
including fuze or nose plug) and are 13.9 in (35 cm) in
diameter. The Mk 82 Mod 0 was an
NTP warhead constructed from welded pipe. It featured an
electrical fuze charging well
and a single hoisting/suspension lug located between two 14-in
(35-cm) suspension lugs.
The main changes to the Mk 82 Mod 1 warhead, introduced on 4
January 1955, were the
switch to seamless tubing construction and the elimination of
the single
hoisting/suspension lug. The Navy's Mk 82 Mod 2 was probably
introduced in 1973 and is
thermally protected. Neither the NTP Mk 82 Mod 3 nor the TP Mk
82 Mod 4 were produced.
These warheads featured internal scoring to increase
fragmentation effects. Mk 82s cost
about $500.
The Air Force uses the inert BDU-50 to simulate the Mk 82. These
practice bombs
have no internal plumbing for fuzes. There are two versions: the
BDU-50/B can only be
configured with tail fins, while the BDU-50A/B can also be
fitted with LGB guidance kits.
There are three operational Mk 82 conical fin designs, only two
of which are used
by the Air Force. The 22-pound Mk 82 Mod 1 has a 1.5 degree fin
cant to spin-stabilize
the bomb and several doors and panels to allow access to tail
fuzes. This fin is 26 in
(66 cm) long and has 15-in (38-cm) span fins. Like the Mk 82
CFA, the 27-lb MAU-93/B
attaches to the bomb with six set screws. However, it is 43 in
(109 cm) long and has a
19.6-in (50-cm) fin span. The Navy's BSU-33 was developed during
the late 1980s. The same
length as the Mk 82 CFA, this FSN 35376 gray fin adds 2.5 degree
metal wedges to the left
rear corner of each fin to increase spin rate.
The 60-lb Mk 15 Mod 0 Snakeye retarding fin was adopted for use
in April 1964. The
Mk 15 Mod 1 was introduced in April 1967, and the Mk 15 Mod 2 in
December 1967. The Mk 15
Mod 3 was introduced in April 1970, and was the first version
used by the USAF. The other
version used by the Air Force was the Mk 15 Mod 4, which was
introduced in November 1971.
The Navy's 66-lb Mk 15 Mod 5 retained the release band and
latching lever which had
previously separated from the bomb to prevent damage to
composite aircraft structures.
The Mk 15 Mod 6 refined this design. In late 1987, the Navy
introduced the BSU-86 to
replace the Mk 15. These fins are painted FSN 36375 gray.
The main disadvantage to weapons fitted with Snakeye fins was
that they forced many
aircraft to slow down to deliver them. The Goodyear Aerospace
air-inflatable retard (AIR)
fins allow Mk 80 series warheads to be released at much higher
airspeeds than were
possible with Snakeyes. The Mk 82 AIR is often referred by its
$600, 55-lb fin's
designation: BSU-49. The Navy's Mk 16 uses the BSU-49 shell with
a parachute replacing
the ballute and is used with mines.
Mk 84
All 2,000-lb class Mk 84 warheads have an exposed length of 96
in (244 cm) (not
including fuze or nose plug) and are 18 in (46 cm) in diameter.
The Mk 84 Mod 0 was an
NTP warhead with an electrical fuze charging well and a single
hoisting/suspension lug
located between two 14-in (35-cm) suspension lugs. The first
operational bomb, the Mk 84
Mod 1, was introduced in February 1955 and featured 30-in
(76-cm) suspension lugs, and
was used extensively in Vietnam. The slightly modified Mk 84 Mod
2 was introduced in
March 1972. The Navy's Mk 84 Mod 3 was introduced in May 1973
and was the first TP Mk 84.
The NTP Mk 84 Mod 4 is the current version used by the Air
Force. It was introduced in
August 1974 and eliminated the single hoisting/suspension lug.
The Navy's Mk 84 Mod 5 was
a TP version of the Mod 4 and was introduced in May 1979. The
NTP Mk 84 Mod 6 and TP Mk
84 Mod 7 were introduced in April 1989 and had their fuze arming
wells relocated for
compatibility with F/A-18 bomb racks. Inert Mk 84 s have no
unique designation and are
simply normal casings with non-explosive filler. Mk 84s cost
about $1,900.
The original Mk 84 Mod 0 conical fin had a 25.3-in (64-cm) fin
span, was 53 in (135
cm) long and could be distinguished by its rounded cap behind
the fins that did not allow
access to tail fuzing. The 114-lb production fin, the Mk 84 Mod
1, has several doors and
panels to allow access to tail fuzes, a 2 degree fin cant to
spin-stabilize the bomb, and
deletion of the rounded tail cap that shortens its length to 49
in (124 cm).
The USAF's Mk 84 AIR uses the 97-lb BSU-50 fin. Designed
primarily for the F-111,
its release speed is so high that the Navy did not acquire it.
During Desert Storm, the
Navy decided it had a requirement for a retarded Mk 84 and
authorized the 87-lb Mk 11
parachute fin for overland use, a function it already filled for
underwater mining
operations.
M117
While the Vietnam-era Mk 80-series bombs had Navy designations,
the Korean-vintage
750-lb M117 has a US Army Air Force designation. Originally
classed as a demolition bomb
because its explosive content was about 65 per cent, it was
widely used in Vietnam.
Subsequently, the $500 M117 has only been used by the B-52.
Developed as the T54, the
original Minol-filled version was designated M117. The M117A1
deleted the single
suspension lug, and was followed by the Minol II-filled M117A2.
The M117A3 was filled
with Tritonal. The M117A1E1 was an A2 that could be filled with
either Tritonal or Minol
II. The M117A1E2 was an A1 filled with Minol II, and the final
version was the M117A1E3,
a modified A1E1 filled with Tritonal. M117s were exported,
especially to Israel, which
used them frequently with F-4s during the Yom Kippur War of
October 1973.
Originally, low-drag M117s were fitted with 52-lb M131 conical
fins that were 49 in
(124 cm) long with a 23-in (58-cm) fin span. In the early 1970s,
the 64-lb MAU-103/B
conical fin was introduced, featuring strakes, a 50-in (127-cm)
length, and a 19-in
(48-cm) fin span. A modified version of this fin, the MAU-103A/B
increased fin-span to 22
in (56 cm). The high-drag bomb, commonly known as the M117R,
used the 117-lb MAU-91A/B
and MAU-91B/B 'Snakeye'-type fins through the 1991 Gulf War.
These 22-in (56-cm) span
fins are 48 in (122 cm) long and have minor differences in their
fin latching mechanisms.
The M117 AIR was adopted after the Gulf War and uses the 95-lb
BSU-93/B ballute fin, with
a 20-in (50-cm) fin span and a 40-in (101-cm) length.
The MC-1 is a M117 case filled with 24 US gal (90 liters) of the
lethal nerve gas
Sarin (GB). It is fitted with bursters to rupture it on impact,
dispersing its contents.
Unlike normal bombs, this chemical bomb is painted medium gray,
with a green nose band.
