What is the weight of the GBU 38?
Composed of a MK-82 with the joint direct attack munitions guidance system, the GBU-38 is considered a "lightweight" compared to most of the other munitions loaded on F-16s. As of mid-2002 the GBU-38 (500 lb. MK-82 GP) JDAM was in development and undergoing flight testing.
What is the length of a GBU 31?
Length: (JDAM and warhead) GBU-31 (v) 1/B: 152.7 inches (387.9 centimeters); GBU-31 (v) 3/B: 148.6 inches (377.4 centimeters); GBU-32 (v) 1/B: 119.5 inches (303.5 centimeters); GBU-38: 92.6 inches (235.2 centimeters)
How many GBU-38's can be carried on a single train?
With the addition of the BRU-57/A Multiple Carriage, "Smart" Bomb Rack, two GBU-38's can be carried on stations 3 and 7. Munition specialists assemble the bombs on base.
How was the GBU-38 released to the warfighter?
In recognition that the GBU-38 was soon to be released to the warfighter, Alabama ANG officials had previously sent a load standardization crew to Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., to become certified instructors on loading this type of munition. When the unit deployed, the crew then immediately turned around to teach others how to load it.
How much does a GBU cost?
GBU-12 Paveway IIUnit costUS $21,896SpecificationsMass230 kg (510 lb)Length3.27 m (10.7 ft)8 more rows
How much does a GBU 32 cost?
When installed on a bomb, the JDAM kit is given a GBU (Guided Bomb Unit) identifier, superseding the Mark 80 or BLU (Bomb, Live Unit) nomenclature of the bomb to which it is attached. About US$25,000 (Depends on acquisition lot. Foreign sales have considerably higher prices.)
How much does a GBU 31 cost?
SpecificationsAcquisition unit cost$62,846Average unit cost (40,000 units)$18,000 current estimate $42,200 initial estimateQuantityNavy: 12,000 Air Force: 62,000PlatformsB-52, B-1, B-2, F-22, F-16, F-15E, F- 117, F-14 A/B/D, F/A-18C/D, F/A-18E/F, AV-8B, P-3, S-313 more rows
How much do guided bombs cost?
Overall, the cost of an EGBU-12, is around $40,000, compared to the past generation, $12,000 laser only baseline kit. In the past decade Raytheon has sold over two billion worth of laser guided bombs, by far its most active production line of laser guided bombs.
How much does a 500 lb bomb cost?
Mark 82 bombMark 82 General Purpose (GP) BombUnit cost$2,082.50 (in 2001)VariantsGBU-12 Paveway II GBU-38 JDAMSpecificationsMass500 pounds (227 kg)11 more rows
Can a f16 drop a JDAM?
F-16 Installation JDAM can only be launched by F-16s that have a digital INS/GPS system with the proper software upgrades to integrate with the weapons management system. Aircraft using JDAM require a 1760/1553-capable pylon.
How much does a GBU 10 cost?
SpecificationsClass2000 lb. Paveway I & II Laser Guided WeaponsAcquisition unit costNot availableProduction unit costAir Force: $23,700 Navy: $26,100PlatformsA-7, A-10, B-52, F-111, F-117, F-15E, F- 16 , F/A-18 C/D, A-6, F-1420 more rows•Feb 19, 1998
How much does a smart bomb cost?
Even with the price of the bomb itself included, a JDAM guidance system costs barely $30,000, whereas the value of the target it destroys with pinpoint accuracy may be over a hundred times that amount (or more).
How much does a Paveway IV bomb cost?
The Paveway IV's first export sale was to the Royal Saudi Air Force in a deal worth approximately £150 million (US $247 million). The deal had been delayed for several years by the U.S. State Department which had to authorise the bomb's sale due to its use of American components.
How much does a GBU 39 cost?
GBU-39 Small Diameter BombGBU-39/B (Small Diameter Bomb)Unit costUS$40,000 (SDB) US$250,000FY2014 (SDB II)Produced2005–presentNo. built17,000+VariantsGBU-39/B GBU-39A/B GBU-39B/B20 more rows
How much does a Tomahawk missile cost?
All told, the Navy deploys around 10,000 Tomahawk launchers, although only a fraction of that total at any given time actually carries cruise missiles. Raytheon builds Tomahawks at a facility in Arizona. Each missile costs the Navy more than $1 million. In 2020 the Navy has around 4,000 Tomahawks.
What is the cost of a Hellfire missile?
