Mark 81 bomb
Encyclopedia
The Mark 81 250 lb (113 kg) general purpose bomb (nicknamed "Firecracker") was the smallest of the Mark 80 series of low-drag
general-purpose bomb
s.
military forces in the 1950s, it was first used during the Vietnam War
. The bomb consists of a cast steel
case with 96 lb (44 kg) of Composition H6
, Minol
or Tritonal
explosive. The power of the Mk 81 was found to be inadequate for U.S. military tactical use, and it was quickly discontinued, although license-built copies or duplicates of this weapon remain in service with various other nations.
Development of a precision guided variant of the Mk 81 bomb (GBU-29) was started due to its potential to reduce collateral damage
compared to larger bombs, but this program has now been cancelled in favor of the Small Diameter Bomb
.
Drag (physics)
In fluid dynamics, drag refers to forces which act on a solid object in the direction of the relative fluid flow velocity...
general-purpose bomb
General-purpose bomb
A general-purpose bomb is an air-dropped bomb intended as a compromise between blast damage, penetration, and fragmentation in explosive effect.-Characteristics:...
s.
Development & deployment
Developed for United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
military forces in the 1950s, it was first used during the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
. The bomb consists of a cast steel
Steel
Steel is an alloy that consists mostly of iron and has a carbon content between 0.2% and 2.1% by weight, depending on the grade. Carbon is the most common alloying material for iron, but various other alloying elements are used, such as manganese, chromium, vanadium, and tungsten...
case with 96 lb (44 kg) of Composition H6
Composition H6
Composition H6 is a castable military explosive compound composed of the following percentages by weight:* 45% RDX* 30% TNT* 20% powdered aluminium* 5% paraffin wax as a phlegmatizing agent....
, Minol
Minol
The VEB Kombinat Minol, founded on 1 January 1956, was the state-owned gasoline and lubricant reseller of the German Democratic Republic.The marketing name MINOL was invented in 1949, when Die Deutsche Kraftstoff- und Mineralölzentrale and the German-Russian Naphta-AG founded the VEB...
or Tritonal
Tritonal
Tritonal is a mixture of 80% TNT and 20% aluminium powder, used in several types of ordnance such as air-dropped bombs. The aluminium improves the total heat output and hence impulse of the TNT - the length of time during which the blast wave is positive...
explosive. The power of the Mk 81 was found to be inadequate for U.S. military tactical use, and it was quickly discontinued, although license-built copies or duplicates of this weapon remain in service with various other nations.
Development of a precision guided variant of the Mk 81 bomb (GBU-29) was started due to its potential to reduce collateral damage
Collateral damage
Collateral damage is damage to people or property that is unintended or incidental to the intended outcome. The phrase is prevalently used as an euphemism for civilian casualties of a military action.-Etymology:...
compared to larger bombs, but this program has now been cancelled in favor of the Small Diameter Bomb
Small Diameter Bomb
The GBU-39 Small Diameter Bomb is a 250 pound guided bomb that is intended to provide aircraft with the ability to carry a higher number of bombs...
.
Variants
- Mark 81 Snakeye fitted with a Mark 14 TRD (Tail Retarding Device) to increase the bomb's dragDrag (physics)In fluid dynamics, drag refers to forces which act on a solid object in the direction of the relative fluid flow velocity...
after release. The bomb's increased air-time, coupled with its (relatively) forgiving safe drop envelope, allowed for very low-level bombing runs at slower speed. Used commonly in the close air supportClose air supportIn military tactics, close air support is defined as air action by fixed or rotary winged aircraft against hostile targets that are close to friendly forces, and which requires detailed integration of each air mission with fire and movement of these forces.The determining factor for CAS is...
(CAS) role in Vietnam (prior to wider availability of GBUGuided bombA guided bomb is a precision-guided munition intended to precisely hit a specific target, and to minimize damage to things other than the target....
precision ordnance). Nicknamed "snake", as in the typical Vietnam CAS loadout of "snake and nape" (250-lb. Mk-81 Snakeye bombs and 500-lb. M-47 napalmNapalmNapalm is a thickening/gelling agent generally mixed with gasoline or a similar fuel for use in an incendiary device, primarily as an anti-personnel weapon...
canisters).
- GBU-29 Joint Direct Attack MunitionJoint Direct Attack MunitionThe Joint Direct Attack Munition is a guidance kit that converts unguided bombs, or "dumb bombs" into all-weather "smart" munitions. JDAM-equipped bombs are guided by an integrated inertial guidance system coupled to a Global Positioning System receiver, giving them a published range of up to...
, a precision guided version of the Mark 81 (cancelled).