The USAF adopted the 450-lb French Durandal for use by F-111s as
the BLU-107 runway
denial weapon. Its delivery requires a non-maneuvering, level
flight path at low altitude
across the targeta highly defended runway. The $43,000
penetrator consists of a warhead,
rocket motor and parachute. Designed for carriage on BRU-3 bomb
racks, an aerodynamic
fairing is installed over the nose of BLU-107s carried on the
front stations, while the
blunt, penetrator nose is exposed on the aft weapons. When
released, a braking chute
extracts the main parachute and then drops away. The main chute
slows the weapon and
points it at the ground. When the proper downward angle is
achieved, the main chute is
released and the rocket motor fires the warhead through up to 16
in (40 cm) of
unreinforced concrete. After it penetrates beneath the runway, a
delay fuze detonates the
33-lb warhead, heaving the runway surface upward, thus making it
unusable.
French Jaguar As actually dropped Durandels on the first day of
the Gulf War.
F-111Fs attacked the vast Iraqi airfields repeatedly, using LGBs
almost exclusively. They
had great success in making the runways and taxiways unusable by
detonating 2,000-lb LGBs
at their intersections from an altitude safe from ground
fire.
BLU-109
The success of the Israeli air force in destroying the Arab air
forces on the
ground during the opening minutes of the 1967 Six Day War
prompted the major tactical air
forces on both sides of the Iron Curtain to spend billions of
dollars on hardened
aircraft shelters (HAS s). These shelters were impervious to
most GP bombs. Naturally,
the need arose for a bomb capable of penetrating HASs and other
hardened facilities. The
answer to this requirement is built by Lockheed Missiles and
Space Co. and is commonly
referred to as the improved 2,000-lb bomb, or I-2000, although
its actual designation is
BLU-109. To prevent it from breaking up before it penetrates the
hardened exterior of its
target, the BLU-109 has an explosive content of only 25 per
cent. The rear of the bomb is
flared slightly so as to be compatible with any Mk 84 fin group.
Since all of its targets
require precise aiming, BLU-109s are only used as part of a PGM,
although some were
tested with conical fins when carried by F-16 test aircraft.
Versions include the Air
Force's BLU-109/B and the Navy's thermal protected BLU-109A/B.
Including an FMU-143 fuze,
each BLU-109 costs about $12,500.
BLU-113
The ultimate penetration warhead, the Lockheed BLU-113/B, was
developed, produced,
deployed and used in combat in only 17 days. Used for the
4,700-lb GBU-28/B 'Deep Throat'
bombs, they were machined from spare 8-in howitzer barrels to
resemble very long
BLU-109s, but with an explosive content of only 15 per cent.
Published reports indicate
the bomb was dropped from relatively high altitude, maximizing
both its kinetic energy
(five times that of the GBU-24/27) and impact angle, enabling it
to penetrate over 100 ft
(30 m) of earth or 20 ft (6 m) of concrete to destroy command
bunkers thought safe from
all but nuclear attack.
General-Purpose Bomb Fuzes
Often overlooked, the different fuzes used with GP bombs are
absolutely crucial to
inflicting the desired damage to a given target. The most easily
identified of all nose
fuzes was the M1A1, commonly known by the term 'daisy cutter'.
Developed during Vietnam
as a kind of poor man's proximity fuze, it was nothing more than
a length of
explosive-filled pipe with an M904 fuze on the end (usually 36
in long, but also
available in 18- and 24-in lengths). This allowed the bomb to
explode before it buried
itself in the soft soil of Vietnam, thus increasing its blast
effect.
Mechanical fuzes are identifiable visually by their distinctive
vanes or the M905's
ATU-35 anemometer. Most electrical fuzes are cylindrical devices
hidden by either a nose
plug or the fin assembly. The FMU-113 proximity fuze is easily
identifiable by its black,
hemispherical radome.
General-Purpose Bomb Fuzes
Fuze Location Type Function Uses
FMU-26B/B nose/tail inst. or short delay Mk 82, 84, M117 (LD
only)
FMU-54 tail inst. Mk 82, 84, M117 (HD only)
FMU-72 nose/tail elect. long delay Mk 82, 84, M117 (LD only)
FMU-139 nose/tail inst. or short delay Mk 82, 84, M117
FMU-143 tail inst. BLU-109, -113
FMU-113 nose elect. proximity Mk 82, 84, M117 (LD only)
M904E2/3 nose mech. inst. or short delay Mk 82, 84, M117
M905/ATU-35 tail mech. inst. or short delay Mk 82, 84, M117 (LD
only)
Blast Bomb
Used in Vietnam to clear helicopter landing zones and in Iraq to
detonate
minefields, the 15,000-lb class BLU-82 blast bomb was the
largest bomb in the Air Force
arsenal by 1990. During the 1991 Gulf War it was delivered only
by MC-130Es, shoved out
the cargo door strapped to a cargo pallet. The bomb's descent
was slowed and stabilized
by parachutes, and was detonated by a 4-ft long 'daisy cutter',
to ensure an above-ground
explosion and maximize blast and fragmentation effects. The
explosive content of the
BLU-82 was about 80 per cent.
Nuclear Bombs
All modern US nuclear bombs are thermonuclear (i.e. hydrogen
bombs). Delivery
options are dependent on the bomb/aircraft combination and the
type of target destruction
required. All have incorporated parachutes as a standard feature
to assist in level
weapon delivery and aircraft escape. While there may be several
variants to a given
weapon, only the basic designations are presented here. The
weapons are sometimes
referred to by the term 'Mk' instead of 'B'. In line with a
change in US policy announced
in September 1991, all tactical nuclear weapons were removed
from USN ships and stood
down from alert at USAF bomber bases. No one is happier about
that than the crews who
were charged with their care and delivery. By the mid-1990s,
while B61 and B83 weapons
remain in the inventory, the capability to quickly mount a
massive nuclear strike with
manned aircraft that existed prior to 1990 had virtually
evaporated.
Design work on the B28 family of nuclear weapons began in 1954,
and they remained
in service until about 1990. A modular design, it was produced
as five different types of
bombs and was also used as a warhead on the MGM-13 'Mace' and
AGM-28 'Hound Dog'
missiles. Five yields were available, ranging from 70 kT to 1.45
mT, with the tactical
versions having the lower values. Yield of these weapons could
not be adjusted in the
field. The B28EX (for 'external' carriage) had a streamlined
shape and four tail fins,
but was not equipped with a retarding parachute; it had ground
and airburst options.
Several training versions existed, including the BDU-10 and Mk
104 ballistic shapes as
well as the MD-6 and BDU-26 load trainers. The B28RE (for
'retarded, external' carriage)
also had a streamlined shape, but it only had three fins, which
were mounted well forward
of the tail. It also had ground and airburst options, but could
be delivered from low
altitude. Its ballistic shape was the BDU-4.
The B43 program began in 1955, with the weapons remaining in
service until about
1990. A total of five yields were available, with the largest
about one megaton; the
yields could not be adjusted in the field. There were two
versions designed for external
carriage. B43-0 could only be used for parachute-retarded
laydown deliveries. It had a
steel nose spike covered by an aerodynamic nosecone. After the
bomb separated from the
aircraft, the nosecone was jettisoned and the spike enabled the
bomb to penetrate hard
targets and be held in place for several seconds (to allow the
aircraft to escape) before
detonating. The B43-1 was a multi-purpose weapon with a longer
nose, which contained a
fuzing radar. It could be used with freefall airburst, retarded
airburst (with or without
a ground burst backup), or retarded laydown. Several training
versions existed, including
the BDU-18 (freefall) and BDU-8 (retarded) ballistic shapes, as
well as the BDU-6 / 24 /
35 load trainers. B43s were carried externally by the A-4, A-6,
A-7, B-58, FB-111, F-100,
F-104, F-105 and F-111. They were painted gloss white with
chocolate brown radomes.