US$150,000AGM-114 HellfireUnit costUS$150,000 (FY 2021) US$117,000 (FY2017)Produced1974–presentSpecificationsMass100–108 lb (45–49 kg)19 more rows
How much does a Moab cost?
Each one costs $16 million, according to military information website Deagel. During testing in the early 2000s, it created a mushroom cloud that could be seen from 20 miles away, according to the Air Force story.
How much does a Hellfire missile cost?
US$150,000AGM-114 HellfireUnit costUS$150,000 (FY 2021) US$117,000 (FY2017)Produced1974–presentSpecificationsMass100–108 lb (45–49 kg)19 more rows
How big is a GBU 31?
The Navy has also developed the GBU-56 Laser JDAM for the BLU-109 penetrator to replace the legacy GBU-24 Paveway III weapons systems and improve performance in highly contested environments. Wingspan: GBU-31: 25 inches (63.5 centimeters); GBU-32: 19.6 ins. (49.8 centimeters).
What is a GBU 31 bomb?
The Joint Direct Attack Munition is a guidance tail kit that converts existing unguided free-fall bombs into accurate, adverse weather "smart" munitions.
Who was the first pilot to use the GBU-38 JDAM?
Pilots of this historic mission were Col. William F. Andrews (366th AEG commander) and Capt. Paul Kirmis (389th FS pilot). The first combat use of the GBU-38 JDAM was made in late September 2004 by the 187th FW during their deployment for Operation Iraqi Freedom to Al Udeid AB, Qatar, as part of an ANG "Rainbow Team".
How much did JDAM cost?
The US Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps originally planned to acquire a total of over 87,000 JDAM kits from Boeing, with total program cost of over $2 billion USD.
What were the first smart bombs used in the Gulf War?
The smart weapons used during Gulf War I were mainly Laser Guided Bombs (LGBs), i .e. standard Mk.80 series free-fall bombs fitted with a laser guidance kit. LGBs rely on the target being illuminated by a ground-based or air-borne laser designator. Since optical wavelengths are absorbed by water, adverse weather sush as fog, clouds, or rain tend to restrict the employment of laser-guided weapons. Although LGBs offer pinpoint accuracy in clear weather (day or night), they are of limited use in adverse weather.
Is Airburst an attack option?
Airburst is also an attack option . The pinpoint accuracy of this weapon combined with its penetration capability more than compensate for the smaller warhead. Initial tests with the F-16 have already been performed. Currently unit cost of the SDB is high compared to a JDAM kit.
What is a GBU-38?
GBU-38 Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) The GBU-38/B is a 500lb JDAM (Joint Direct Attack Munition) manufactured by Boeing using the Mk82 bomb body. Composed of a MK-82 with the joint direct attack munitions guidance system, the GBU-38 is considered a "lightweight" compared to most of the other munitions loaded on F-16s.
Where was the GBU-38 sent to?
In recognition that the GBU-38 was soon to be released to the warfighter, Alabama ANG officials had previously sent a load standardization crew to Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., to become certified instructors on loading this type of munition.
What is the name of the gun used in the Predator B?
By 2005 the Air Force plans to add the GBU-38 500lb Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) to the turboprop-powered Predator B, designated MQ-9B by the US Air Force and referred to as the Hunter-Killer.
How many floors did the GBU 38 bomb hit?
The bombs precisely hit a two-story building while reportedly causing with minimal collateral damage. Pilots who made the drops, reported that the procedures used to release the GBU-38 were no different than those used for any other bomb with coordinates simply set and the bombs delivered.
What was the VFA 34?
VFA-34's weapons destroyed the target. The successful strike was the culmination of a noteworthy effort by Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR), Commander, Fleet Forces Command, and Commander, U.S. 5th Fleet, to rapidly test, procure and deploy a new weapon system to satisfy an emergent operational requirement.
How much does an iron bomb cost?
"Iron bombs" like the Mk-82 500-pound general purpose bomb only cost about $2,500 to $3,000 each, but the Bone and the BUFF both can carry a fair number of them.
How much does a Reaper drone cost?
A Reaper drone costs $28 million ; one Hellfire missile (Lockheed Martin/Raytheon) costs about $70,000; one Paveway bomb (Lockheed Martin/Raytheon) about $20,000. The total cost of one weapons load for a Reaper – four Hellfire/ two Paveway – is at least $320,000, a third of a million dollars.
Why is the focus on cost effective weapons while the time-limited nature of campaigns allows the use of costly toys like to?
