Bombers, A/S Munitions and Weaponeering (ASE - 9) Flashcards
GP Bombs
General Purpose: The most common GP bombs are the MK-80 series weapons.
Fragmemntation Bombs
Only ten to twenty percent of a fragmentation bomb’s weight is explosive material; the remainder includes specially scored cases that break into predictably sized pieces. The fragments, which travel at high velocities, are the primary cause of damage.
Cluster Bombs
Cluster bombs are primarily fragmentation weapons. Cluster bombs, like GP bombs, can feature mix and match components (sub munitions, fuzes, etc.) to produce the desired effect.
Penetration Bombs
Penetration bombs have between twenty-five and thirty percent explosive filler. The casings are designed to penetrate hardened targets such as bunkers before the explosives detonate. Penetration is achieved by either kinetic energy of the entire projectile or the effects of a shaped-charge.
Bomb FUZES
time-delay circuit powered by a thermal battery activated by extraction of the arming lanyard upon bomb release
An impact fuze is designed to function on or after impact.
Proximity-fuzed bombs are used against targets such as troops in trenches, radars, trucks, and other vehicles.
MK-80
All MK-80 series bombs are similar in construction, with the only major difference being the overall weight of the munition.
ie - the MK-82 is a 500-pound weapon
CBU
Cluster Bomb Unit
Cluster Bomb Submunitions
Submunitions are classified as either bomblets, grenades, or mines.
BLU-109
The BLU-109A/B used with the GBU-24 and GBU-31(V) 4/B is a special purpose bomb comprised of steel alloy used for hardened targets. The BLU-109/B (I-2000) is an improved 2,000-pound-class bomb designed as a penetrator without a forward fuze well. Its configuration is relatively slim, and its skin is much harder than that of the standard MK-84 bomb (Figure 8-9). The skin is a single-piece, forged warhead casing of one-inch, high-grade steel.
GBU-12
The GBU-12 (Figure 8-11) utilizes a 500-pound MK82 general purpose warhead and is guided by reflected laser energy in the same manner as the GBU-10. Over 7,000 were dropped in 2003 during Operation Iraqi Freedom, more than any other single munition including JDAMS and standard Mk 82s.
PAVEWAY II guidance
GBU-38
MK-82 w/JDAM
The GBU-38 was specifically designed to allow precision accuracy while at the same time minimizing collateral damage especially in densely populated urban areas.
The GBU-31, 32, 38 Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) (Figure 8-16) is a tail kit which produces a weapon with high accuracy, all-weather, autonomous, conventional bombing capability. JDAM upgrades the existing inventory of general purpose and penetrator unitary bombs. JDAM can be launched from approximately 15 miles from the target and each is independently targeted. The JDAM tail kit that is attached to ‘dumb’ free-fall gravity bombs that have beenin the Air Force and Navy inventories for decades. The addition of the tail kits turns them into accurate guided ‘smart’ bombs. The heart of the tail kit is an Inertial Navigation System/Global Position System, or INS/GPS, guidance system that gives JDAM an all-weather capability and high accuracy.
GBU-39
The GBU-39 small diameter bomb is a 250lb-class weapon designed as a small autonomous, conventional, air to ground precision glide weapon able to strike fixed and stationary re-locatable targets from a standoff range of 40+ miles
AGM-88
The AGM-88 HARM (high-speed anti-radiation missile) (Figure 8-23) is a supersonic air-to-surface tactical missile designed to seek and destroy enemy radar-equipped air defense systems.
Principle Classes of Muntions
GP / Fragmentation / Penetration / Cluster Bombs
Munitions Damage Mechanisms
blast / fragmentation / cratering / shaped charge penetration / incendiary effects
