Mark 81 bomb


The Mark 81 general-purpose bomb is the smallest of the of low-drag general-purpose bombs.

Development and deployment

Developed for United States military forces in the 1950s, it was first used during the Vietnam War. The bomb consists of a cast steel case with 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 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.

Variants