The B53 was based on the warhead used by the Titan II missile.
It was recalled into
the inventory for use by B-52s pending arrival of the B83
weapon. It was targeted against
deeply buried Soviet command centers and submarine pens. While
it had freefall and
parachute-retarded airburst options, it would normally use a
laydown (delayed surface
burst) or immediate contact (surface) burst. The BDU-13 was its
ballistic shape, while
the BDU-9 was its load trainer.
The B57 was designed as a nuclear depth charge, but was later
adopted for use as a
low-yield tactical nuclear weapon. Nicknamed the 'Dr Pepper'
bomb (after the American
soft drink), its delivery options included laydown, and toss
(sometimes called loft) with
either air or surface burst. Several training versions existed,
including the BDU-12 and
BDU-20 ballistic shapes, as well as the BDU-11 and BDU-19 load
trainers. B57s were
carried externally by the A-4, A-6, A-7, FB-111, F-104, F-105,
F-111, F-4, F-16 and
F/A-18. B57s were painted in the same manner as B43s.
The B61, in addition to its strategic use, was the most commonly
used weapon by
tactical fighters. Nicknamed the 'Silver Bullet,' because of its
shape and color, it gave
a whole new meaning to the claim by an American beer that,
'Silver Bullets won't slow you
down!' Delivery options included freefall or retarded airburst,
laydown, and toss (with
either air or surface burst). Several training versions existed,
including the BDU-38
ballistic shape, as well as the BDU-36 and BDU-39 load trainers.
B61s were carried
externally by the A-4, A-6, A-7, FB-111, F-104, F-105, F-111,
F-4, F-16 and F/A-18.
The B83 is designed for attacking hardened strategic targets
such as command
bunkers, and nuclear weapon storage sites. It has freefall and
retarded airburst, as well
as surface burst and laydown delivery options. Although tested
on F-111s, it was probably
only operational with B-2As and B-52Hs (and B-1Bs until they
were dedicated to
conventional missions in the mid-1990s).
The B90 was designed to replace the B57 and B61 for use by Navy
A-6E, A-7E, F/A-18,
S-3A/B and P-3C. It weighed about 760 lb, was 117 in (297 cm)
long and 13 in (33 cm) in
diameter. Flight testing began in mid-1989, with initial drop
testing beginning in early
1990. The program was canceled following the change in US
nuclear policy in September
1991.
Nuclear Weapons Used By US Aircraft
Bomb Years Weight Quan Aircraft
Mk I 45-51 8,900 5 B-29 (Little Boy)
Mk III 47-50 10,300 120 B-29, B-50 (Fat Man)
Mk 4 49-53 10,900 550 B-29, B-36, B-50, AJ-1, AJ-2
Mk 5 52-63 3,175 140 B-29, B-36, B-45, B-47, B-50, B-52,
B-66B,
AJ-1, AJ-2
Mk 6 51-62 8,500 1,100 B-29, B-36, B-47, B-50, B-52, AJ-1,
AJ-2
Mk 7 52-67 1,700 470 AJ-1, AJ-2, AD-4, AD-5, AD-6, AD-7, A2D,
A4D-1,
B-45, B-57B, B-57C, F-84E, F-84F, F-84G,
F-100D, F-100F, F-101A, F-101C, F2H-2B, FJ-4B
Mk 8 52-57 3,250 40 AJ-1, AJ-2, AD-4, A2D, A4D-1, B-45,
B-47,
F-84E, F-84F, F-84G, F2H-2B, FJ-4B
Mk 11 56-60 3,500 40 AJ-1, AJ-2, AD-4, AD-7, A2D, A4D-1, B-45,
B-47,
(Mk 91) F-84E, F-84F, F-84G, F2H-2B, FJ-4B
Mk 12 54-62 1,100 250 AJ-1, AJ-2, AD-4, AD-7, A2D, A4D-1,
B-45,
F-84E, F-84F, F-84G, F-86F, F-86H, F9F-8B,
F2H-2B, FJ-4B
Mk 14 54-54 29,850 5 B-36 (First H-bomb)
Mk 15 55-65 7,600 1,200 B-47B, B-47E, B-52
Mk 17 54-57 42,000 200 B-36
Mk 18 53-56 9,000 90 B-36, B-47
Mk 21 55-57 15,000 275 B-36, B-47
Mk 24 54-56 42,000 105 B-36
Mk 27 58-64 3,150 700 A3D, A3J
B28EX 58-8? 2,040 A-6, F-100D, F-100F, F-101A, F-101C,
F104A,
F-104C, F-4
B28IN 58-80 1,980 A3J, B-47B, B-47E, B-52, B-66B, F-105B,
F-105D
B28RE 59-90 2,170 4,500 A-6, F-100D, F-100F, F104A, F-104C
B28RI 60-80 2,320 B-47B, B-47E, B-52
B28FI 62-90 2,320 B-52
Mk 105 58-77 1,500 600 USN (W34 Hotpoint)
Mk 36 56-62 17,500 940 B-47B, B-47E, B-52
Mk 39 57-66 10,000 700 B-47B, B-47E, B-52, B-58 (pod)
Mk 41 60-76 10,000 500 B-47B, B-47E, B-52
B43-0 61-76 1,000 2,060 A-4, A-6, A-7, B-47B, B-47E, B-52,
B-58,
F-100D, F-100F, F104A, F-104C, F-4
B43-1 62-90 2,125 F-100D, F-100F, F-101A, F-101C, F104A,
F-104C,
FB-111, F-111, F-4
Mk 53 62- 8,850 340 B-47B, B-47E, B-52, B-58 (pod), B-70
B57 63- 510 3,100 A-4, A-6, A-7, F-100D, F-100F, F-104G,
F-105B,
F-105D, F-111, FB-111, F-4, F/A-18
B61 66- 720 3,150 A-4, A-6, A-7. F-100D, F-100F, F-104G,
F-105D,
F-111, FB-111, F-4, F-15, F-16, F/A-18
B83 83- 2,400 1,000 B-52, B-1, B-2
AIR-2 56-84 219 3,150 (W25) F-89J, F-101B
AGM-12D 61-70 150 100 (W45) F-100D, F-100F, F-105D
AIM-26 61-72 50 2,000 (W54) F-89J, F-101B, F-102A, F-106A,
F-106B
AGM-28 60-76 1,675 600 (W28) B-52
AGM-62 70-79 300 (W72) F-4
AGM-69 71-91 1,200 (W69) B-52G, B-52H, FB-111A
AGM-86 81- 2,000+ (W80) B-52G, B-52H
AGM-127 91- B-52H
Copyright (c) 1995 SoftKey Multimedia Inc.; All Rights
Reserved.
US Air Force: Weapons
Guided Weapons
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Paveway Laser-Guided Bombs
World War II bombers had a circular error probable (CEP)the
radius within which
half of their bombs would fallof 3,300 ft (1,005 m). In
practical terms, this meant that
9,000 bombs were required to achieve a 90 per cent likelihood of
destroying a 60 100 ft
(18 30 m) building. By Vietnam, only 300 bombs were required.