A war lasts long and that's why the focus is on cost effective weapons while the time-limited nature of campaigns allows the use of costly toys like tomahawk missiles.
How much does a Tomahawk missile cost?
Each Tomahawk carries a price tag of 1.59 million dollars. So in Tomahawk missiles alone, the US has spent 1.7 billion dollars to conduct pinpoint strikes to reduce collateral damage. This does not include the cost of support systems, personnel, maintenance and other weapons systems such as traditional bomber aircraft and their payloads, drones and their payloads, helicopters and their payloads , and ground attack aircraft and their payloads. The average cost per airstrike is incalculable, because the number used per mission varies widely. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tomahawk_ (missile)#Operators
What is the purpose of the GBU-31 JDAM?
In November 2014, the U.S. Air Force began development of a version of the GBU-31 JDAM intended to track and attack sources of electronic warfare jamming directed to disrupt the munitions' guidance . The Home-on-Jam seeker works similar to the AGM-88 HARM to follow the source of a radio-frequency jammer to destroy it.
How much does a JDAM bomb cost?
JDAM bombs are inexpensive compared to alternatives such as cruise missiles. The original cost estimate was $40,000 each for the tail kits; however, after competitive bidding, contracts were signed with McDonnell Douglas (later Boeing) for delivery at $18,000 each. Unit costs, in current-year dollars, have since increased to $21,000 in 2004 and $27,000 by 2011. To the cost of the tail kit should be added the costs of the Mk80-series iron bomb, the fuze and proximity sensor which bring the overall weapon cost to about $30,000. For comparison, the newest Tomahawk cruise missile, dubbed the Tactical Tomahawk, costs nearly $730,000.
How much weight is a JDAM bomb?
JDAM-equipped bombs range from 500 pounds (227 kg) to 2,000 pounds (907 kg). The JDAM's guidance system was jointly developed by the United States Air Force and United States Navy, hence the "joint" in JDAM. When installed on a bomb, the JDAM kit is given a GBU (Guided Bomb Unit) nomenclature, superseding the Mark 80 or BLU (Bomb, ...
When was the first GPS shot?
The first flight test of the first GPS-guided weapon resulted in a direct hit on a target at Eglin Air Force Base on 10 February 1993.
When was the first INS/GPS weapon dropped?
The OCD program fitted a GBU-15 guided bomb with an INS/GPS guidance kit and on 10 February 1993, dropped the first INS/GPS weapon from an F-16 on a target 88,000 feet (27 km) downrange. Five more tests were run in various weather conditions, altitudes, and ranges.
Development and deployment
A B-2 Spirit dropping Mk 82 bombs into the Pacific Ocean in a 1994 training exercise off Point Mugu, California.
Low-level delivery
In low-level bombing, it is possible for the delivering aircraft to sustain damage from the blast and fragmentation effects of its own munitions since the aircraft and ordnance arrive at the target almost simultaneously. To address this issue, the standard Mk 82 General-Purpose bomb can be fitted with a special high-drag tail fin unit.
Variants
BLU-111/B – Mk 82 casing filled with PBXN-109 (instead of Composition H6 ); item weighs 218 kg (480 lbs). PBXN-109 is a less sensitive explosive filler when compared to H6. The BLU-111/B also is the warhead of the A-1 version of the Joint Stand-Off Weapon.
How many submunitions are released in a CBU-105?
1. The CBU-105 is dropped from the aircraft. 2. As the bomb approaches the target, the outer casing opens and releases 10 BLU-108 submunitions. 3. The submunitions are released at a considerable altitude and a parachute slows their descent. 4.
How many CBU-105s does an F-15E have?
An F-15E with a full load of cluster bombs. It usually carries 12 CBU-105s.
How many skeets does the BLU 108 have?
BLU-108 is an advanced submunition designed to effectively engage and destroy armoured vehicles. It deploys 4 skeets for the purpose.
What is the BLU 108 submunition?
6 . Each BLU-108 submunition contains four hockey-puck-shaped sensor-fused projectiles called Skeets, which it releases during this high-speed rotation. The centrifugal force carries the skeets away from the now empty submunitions cannister.
How many bombs can a B-1 carry?
A B-1 drops cluster bombs over a test fire range. It can carry 30 in its capacious bomb bays.
Which countries have CBU 105?
Saudi Arabia purchased 1300 CBU-105s and employ them on their F-15s. India purchased 512 of these weapons and employ them from their Jaguar strike aircraft. Other countries like Oman, South Korea, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates have also ordered the CBU-105.
