Mark 83 bomb
| Mark 83 general-purpose bomb | |
|---|---|
 Mark 83 1,000-pound general-purpose bombs | |
| Type | Low-drag general-purpose bomb |
| Place of origin | United States |
| Service history | |
| In service | Since 1950s |
| Wars | Gulf War |
| Production history | |
| Variants | |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 985 lb (447 kg) |
| Length | 9.8 ft (3 m) overall |
| Diameter | 14 in (350 mm) |
| Tailspan | 19 in (480 mm) |
| Warhead | H6 or PBXN-109 |
| Warhead weight | 445 lb (202 kg) |
Detonation mechanism | M904 nose fuze and M905 tail fuze |
| References | Janes[1][2][3][4] |
The Mark 83 is a 1,000-pound (450 kg) bomb, part of the Mark 80 series of low-drag general-purpose bombs in United States service.
Development and deployment
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The nominal weight of the bomb is 1,000 pounds (450 kg), although its actual weight varies between 985 pounds (447 kg) and 1,030 pounds (470 kg), depending on fuze options,[5] and fin configuration.[6] The Mk 83 is a streamlined steel casing containing 445 pounds (202 kg) of tritonal high explosive. When filled with PBXN-109 thermally insensitive explosive, the bomb is designated BLU-110.
The Mk 83/BLU-110 is used as the warhead for a variety of precision-guided weapons, including the GBU-16 Paveway laser-guided bombs, the GBU-32 JDAM and Quickstrike sea mines.
The Mk 83 is also used as the warhead in a variety of Pakistani smart bombs made by GIDS. During Operation Swift Retort in 2019, 2 JF-17 Thunders of the No. 16 Squadron "Black Panthers" armed with newly developed Mk. 83 Range Extension Kit (REK) bombs struck military targets in Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir.[7][8][9]
This bomb is most typically used by the United States Navy but is also used by the USAF in the F-22A in a JDAM configuration. According to a test report conducted by the United States Navy's Weapon System Explosives Safety Review Board (WSESRB) established in the wake of the 1967 USS Forrestal fire, the cooking-off time for a Mk 83 is approximately 8 minutes 40 seconds.
See also
[edit]- Mark 81 bomb
- Mark 82 bomb
- Mark 84 bomb
- FAB-500 – Soviet counterpart
References
[edit]- ^ Janes (24 June 2024), "Mk 80 general-purpose bombs (BLU-110/111/117/126/129)", Janes Weapons: Air Launched, Coulsdon, Surrey: Jane's Group UK Limited., retrieved 2 July 2025
- ^ Janes (12 June 2025), "GBU-10/12/16/58 Paveway II", Janes Weapons: Air Launched, Coulsdon, Surrey: Jane's Group UK Limited., retrieved 2 July 2025
- ^ Janes (2 June 2025), "GBU-31/32/38 Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM)", Janes Weapons: Air Launched, Coulsdon, Surrey: Jane's Group UK Limited., retrieved 2 July 2025
- ^ Janes (3 June 2024), "GBU-54/55/56 Laser Joint Direct Attack Munition (LJDAM)", Janes Weapons: Air Launched, Coulsdon, Surrey: Jane's Group UK Limited., retrieved 2 July 2025
- ^ "FMU-152/B ELECTRONIC BOMB FUZE". Integrated Publishing. Retrieved 13 October 2010.
- ^ "Mk83 General Purpose Bomb". Federation of American Scientists. 23 April 2000. Retrieved 13 October 2010.
- ^ Kaiser Tufail (18 February 2021). "Pulwama: Two years on". PakistanPolitico.com.
- ^ Kaiser Tufail (10 July 2019). "Pulwama-From bluster to whimper". DefenceJournal.com.
- ^ Alan Warnes (19 March 2020). "Operation Swift Retort one year on". KeyMilitary.com.
The JF-17s were each armed with two 1,000 pounds (450 kg) Mk83 Indigenous Range Extension Kits (IREKs) that became operational in 2017. Developed, integrated and qualified by Pakistan-based Global Industrial & Defence Solutions (GIDS), the IREK has a range of up to 37 miles (60 km). GIDS has converted Mk80-series general-purpose bombs into satellite-aided inertial navigation system (GPS/INS) guided bombs with a tail unit incorporating aerodynamic control surfaces and glide wings. It provides the JF-17 with a very potent day and night capability to engage a variety of targets.
External links
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