Then came laser-guided
bombs.
Laser guided bombs (LGB s) were arguably the most revolutionary
improvement in
bombing accuracy in the history of military aviation. These
weapons were eventually
redesignated under the larger GBU class, which also included the
other class of 'smart',
unpowered weapons, electro-optical guided bombs. A computer
simulation by Texas
Instruments in the early 1970s asserted that a group of 100
targets which would require
21,000 manually aimed bombs or 4,000 continuously computed
impact point (CCIP) aimed bombs
would only require 100 LGBs. Although actual performance was not
quite as impressive (no
weapon has ever achieved 100 per cent success), actual results
from the 1991 Gulf War
proved LGBs to be unsurpassed for destroying point targets.
Although the LGBs are more
expensive than unguided bombs, in the more important comparison
of 'cost per target
killed' they are far cheaper, both in terms of ordnance expended
and crew/aircraft
exposure to enemy defenses.
Operational US Paveway II Laser-Guided Bombs
Bomb CCG Warhead Weight AFG Remarks
GBU-10C/B MAU-169/B WS-2123
GBU-10D/B MAU-169A/B Mk 84 2,083 lb MXU-651/B
GBU-10E/B MAU-169B, C, D, E & F/B
GBU-10F/B MAU-169C/B & D/B
GBU-10G/B MAU-169/B
GBU-10H/B MAU-169A/B BLU-109/B 2,103 lb MXU-651/B 'GBU-10I'
GBU-10J/B MAU-169B & D/B
GBU-12B/B MAU-169/B WS-212D
GBU-12C/B MAU-169A/B Mk 82 611 lb MXU-650/B
GBU-12D/B MAU-169B, C, D, E & F/B
GBU-16/B MAU-169/B
GBU-16A/B MAU-169A/B Mk 83 1,110 lb MXU-667/B USN only
GBU-16B/B MAU-169D, E, & F/B
Paveway II Laser-Guided Bombs
Of all the Paveway I LGBs used in Vietnam, only those based on
the Mk 80 series
bombs were retained and improved by the performance enhancement
program (PEP). Paveway II
bombs were externally distinguishable from Paveway Is by their
'pop-out' wings which made
handling and carriage easier. Their MAU-169 computer control
groups (CCG) differed from
the Paveway I's MAU-157 in its ability to guide on coded laser
illumination, thus making
it possible to attack multiple targets simultaneously while
reducing the probability of
successful countermeasures. To incorporate this feature, pulse
repetition frequency (PRF)
selectors were mounted on the exterior of the CCG. Both Paveway
I and II bombs used
'bang-bang' CCGs that utilized full control deflection to alter
a bomb's trajectory, thus
shortening its normal ballistic range. For this reason, Paveway
I and II bombs were
dropped ballistically, with the laser only being turned on
during the last few seconds of
flight to refine the impact point. Paveway II GBU-10s cost
$22,000 and GBU-12s $9,000
each.
All operational Paveway II weapons had 1-in (2.5-cm) wide ID
stripes on the left
side of their wings (4 in/10 cm long), canards, and CCG (both 3
in/7.6 cm long).These
stripes were yellow for GBU-10s and orange for GBU-12s.
Paveway III Laser-Guided Bombs
Paveway III low-level laser-guided bombs (LLLGB s) use
proportional guidance CCGs
to increase both bomb range and accuracy. LLLGB kits were
developed for both the 500-lb
GBU-22/B and 2,000-lb GBU-24 bombs but, at a price of $65,000
each, only the latter
generated a performance increase warranting production. The
GBU-24/B uses a Mk 84 warhead
while the GBU-24A/B uses the BLU-109/B penetration warhead. The
latter warhead requires
the ADU-548 adapter kit with saw-tooth adapters to smooth air
flow over the tail section
and a hardback to compensate for the reduced diameter of the
BLU-109 warhead. The GBU-27/B
Paveway III bomb is modified to fit within the F-117A weapons
bay. It has shorter canards
and Paveway II wings and an adapter collar between the CCG and
the warhead shortened from
the GBU-24's 9 in (23 cm) to only 6 in (15 cm).
The GBU-28/B ' Deep Throat ' bomb was developed during the 1991
Gulf War to
implement attacks against several deeply buried bunker complexes
in the Baghdad area
containing the main Iraqi command and control facilities. With
20-ft (6-m) reinforced
concrete ceilings buried 100 ft (30 m) in the ground, these
bunkers were impervious to
ordinary conventional bombs. Initial discussions about how to
attack this class of target
were held in the weeks leading up to the 15 January UN deadline,
with the weapon referred
to as the hard target penetrating munition (HTPM). The final
Lockheed-proposed design
called for an 8-in (20-cm) howitzer barrel machined to a shape
resembling an elongated
BLU-109 and fitted the GBU-27's airfoil group, but with the
GBU-24's longer adapter
collar. The final go-ahead to develop the bomb was not granted
until 11 February 1991,
three weeks into the air war. Initially, four bombs were
constructed, with two used for
testing and the others reserved for combat use. The barrels were
taken out of storage at
Watervilet Arsenal in New York, cut and machined to size, fitted
with an artillery shell
nose and shipped to Eglin AFB where they were loaded with
explosives. Because of their
length, each bomb nose was lowered into a pit and filled with
explosive filler by means of
a bucket brigade (after giving the safety officer some
Valium).
Meanwhile, an evaluation was carried out to determine which
would be the better
delivery vehicle, the F-111F or F-15E. The bomb proved too long
for carriage on the
F-15E's centerline station, both because of take-off and landing
clearance and loading
requirements. (The GBU-28's suspension lugs are 10 in/25 cm
farther forward when used on
the F-15E when compared with the F-111F.) Also, the bomb's
requirement for four arming
lanyards to be pulled would have required a computer delivery
from the F-15E, which in
turn would have required non-existent ballistics and a risky
computer change. The F-111F
could drop the bomb with manual ballistics, but faced a minor
problem in that it could
only lower its flaps to 30 degrees (instead of the normal 34
degrees) for take-off while
carrying the bomb. Of greater concern was the F-111F's longer
moment arm (the distance
from the aircraft centerline at which the bomb was carried). The
bomb was first flown on
an F-15E on Wednesday 20 February (configured with LANTIRN pods,
a clean centerline
station, the GBU-28 on left the wing, a Mk 84 LDGP on right
winguntil after take-off when
it was jettisonedand shoulder-mounted AIM-9L/Ms), while weather
delayed the F-111F flight
until next day. No operationally significant restrictions were
found with either airframe
as a result of these flights.
Dropping the GBU-28 required delivery at high subsonic speeds
from above 25,000 ft
(7,620 m) to achieve the desired kinetic energy and impact
angle. In addition to the
airframe constraints already discussed, the F-15E's LANTIRN
pods, designed for use at low
altitude, were not pressurized and would arc if used at high
altitude. Also, a second
aircraft was required to lase the target from altitudes
compatible with LANTIRN. (Later in
1991, a technique was developed at Eglin to permit F-15E
delivery of the GBU-28 using the
computer program in use by aircraft still in Saudi Arabia. It
required use of Mk 84
ballistics to establish azimuth aiming, then switching to Mk 20
ballistics to establish
ranging.)
