BLU-109 bomb


The BLU-109/B is a hardened penetration bomb used by the United States Air Force. As with other "bunker busters", it is intended to smash through concrete shelters and other hardened structures before exploding. In addition to the US, it is part of the armament of the air forces of Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Israel, the Netherlands, Norway, Saudi Arabia, United Kingdom and United Arab Emirates.

Design

The BLU-109/B has a steel casing about thick, filled with of Tritonal. It has a delayed-action tail-fuze. The BLU-109 entered service in 1985. It is also used as the warhead of some marks of the GBU-15 electro-optically guided bomb, the GBU-27 Paveway III laser-guided bomb, and the AGM-130 rocket-boosted weapon. This weapon can penetrate 4–6 feet of reinforced concrete, which is greater than the 3 foot capability of the Small Diameter Bomb.

Variants

The BLU-118 is reportedly a thermobaric explosive filler variation on the BLU-109 casing and basic bomb design. It contains PBXIH-135, a traditional explosive.
In 2015 General Dynamics started a $7.2 million development of a version called HAMMER, which is intended to destroy chemical and biological substances by spreading dozens of Kinetic Fireballs Incendiaries inside a bunker. The KFIs have evolved out of the Small Business Innovation Research program by Exquadrum, Inc. of Adelanto, California.

Operators

The BLU-109 has been sold to key US allies including South Korea, Israel, Saudi Arabia, UAE and Turkey