Who makes CBU 105?
The official video of the CBU-105 released by its maker, Textron Systems is given below. It will help you understand further how these weapons work.
What bomb is in the GBU-31?
A complete GBU-31 (V)5/B JDAM with the BLU-129/B bomb.
How much does a BLU-129 cost?
At that price, each one costs more than $116,000, or at least 40 times more than the regular 500-pound class BLU-111/B high explosive bomb and more than five times the cost of even the service’s new 2,000-pound class BLU-137/B bunker buster. This figure doesn’t include the cost of precision guidance kits or specialized fuzes either.
Why is the Air Force asking for funds to buy bombs?
Air Force is asking for funds to buy a small number of bombs with special carbon fiber shells that make them less likely to endanger friendly forces, cause collateral damage, and accidentally kill civilians. It’s an increasingly important tool for the service to have, but it has yet to start buying them in ...
Why are guided munitions used in the Air Force?
The Air Force, as well as other U.S. military services, have also been developing smaller guided munitions that allow for more precision targeting with less risk to nearby friendly forces or civilians. Of course, by virtue of their size, those weapons also generally lack the destructive power of larger bombs.
Is a bomb's blast radius contained?
Since its not designed to penetrate reinforced materials or create a cloud of deadly shrapnel, in any configuration, the bomb’s blast radius is relatively contained, making it less useful against hardened targets or enemy forces spread out across a wide area.
Will there be more demand for bombs?
Inversely, it is possible that there might be more demand if there were more of the bombs available. Larger purchases would likely help drive down the high unit price, at least to some degree, as well.
History
Construction
- The JDAM kit is a rather simple modification, which explains its low cost. It consists of a tail section and a jacket which is wrapped around the body of the free-fall bomb. Different tails and jackets are available for different bombs. The tail has moveable fins, and contains a thermal battery and a guidance system. The latter consists of a GPS (Global Positioning System) receive…
F-16 Installation
- F-16 Loadout
The USAF F-16 fleet only uses the GBU-31 and GBU-38. Stations 3 and 7 have been wired to carry a single JDAM. Other stations are not fully equiped for the JDAM. With the addition of the BRU-57/AMultiple Carriage, "Smart" Bomb Rack, two GBU-38's can be carried on stations 3 and 7. - F-16 Loading
Munition specialists assemble the bombs on base. They take a conventional dumb bomb, attach the JDAM kit to it and make sure it is serviceable, then load it on the aircraft.
Aiming & Firing
- Coordinates for preplanned, fixed targets are fed into the JDAM by the aircrew. These coordinates are for example determined from high-resolution aerial images. If the targets are not pre-planned (e.g. most targets in Afghanistan and Iraqwere not), the aircraft carrying the JDAM shows up in the target area and is assigned a target by a JSTARs aircraft, Forward Air Controller, or another s…
Operational Use
- JDAM and the B-2 made their combat debuts during Operation Allied Force. The B-2s, flying 30-hour, nonstop, roundtrip flights from Whiteman Air Force Base, Mo., delivered more than 600 JDAMs during Allied Force. The very first combat drops of the GBU-31 JDAM by an F-16 unit were made in Afghanistan on November 29, 2001, by the 389th EFS during their deployment for Opera…
Specifications
- GBU-31(V)1/B 3.879 Length (m) 46 Diameter (cm) 946 Launch Weight (kg) 8 - 24 Range (km) (Mk-84) Bomb GBU-31(V)3/B 3.774 Length (m) 37 Diameter (cm) 981 Launch Weight (kg) 8 - 24 Range (km) (BLU-109 Forged Steel Penetrator) Bomb GBU-38/B 2.353 Length (m) 27.3 Diameter (cm) 253 Launch Weight (kg) 8 - 24 Range (km) (Mk-82 or BLU-111/B) Bomb Note: Nomenclature desi…
Similar Weapons
- Advanced Unitary Penetrator
The Advanced Unitary Penetrator (AUP) is a 2,000 lb. penetrator warhead intended as a successor to the BLU-109 warhead. The AUP is designed to provide increased penetration capability while maintaining the same overall weight, dimensions, and physical interfaces of the BLU-109 warhe… - Small Diameter Bomb
Unlike JDAM, the Small Diameter Bomb is not a kit that is attached to a dumb bomb, but a single unit 250lb classweapon which weights 285lbs. It consists of a small 50lb warhead and GPS/INS guidance section and fold out wing kit which gives it some stand-off range qualities. The SDB re…