On Friday afternoon, a reluctant decision was made to proceed
with the F-111F, and a
test drop was conducted at the Nellis AFB, Nevada range complex
on Saturday. The test
dropped was deemed successful, with the bomb burying itself so
deep in the ground that it
was never recovered. The final test before use was a sled run at
Holloman AFB, New Mexico
to evaluate bomb fuzingthe weapon cleanly punched through a
20-ft (6-m) reinforced
concrete wall and continued another 0.5 mile (0.8 km) before
coming to earth. By the time
this happened, the two combat bombs were en route to Taif, Saudi
Arabia on a C-141, still
warm to the touch from the freshly poured molten explosive
filler. The bombs were airborne
again only four hours after arriving, this time on a one-way
trip to Baghdad, arriving
just four hours before the end of the war.
Initially only 30 GBU-28s were procured for use by F-111Fs and
F-15Es. In FY94, an
additional 100 'GBU-28 follow-on' bombs were ordered for
delivery in FY95 at a unit cost
of about $170,000. These differed from the original weapons in
that their software enables
them to be delivered from lower altitudes.
All operational Paveway III weapons had 1-in (2.5-cm) wide ID
stripes on the left
side of their wings (3.5 in/8.9 cm long), canards and CCG (both
3 in/7.6 cm long).These
stripes were gray for GBU-24s and green for both the GBU-27 and
28.
The successor to Deep Throat is the Boosted Penetrator. This is
projected to be a
2,250 to 3,000-lb bomb fitted with a rocket motor to drive it
deep underground. Designed
for internal carriage by B-2As and F-117As, the 116-in (295-cm)
long bomb could also be
carried externally by other aircraft, including the F-16 and
F/A-18.
US Paveway III Laser-Guided Bombs
Bomb CCG Warhead Weight AFG Remarks
GBU-24/B WGU-12/B Mk 84 2,315 lb BSU-84/B
GBU-24A/B WGU-12B/B BLU-109/B 2,335 lb BSU-84/B
GBU-24B/B WGU-39/B BLU-109A/B 2,392 lb BSU-84/B USN
GBU-27/B WGU-25/B Mk 84 2,150 lb BSU-88/B F-117
GBU-27A/B WGU-25/B BLU-109/B 2,170 lb BSU-88/B F-117
GBU-28/B WGU-36/B BLU-113/B 4,576 lb BSU-92/B
Pave Penny
The AN/AAS-35 Pave Penny target identification set, laser
(TISL), is used by the
OA-10A and A-10A, and limited numbers of F-16s. It is a direct
descendent of Vietnam-era
Pave Arrow (F-100) and Pave Sword (F-4) programs. Not a
designator, this laser detector is
carried on its own pylon from the forward right fuselage of the
A-10. It is used to sense
laser energy from ground- or air-based designators reflecting
off targets, displaying a
cueing symbol on the HUD to assist the pilot in locating the
target. Although this
information could be used for the delivery of laser-guided
ordnance, in practice the
targets would normally be attacked with 'dumb' bombs or (in the
case of the A-10) gunfire.
Pave Tack
The AN/AVQ-26 Pave Tack pod features all the modes first
developed for the
Vietnam-era Pave Knife pod. However, unlike earlier laser
designators, Pave Tack is
totally integrated with the host aircraft's avionics system,
allowing it to be cued to
where the radar is looking. This capability, in concert with the
replacement with an
imaging infra-red sensor of the TV sensors used by earlier
designators, enables Pave
Tack-equipped aircraft to autonomously deliver LGBs at night
from extremely low altitudes.
Earlier systems had relied heavily on 'buddy' lasing, with one
aircraft lasing the target
for others, usually from medium altitudes.
It was originally planned to equip 180 F-4Es and 60 RF-4Cs with
Pave Tack. However,
because of a protracted and difficult development program, the
actual number was
substantially lower. A practical drawback to using the 1,385-lb
pod with the F-4E was its
large size, which required carriage on the centerline station,
displacing the 600-US gal
2270-liter) external fuel tank. In the end, Phantom crews
referred to the pod as 'Pave
Drag'. About 150 pods were built, and all eventually ended up
being used by F-111Fs (and
later Australian F-111Cs). The F-111F community used Pave Tack
to great effect during the
1991 Gulf War, using it to deliver the majority of LGBs employed
by the USAF against Iraq.
Unlike on the F-4E, the F-111C/F Pave Tack installation mounts
the pod on a rotating
cradle in the weapon bay. The outer weapon bay doors have a 'cut
out' section towards the
rear, while the inner ones are replaced by the cradle. Although
normally installed, the
cradle can be removed and replaced by weapon bay doors in about
an hour. Looking forward,
the cradle rotates clockwise to stow the pod and counter
clockwise to expose it. The pod
is painted FSN 34087 olive drab with predominately black
markings. The FLIR window has a
milky amber color, while the two smaller laser windows are
basically clear, but have a
distinct bluish tint.
Paveway Fuze Options
Fuze Location Type Remarks
FMU-81 nose or tail short delay Paveway II & III
FMU-124 nose or tail inst. Paveway II
FMU-139 nose or tail inst. or short delay Paveway II &
III
FMU-143 tail inst. or short delay penetration warheads
LANTIRN
Low-Altitude, Navigation and Targeting, Infra-Red, for Night
(LANTIRN) emerged from
the 'black' world in late 1979. Named by then commander of
Tactical Air Command, General
Wilbur Creech, it was perceived by the Carter administration as
a low-cost alternative to
the recently proposed F-15 Strike Eagle, allowing F-16s and
A-10s to attack Warsaw Pact
armored formations at night. As originally conceived, LANTIRN
was to cost $500,000, be
contained in a single pod and employ a laser radar (LADAR)
terrain-following system. Its
targeting FLIR, when coupled with automatic target recognition,
promised to make possible
the remarkable performance of automatically launching six
Mavericks at separate tanks
within 20 seconds, while distinguishing friend from foe in the
process.
Then reality set in. By the time it was fielded, LANTIRN was no
longer low cost and
had become an integral part of the F-15E's avionics. Since
lasers can not see through
clouds, the first thing to go was the LADAR, being replaced with
a single
terrain-following radar (TFR), very similar to what had been
used for years by the F-111.
Very early on, it was recognized that there were high and low
risk portions to the program
and action was taken to separate these. The TFR was combined
with the wide field of view
Navigation FLIR (NavFLIR) to form one pod, while the much more
challenging technologies
were merged into a second, Targeting FLIR (TgtFLIR) pod.
The AN/AAQ-13 NavFLIR pod had a reasonably straightforward
gestation. To facilitate
low-level flight at night, it overlays cues from the TFR on the
FLIR image displayed full
scale on the aircraft's wide field of view (WFOV) HUD. The pilot
has the ability to
'snap-look' roughly one FOV left, right, up, or down, with the
control switch
spring-loaded to the 'straight ahead' position. The total area
available for the pilot to
look at with the FLIR defines its 'field of regard' (FOR).
Although the TFR generates
automatic terrain-following commands, integration of these with
the older flight control
system of the F-15E proved exceeding difficult, forcing 'Beagle'
pilots to focus on the
task of manually flying low level at night like their lives
depend on it, which they quite
literally do. Without auto-TFR, the F-15Es are limited to 'under
the weather' terrain
following, unlike soon-to-be-discarded F-111s which have
routinely flown 'in weather' TFR
since the mid-1960s. The F-16's fly-by-wire flight control
system was able to integrate
auto TFR quite easily, but the extra drag created by the LANTIRN
pods exacerbate its
already anemic low-altitude range performance.
