Unitary Warheads, Cluster Munitions and Their Fuzing

Question 1

State why bombs are included in the US weapons arsenal

Answer 1

Incapacitate the enemy and / or prevent them from using their resources to engage US interests

Question 2

Explain how the bomb explosive train leads to an HE detonation

Answer 2

1. Detonator (fuze): Highly sensitive explosive
2. Booster (intermediate charge) ignites the main charge
3. Main Charge: Large amount of additional HE for destructive power (Tritonal, H-6, PBX)

Question 3

Describe the five weapon effects

Answer 3

Blast / Shock - blow down walls, collapse roofs, damage equipment. Rupture eardrums and lungs
Fragmentation - spray with shrapnel
Cratering / penetrate hard targets - Dig holes, puncture structures
Armor penetration - Puncture steel
Incendiary - Set on fire

Question 4

Describe the Mk-82/Mk-83/Mk-84 GP bombs and list their advantages and limitations

Answer 4

Mk-82: 500 lb GP Bomb, fairly good blast and frag, poor penetration, incendiary and armor penetration
Mk-83: 1000 lb GP Bomb, Jack of all trades bomb used mostly by the navy
Mk-84: 2000 lb GP Bomb, Best GP bomb for penetration, blast and cratering. Fairly good fragmentation. Poor incendiary and armor penetration.

Question 5

Describe the BLU-109/BLU-113 penetration bombs and list their advantages and limitations

Answer 5

BLU-109: 2000 lb weapon with 535 lb explosive weight (~30%)
BLU-113: 5000 lb weapon with 625 lb explosive weight (~12%)

Advantages: Excellent penetration, good frag, fair blast (good if filled with PBX)
Limitation: Limited numbers, requires guidance to maximize effects, complicated weaponeering, poor incendiary, limited fuzing.

Question 6

State the purpose of the MK-130 Quickstrike kit

Answer 6

Converts the Mk-82 / Mk-83 into a land or shallow water mine

Question 7

Describe the CBU-97 Sensor-fuzed weapon

Answer 7

Best armor on the move killer - Smart bomblets with active / passive sensors.

Question 8

List the four fuze function methods

Answer 8

Time, proximity, impact, hydrostatic

Question 9

List the penetration ROT for the Mk-82, Mk-84, BLU-109 / BLU-113

Answer 9

Mk-82: 1 ft reinforced concrete
Mk-84: 3 ft reinforced concrete
BLU-109: 6 ft reinforced concrete
BLU-113: >22 ft reinforced concrete