Mark 83 bomb
The Mark 83 is part of the Mark 80 series of low-drag general-purpose bombs in United States service.
Mark 83 General-Purpose (GP) Bomb | |
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![]() Mark 83 1,000-pound general-purpose bombs | |
Type | Low-drag general-purpose (LDGP) bomb |
Place of origin | United States |
Specifications | |
Mass | 1014 lb (459 kg) |
Length | 119.49 inches (3000 mm) |
Diameter | 14.06 inches (357 mm) |
Filling | Tritonal, Minol or Composition H6 |
Filling weight | 445 lb (202 kg) |
Development and deployment
![](../I/US_Navy_040205-N-5859A-001_An_F-A-18E_Super_Hornet_assigned_to_the_Eagles_of_Strike_Fighter_Squadron_One_One_Five_(VFA-115)_carries_ten_Mark_83_bombs.jpg.webp)
The nominal weight of the bomb is 1,000 lb (454 kg), although its actual weight varies between 985 lb (447 kg) and 1,030 lb (468 kg), depending on fuze options,[1] and fin configuration.[2] The Mk 83 is a streamlined steel casing containing 445 lb (202 kg) of tritonal high explosive. When filled with PBXN-109 thermally insensitive explosive, the bomb is designated BLU-110.
The Mk 83/BLU-110 is used as the warhead for a variety of precision-guided weapons, including the GBU-16 Paveway laser-guided bombs, the GBU-32 JDAM and Quickstrike sea mines.
This bomb is most typically used by the United States Navy but is used by the USAF in the F-22A in a JDAM configuration. According to a test report conducted by the United States Navy's Weapon System Explosives Safety Review Board (WSESRB) established in the wake of the 1967 USS Forrestal fire, the cooking-off time for a Mk 83 is approximately 8 minutes 40 seconds.
The bomb has been controversially used during the Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen.[3]
See also
References
- "FMU-152/B ELECTRONIC BOMB FUZE". Integrated Publishing. Retrieved 13 October 2010.
- "Mk83 General Purpose Bomb". Federation of American Scientists. 23 April 2000. Retrieved 13 October 2010.
- "Saudi airstrikes in Yemen violate laws of war, rights group says". Mcclatchydc.com. Retrieved 28 August 2018.