The AN/AAQ-14 TgtFLIR pod eventually had to settle for less
lofty goals than had
been initially set for it. Its target recognition objectives
drove a requirement for
enough picture elements, or 'pixels' to define with great
certainty not only that it was
looking at a tank, but whose tank, and at a range that would
allow a Maverick to be locked
onto and launched at it. The number of pixels that could be
packed into a given space were
limited by the size of the pod, and the two requirements drove
the field of view
available. The TgtFLIR's very narrow field of view (NFOV) was
also expected to
automatically boresight the six Maverick missiles carried on two
LAU-88 triple rail
launchers. To overcome a relatively slow gimble rate by the
Maverick seekers, and
operating on the presumption that all the targets would be
located in relatively close
proximity to one another, the pod would not only direct the
first missile's seeker to its
target, but also the second's, so it would be looking close to
where it needed to be when
its turn came to locate a target. However, it was soon
discovered that just the slop
between the missile and its rail could result in the missile's
seeker being outside the
FOV of the TgtFLIR. Add to that the considerable amount of
flexing done by the F-16 wing,
and the whole idea began to unravel. Eventually, the pod was
accepted without the
auto-recognition feature, which continued in development,
although the requirement to
blunt hordes of Red armor faded away with the Cold War. By the
time of the Gulf War,
TgtFLIRs had just started to become operational, and had a
performance roughly comparable
to the older Pave Tack system used operationally by F-111Fs for
10 years in a package
about one-fourth as heavy.
LANTIRN Pod Characteristics
Pod Length Diameter Weight Viewing Areas
AN/AAQ-13 72.0 in 14 in 450 lb 21 28 deg. FOV 77 84 deg. FOR
AN/AAQ-14 98.5 in 15 in 530 lb 6 6 deg. WFOV 1.7 1.7 deg.
NFOV
Modular Guided-Weapon System
The GBU-15 modular guided-weapon system (MGWS) bomb family was
initially called
EOGB-II. Originally there were to be many versions, using both
the Mk 84 bomb and SUU-54
dispenser. Two types of wings were designed: a cruciform wing
(CW) for short-range bombs
and a planar wing (PW) for long range. The former were known as
modular guided glide bombs
(MGGB, and later MGGB-I), and the latter as MGGB-II or the
extended range version
(MGGB-ERV). The GBU-15 CW weapon was first proposed for use
during the 1973 war, but at
that time only two bombs' datalink pods were being tested. More
bombs would not have been
available until early 1974, so the idea quickly died (although
Israel became a major
GBU-15 customer). The MGWS test program initially suffered from
abysmal reliability
problems, with the planar wing version eventually being
canceled.
Production weapons are basically Maverick missile seekers mated
to Mk 84 warheads
and fitted with large wings. In practice, they are usually
launched from beyond the range
of enemy defenses and guided by datalink, often from a second
aircraft well away from the
combat zone, allowing the launching aircraft to concentrate on
its egress from the target
area. While they are normally guided manually all the way to
impact, GBU-15s can also be
locked on at any point during flight, called lock-on after
launch (LOAL). Datalink control
is exercised through the AXQ-14 pod, originally called
electronic datalink pod (MGGB EDLP
). After Desert Storm, the AXQ-14 was gradually replaced by the
newer (but externally
identical) ZSW-1 pod.
As many as two of TAC's 4th TFW squadrons were operational with
GBU-15 and Pave
Tack. Initial plans to equip USAFE F-4Es at Spangdahlem AB,
Germany with GBU-15 were
abandoned in favor of Lakenheath F-111Fs. The only PACAF F-4E
unit to employ the GBU-15
was the 3rd TFS at Clark AB, Philippines. With their
deactivation in 1991, this
workload-intensive weapon was employed only by USAFE's 493rd TFS
F-111Fs. They launched 70
GBU-15s against well-defended, high-value targets during Desert
Storm. Both clear
electro-optical (EO) and amber-colored imaging infra-red (IIR)
seeker heads were used (the
former costing about $195,000, and the latter about $300,000
each). All Mk 84 versions of
the GBU-15 were expended during Desert Storm, with slightly more
of the IIR seekers and
'short chord' wings being used. The original 'long-chord' and
the newer 'short-chord'
wings both have the same glide performance. GBU-15s utilize the
FMU-124 instantaneous or
short-delay impact fuze.
The GBU-15I was introduced after Desert Storm. It is only
configured with the
BLU-109 warhead and short-chord wings, using the ADK-723 adapter
kit to compensate for its
narrower diameter when compared with Mk 84-based versions. Both
the GBU-15 and GBU-15I
became operational with F-15Es during 1993.
Trainer designations include the GBU-15(V)1, 2, 31, and
32(T-1)/B. These are captive
devices normally used in conjunction with datalink pods, with
one aircraft representing
the launching aircraft and the other the bomb. The WSO in the
'launching' aircraft directs
the 'bomb' using datalink commands which are actually flown by
the pilot of the 'bomb'
aircraft.
When the F-111F employs the GBU-15, the datalink pod is mounted
on the aft fuselage
station where the ALQ-131 ECM pod is normally located. Since it
is not required, the Pave
Tack is removed and the shallow (two-band) ALQ-131 is mounted on
its cradle. When flown on
the F-15E, the bombs are carried on the wing pylons with the
datalink pod on the
centerline.
MGWS Bombs
Bomb Seeker Warhead Fin Group Weight Remarks
GBU-15(V)-1 DSU-27 Mk 84 MXU-724 2,510 lb long-chord EO
GBU-15(V)-2 WGU-10 long-chord IIR
GBU-15(V)-21 DSU-27 Mk 84 MXU-787 2,335 lb short-chord EO
GBU-15(V)-22 WGU-10 2,385 lb short-chord IIR
GBU-15(V)-31 DSU-27 BLU-109 MXU-787 2,400 lb 'GBU-15I' EO
GBU-15(V)-32 WGU-10 2,450 lb 'GBU-15I' IIR
GATS/GAM
This is a Northrop/Hughes-developed proposal to provide the B-2A
with a stop-gap PGM
capability until JDAM becomes operational in 1999. The GPS-aided
targeting system (GATS)
portion of the program is managed by the B-2 program office and
uses the aircraft's
synthetic aperture radar (SAR) and GPS positioning information
to accurately determine
target location. This involves making an initial target
identification using the
aircraft's SAR, then flying a low-observable arc towards the
target to create a relative
bearing change of at least 25 degree from the initial SAR image.
A second image will then
be generated and used to automatically refine aim points and
eliminate GPS-bias (the
differential between a target's real location and its GPS
location, which can be as much
as 30 ft/2.8 m). Initially, GATS will be loaded with preplanned
aim points which the
aircrew will be able to refine in flight. When Block 30 aircraft
become available in
early-1997, they will be capable of inflight retargeting. The
first set of Block 30 stores
management software began flight tests in a KC-135 in November
1994.
