| BLU-109 | |
|---|---|
 A BLU-109 aboard an F-15E Strike Eagle configured as a JDAM | |
| Type | Free-fall penetration bomb (guided when equipped as JDAM or Paveway) |
| Place of origin | United States |
| Service history | |
| Used by | United States Air Force |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 1,927 lb (874 kg) |
| Length | 7 ft 11 in (2.41 m) |
| Diameter | 14.6 in (370 mm) |
| Filling | HE Tritonal[1] |
| Filling weight | 550 lb (250 kg)[1] |
The BLU-109/B is a hardened penetration bomb used by the United States Air Force (BLU is an acronym for Bomb Live Unit). As with other "bunker busters", it is intended to penetrate concrete shelters and other hardened structures before exploding. In addition to the US, it is part of the armament of the air forces of Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Israel, Netherlands, Norway, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, United Kingdom and United Arab Emirates.[2]
Design
The BLU-109/B has a steel casing about 1 inch (25 mm) thick, filled with 530 pounds (240 kg) of Tritonal. It has a delayed-action tail-fuze. The BLU-109 entered service in 1985. It is also used as the warhead of some marks of the GBU-15 electro-optically guided bomb, the GBU-27 Paveway III laser-guided bomb, and the AGM-130 rocket-boosted weapon. This weapon can penetrate 4–6 feet (1.2–1.8 m) of reinforced concrete,[3] which is greater than the 3 feet (91 cm) capability of the Small Diameter Bomb.[4]
Variants
The BLU-118 is reportedly a thermobaric explosive filler variation on the BLU-109 casing and basic bomb design.[5] It contains PBXIH-135, a traditional explosive.[6]
In 2015 General Dynamics started a $7.2 million development of a version called HAMMER, which is intended to destroy chemical and biological substances by spreading dozens of Kinetic Fireballs Incendiaries (KFI) (not explosions) inside a bunker. The KFIs have evolved out of the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program by Exquadrum, Inc. of Adelanto, California.[7]
Operators
The BLU-109 has been sold to key US allies including South Korea, Israel, Greece, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Pakistan and Turkey[8][9]
United States: United States Air Force
Morocco: Royal Moroccan Air Force
South Korea: Republic of Korea Air Force
Greece: Hellenic Air Force[9]
Turkey: Turkish Air Force
Israel: Israeli Air Force
Serbia: Serbian Air Force
Pakistan: Pakistan Air Force
Saudi Arabia: Royal Saudi Air Force
UAE: United Arab Emirates Air Force
The Netherlands: Royal Netherlands Air Force
See also
References
- ^ a b BLU-109/B fact sheet - Hill AFB, USAF
- ^ Forecast International (2004). BLU-116/B Archived 10 March 2012 at the Wayback Machine, page 4. Accessed 12 May 2011.
- ^ "BLU-109 / I-2000 / HAVE VOID". globalsecurity.org. Archived from the original on 30 March 2014. Retrieved 15 March 2014.
- ^ "Small Diameter Bomb". Boeing. Archived from the original on 27 March 2014. Retrieved 15 March 2014.
- ^ "BLU-118/B Thermobaric Weapon". GlobalSecurity.org. Archived from the original on 27 July 2019. Retrieved 6 December 2013.
- ^ Little, Robert. "A race to get a new bomb for cave war". The Baltimore Sun. Archived from the original on 7 April 2014. Retrieved 5 April 2014.
- ^ Drew, James. "Pentagon taps General Dynamics to test fireball bunker bomb Archived 19 February 2018 at the Wayback Machine"
- ^ The Most “Political” of All Bombs. http://www.quatrostrategies.com/2016/02/29/the-most-political-of-all-bombs/ Archived 6 September 2018 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ a b "BLU-109/B (Bomb Live Unit)". www.haf.gr.
External links
This page was last edited on 2 May 2024, at 16:47