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BLU-82 "Daisy Cutter"
McAlester Army Ammunition Plant - New Penetrator
Production Halted
The Air Force is also interested in
acquiring a new penetrator bomb on the high side of the scale, with a
weight of about 13,600 kilograms (30,000 pounds), much bigger than even
the British Grand Slam. The new big penetrator bomb would be produced in
parallel with a new soft case bomb of the same scale now being considered
to replace the BLU-82, but there is no commitment yet to building either
weapon.
BLU-82 "Daisy Cutter"
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BLU-82
"Daisy Cutter" |
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Function:
15,000 pound special purpose bomb.
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Background:
Introduced in March of 1970 as a field expedient method for carving
out helicopter landing zones in the jungles of Vietnam (known as
Commando vault airlift operations), the 15,000-pound BLU-82B, more
popularly known as the "Daisy Cutter", is arguably the world's
largest non-nuclear conventional airdropped munition. The BLU-82 is
filled with 12,600 pounds of GSX explosive slurry and when detonated
creates a blast wave of over 1,000 lbs. per square inch, which is
sufficient to shear an 8" diameter tree off at its base and clear an
area approxiamately 260 feet in diameter.
The BLU-82 is equipped with a 38" stand-off detonator fuse, which
facilitates in the formation of the blast wave and can only be
delivered by Special Operations MC-130 Combat Talon cargo aircraft.
Because the BLU-82 must be dropped from at least 6,000 feet AGL (to
avoid collateral damage to the dropping aircraft) and the aircraft
itself is not equipped with an offensive air-ground radar system,
accurate delivery of the weapon is dependent upon precise aircraft
alignment (this can be achieved through either internal, on board
navigational and positioning equipment or through steering cues
provided by either ground or aerial radar control stations) and
strict adherence to the bomb run profile.
Because of its blast potential, the Commando Vault is extremely
effective in urban or built up areas as well as collapsing defensive
fortifications and bunker complexes. The BLU-82 is also of limited
effectiveness as a minefield clearing munition.
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Description: The BLU-82 is essentially
a large, explosive filled cylinder. The cylinder is olive drab in
color, 4.5 feet in diameter, approximately 12 feet long, and
equipped with a conical aerodynamic nose cone and tipped with a
38-inch standoff detonator. The bomb itself is unguided and utilizes
a drogue parachute to both orient the weapon "nose first" and to
control its rate of descent. Prior to deployment the BLU-82 is
mounted on a sled-like loading/delivery pallet.
To launch the bomb, a cargo extraction parachute is deployed which,
in turn, pulls the palletized bomb out of the aircraft. Once the
bomb has left the aircraft a static line automatically deploys the
bomb stabilization chute. The cargo extraction chute and delivery
cradle are both discarded once the bomb stabilization chute deploys.
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General Characteristics, BLU-82
Commando Vault |
Length:
11.8 feet (3.63 meters)
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Diameter:
4.5 feet (1.38 meters)
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Unit Cost:
$27,318 each
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Weight:
15,000 lbs (6,818 kg.)
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Filler type:
12,600 lbs GSX Aluminum-based slurry
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Introduction date:
March 1970
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