In 1994, Congress appropriated $25 million to procure 128
GPS-Aided Munitions (GAM
s). This 2,000-lb class, Mk 84-based weapon has a tail-mounted
guidance section containing
a combined inertial measuring unit (IMU) and GPS receiver, a
guidance and control unit
(GCU), and an airfoil group. GAM has an eight to 10-mile (13 to
16-km) long footprint when
launched from an altitude of 40,000 ft (12,192 m). The 128 GAMs
will allow eight B-2As to
be equipped with 16 RLA-mounted weapons, each capable of being
directed against a separate
target.
The first six of 28 demonstration versions of GAM were delivered
by late 1994 for
ground and flight testing. The first drop test was conducted on
23 November 1994 from an
F-4 at China Lake, California. It was released from 37,500 ft
(11,430 m), traveled 32,000
ft (9,754 m) downrange, and achieved a 90 degree impact angle 44
ft (13 m) from its
intended target. Two more drops from an F-4 occurred in December
1994. The first was from
16,000 ft (4,877 m) downrange, achieving a 110 degree impact
angle. The other flew 25,000
ft (7,620 m) downrange and 10,000 ft (3,048 m) cross range.
Three more GAM drop tests from a B-2 are scheduled in 1995,
prior to the beginning
tests of the entire GATS/GAM system in August. Initial
operational capability is expected
in July 1996. Expected accuracy is 45-60 ft (14-18 m) for Block
10 aircraft, and 20 ft (6
m) for Block 20.
JDAM
Joint direct attack munition (JDAM) is an Air Force-led
amalgamation of programs to
increase the accuracy and lethality of conventional bombs.
Before it became known as JDAM
in early 1994, the program had been known as JDAM-Phase 1
(JDAM-1) and inertially aided
munition (IAM). The goal is to permit the accurate delivery of
conventional bombs against
multiple targets per pass, overcoming the limitations weather
placed on the delivery of
PGMs. The weapon will use a steerable tail unit coupled to a
relatively inexpensive
GPS-aided inertial guidance system to hit within 43 ft (13 m) of
preprogrammed targets in
any weather. It is hoped that advanced GPS techniques can lower
this figure to as little
as 25 ft (7.6 m).
A draft request for proposals (RFP) was released in October
1992, followed by a
formal RFP in January 1993. Tests using GBU-15(V)-1 airframes
with seeker heads replaced
by INS/GPS guidance packages were conducted in early 1993 from a
Block 40 F-16C (88-0441).
In six test launches under varying conditions, impact distances
ranged from 6.6 to 36 ft
(2 to 11 m) from the target.
JDAM engineering and manufacturing development (EMD) contracts
were awarded in April
1994 to Martin Marietta and McDonnell Douglas ($13.8 and $35.0
million, respectively).
Eliminated from the program were Hughes, Lockheed,
Rockwell/Boeing, Texas Instruments, and
Raytheon. Initially planned only for 2,000-lb class Mk 84 and
BLU-109 bombs, in 1994 a
need was recognized for a 1,000-lb Mk 83-based JDAM variant for
the F-22, and the Navy
expressed interest in ensuring it is compatible with its
aircraft. The 2,000-lb weapon is
designated GBU-29, while the 1,000-lb weapon will be known as
the GBU-30.
Selection of the winning EMD competitor is scheduled for October
1995, with the
placement of an initial production order of 500 kits. Initial
JDAM flight testing will
begin in October 1996 with the F-16.
The Navy priority for GBU-29 capability is the F/A-18C/D in
1999, followed by the
F/A-18E/F and F-14 in 2000, and eventually the AV-8B, P-3, and
S-3.
The first Air Force aircraft to become operational with the
GBU-29 will be the B-2A
in 1997. It will be followed by the B-52 in 2000, B-1B in 2001,
and F-16C/D in 2002. Plans
for the F-15E are uncertain at this point. Testing of the GBU-30
with the F-22 will begin
in 2001 following initial testing with the F-16.
The USAF plans to buy 59,000 GBU-29s and 3,000 GBU-30s, while
the Navy plans to buy
12,000 GBU-30s. Ultimately, enough kits may be bought to equip
30-50 per cent US Mk 82 and
Mk 84 inventories, along with another 35,000-50,000 kits for
allies. Unit price in 1991
was expected to be as much as $53,000. However, in large part
because of JDAM's status as
a acquisition pilot program, by 1995 goal each guidance kit is
expected to cost about
$40,000 initially, with the cost eventually falling to less than
$25,000. At those prices,
total acquisition figures could rise to 100,000 to 150,000, with
the goal being to
eventually eliminate 'dumb bombs'.
The name advanced all-up round (AAUR) was adopted in 1994 for a
program previously
known as joint programmable fuze (JPF) and JDAM-Phase 2
(JDAM-2). Its goal is to develop a
500-lb bomb with improved accuracy over the previous Mk 82.
Also renamed in 1994 was the JDAM performance improvement
program (JDAM PIP), which
had previously been known as JDAM-Phase 3 (JDAM-3), and the
adverse weather
precision-guided munition (AWPGM). With the goal of reducing
miss distance for the 14-nm
(26-km) ranged weapon against preprogrammed targets to under 10
ft (3 m) in any weather,
it focuses on three areas: reducing target location errors,
increasing GPS accuracy, and
adding a seeker to the nose of the weapon. Beginning in October
1993, several terminal
guidance seeker concepts were evaluated, with particular
attention being paid to seeker
performance in battlefield smoke and haze. Candidates that
survived this evaluation were
synthetic-aperture and millimeter-wave radars, as well as
terrain comparison. In addition,
imaging infra-red was selected for use on the AGM-154C JSOW, but
no decision will be made
until FY98 about which seeker to fit to JDAM.
Copyright (c) 1995 SoftKey Multimedia Inc.; All Rights
Reserved.
US Air Force: Weapons
Air-to-Ground Missiles
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
AGM-45 Shrike
Produced by Texas Instruments, the 400-lb class AGM-45 Shrike
was the first
anti-radiation missile (ARM). Developed by the Naval Weapons
Center as the ASM-N-10 during
the Vietnam War, it became operational in 1965, with production
of 16,000 ending in 1978.
All missiles are 8 in (20 cm) in diameter, with a 36.3-in
(92-cm) wing span and an 18.0-in
(46-cm) tail span. Most Shrikes are 120 in (305 cm) long, with
the -7 the longest at 122
in (310 cm). Weights of the $89,000 missile vary between 394 and
426 lb, depending on the
components used. Except as noted otherwise. all exterior
surfaces are FSN 17875 gloss
white.
Both the AGM-45A and AGM-45B missiles use the same guidance
sections, which
determine the 'dash' number of the missiles. They operate in
four modes: captive, powered,
and free flight, followed by terminal guidance. During captive
flight the missile provides
the crew with target detection signals by using aircraft power.
Powered flight defines the
period of rocket motor burn and can be commanded either
automatically or manually. There
are three types of free flight functioning: most missiles simply
glide until the gas
generator in the control section is activated by the electronic
attitude sensor (EAS).
This component monitors flight path angle by sensing pressure
changes and fires the gas
generator after the missile descends through 18,000 ft (5,486 m)
and the desired dive
angle is reached. In missiles modified for dive delivery the EAS
is bypassed and the gas
generator fires three seconds after launch, just after motor
burnout. In missiles prior to
the -9, this function has to be selected before flight by
installing a component called a
dive plug. In the -9 and -10 missiles EAS bypass (EASB) allows
this option to be selected
in flight. During terminal guidance power from the gas generator
allows the control fins
to react to commands from the guidance section, directing the
missile towards or, in the
case of the gravity bias (G-Bias) missiles, just above the
target.
Shrike guidance sections are designed to attack radars which
emit in different
frequencies. Unlike the later HARM, which can be programmed,
Shrike seekers are 'hard
wired' for a single function. The Mk 22 (AGM-45-2) was withdrawn
from service about 1985.
The Mk 23 is an inert section used with the ground loading
trainer (ATM-45A-1) and
separation test item (ATM-45-2). Although similar to the Mk 22,
its single-piece shell
lacks a radome. The Mk 24 (AGM-45-3) and Mk 25 (AGM-45-4) are
used by both the Air Force
and Navy. Use of the Mk 36 (AGM-45-6) requires use of a special
control section. The Mk 41
(ATM-45-6) exercise guidance section contains no fuzing. The Mk
37 (AGM-45-7) is used only
by the Air Force. The Mk 77 (ATM-45-8) is an unfuzed trainer
converted from the Mk 36. The
Mk 49 (AGM-45-9 and -9A), and Mk 50 (AGM-45-10) are only used by
the Air Force. These
sections have no color bands. The Mk 22's radome was FSN 17038
gloss black, and the Mk
23's is FSN 15080 gloss blue. All other radomes are FSN 17875
gloss white.
The AGM-45As and Bs each have three interchangeable warheads
that detonate either
when signaled by the guidance section or upon impact. The Mk 5
(AGM-45A/B), WAU-8
(AGM-45A), and WAU-9 (AGM-45B) warheads have a 2-in (5-cm) wide
bands of FSN 14187 gloss
green, indicating the presence of a red phosphorus (RP) spotting
charge, and FSN 23538
semi-gloss dark yellow. The Mk 86 (AGM-45A/B) warhead has only a
single 2-in (5-cm) wide
yellow band. The Mk 83 (ATM-45A/B) inert practice warheads are
FSN 15080 gloss blue. The
Mk 85 (ATM-45A/B-4) is FSN 15080 gloss blue, with a yellow band
like that on the Mk 86.
The full-deflection (bang-bang) Mk 1 and Mk 5 control sections
have a 2-in (5-cm)
wide band of FSN 30117 flat brown, while the inert Mk 2 is
overall FSN 15080 gloss blue.
All are fitted with four, 14.0-in (36-cm) high Mk 2 wings, which
are sometimes left off of
captive trainers.
The AGM-45A uses the single burn 22,000 lb-second total impulse
Mk 39 motor with a
2.8-second burn time. A second AGM-45A motor, the Mk 53 was
withdrawn from service in the
mid-1980s. The AGM-45B introduced the dual burn 22,300 lb-second
total impulse Mk 78
motor, with an initial 1.0-second acceleration thrust
supplemented by a 20-second period
of lower sustained thrust. Motors have a 2 to 3-in (5 to 7.6-cm)
wide band of FSN 30117
flat brown about 8 in (20 cm) from the front edge of the motor.
The inert Mk 46 is FSN
15080 gloss blue. All motors are fitted with four, 5.7-in
(14.5-cm) high Mk 21 tail fins.
As with the wings, these are sometimes left off captive
trainers.
The ATM-45A-1 is a non-flight qualified ground handling trainer.
The ATM-45A-2 was
used for safe separation testing of the AGM-45A. The ATM-45A-3
can be fitted with any
seeker and used either as a captive operational trainer or to
train ground crew. The
ATM-45A-4 and ATM-45A-6 are used for live-fire operational
training. The ATM-45B-2 was
used for safe separation testing of the AGM-45B. The ATM-45B-4
and ATM-45B-6 are used for
live-fire operational training.
Shrikes can be launched from the LAU-34 or the newer LAU-118,
also used for the
AGM-88. The Shrike in USAF service can be carried by F-4Gs and
'Wild Weasel' F-16Cs. It
has also been used by the USN and exported to Britain during the
Falklands War and to
Israel during the 1973 Yom Kipper War. With little or no
capability against modern SAMs,
the Shrike has almost passed into history. However, they are
kept in storage 'just in
case'.
Developed during the Vietnam War as a subsonic, launch-and-leave
replacement for the
AGM-12 Bullpup, the Hughes Maverick has continued to evolve and
remained in production
through FY91, with second-source supplier Raytheon receiving the
final contract. While
utilizing a variety of guidance and warhead sections, all
AGM-65s are the same size (98
in/249 cm long, 12 in/30 cm in diameter, with a 29-in/74-cm fin
span). The original 125-lb
high-explosive, shaped-charge WDU-20 has been replaced in later
Mavericks with the 300-lb
WDU-24 blast-penetration warhead. All versions use the same
rocket motor, with maximum
launch range dependent on target size and seeker performance.
While maximum aerodynamic
range is about 12.5 nm (23 km), a more realistic range is nearer
8 nm (15 km). During the
Gulf War, over 90 per cent of the AGM-65s fired were from A-10s.
Maverick is a very
workload-intensive weapon which pilots of faster, single-seat
aircraft, such as the F-16,
found very difficult to employ in combat.
AGM-65A has a 5 degree field of view (FOV) electro-optical (EO)
television seeker
that the pilot uses to acquire the target. After designating the
target and ensuring that
the missile is locked on, he fires it and can either select
another target or commence
escape maneuvering. The $22,000 missile was introduced in 1972,
and all were FSN 17875
gloss white. During the Vietnam War, 99 were fired operationally
with an 88 per cent
success rate. Four hundred were transferred from US stocks to
Israel during the 1973 Yom
Kippur War.
AGM-65B features an optional 2.5 degree FOV. Called
'scene-magnification', it can
be locked onto the same target as an AGM-65A from twice the
range. Both missiles can be
identified by their clear seeker domes. Introduced in 1975, the
$64,000 AGM-65Bs were
initially painted white, with the words 'SCENE MAG' stenciled on
the side of the seeker.
However, many were later painted FSN 34087 olive drab. During
Desert Storm, A-10s fired
1,682 AGM-65Bs.
AGM-65C was a semi-active laser (SAL) version developed in the
late 1970s. However,
in 1979 both the USAF and USN decided to forgo this seeker in
favor of IIR guidance and
this missile was never produced.
AGM-65D was the first Maverick with an imaging infra-red (IIR)
seeker. Introduced
in 1983, it first became operational during 1986 with 81st TFW
A-10As. The advantage of
the $110,000 IIR missile over earlier EO versions is its ability
to be used at night and
in conditions of smoke and haze. With the IIR seeker, the
missile can be locked on to
targets at greater ranges than it is capable of flying
aerodynamically. These missiles are
FSN 34087 olive drab with a silverish seeker, similar to some
sunglasses. During Desert
Storm, A-10s fired 3,128 AGM-65Ds.
AGM-65E is the operational version of the earlier AGM-65C. The
USMC is the only
user of SAL guidance, and this version became the first to
feature the larger warhead. SAL
permits ground troops to designate targets for close air
support. During the Gulf War,
this capability was used fewer than 10 times. The AGM-65E was
first delivered in 1985 and
is FSN 36375 gray.
AGM-65F e