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Vipers in the Storm
Weapons Bunker

Welcome to the WEAPONS BUNKER.  Listed below are pictures and descriptions of the different weapons employed by the F-16 Fighting Falcon during Operation Desert Storm.  To minimize download time, we have broken this area up into four pages:

[ Page 1 ]     [ Page 2 ]     [ Page 3 ]     [ Page 4 ]
 

MK-20 "ROCKEYE"

MK-20 Rockeye

MK-20 Rockeye is an antiarmor cluster bomb consisting of three components: the MK-7 dispenser, the 339 mechanical fuse, and 247 separate MK-118 bomblets.  Each bomblet explodes into a copper slug that can fly 800 feet and penetrate 7.5 inches of armor.

Typical targets include tanks, armored personnel carriers, revetted field artillery, revetted field AAA, radar sites, and troops in foxholes.  The probability of kill is increased by bomblet density, therefore multiple releases are recommended.

Rockeye can be delivered in a level attack, a dive, or a lateral toss.  The fragmentation pattern for an intact canister dropped at sea level is 1,380 feet vertically and 1,645 feet horizontally.  The time of fall is 19.4 seconds.

 

MK-82/MK-84 Low Drag General Purpose Bombs

MK-82

The MK-82 and MK-84 are similar in construction, varying only in size and weight.  The MK-82 weighs 531 lbs. and contains 192 lbs. of explosive filler.  The bomb's length is 7 feet 2 inches and has a diameter of 11 inches.  In contrast, the MK-84 weighs 1,972 lbs. and contains 945 lbs. of explosive filler.  The bomb is 12 feet 8 inches in length and has a diameter of 18 inches.

MK-84

Both bombs normally contain tritonal 80-20 or tritonal/minol 2, but may contain H-6 high explosive filler.  Due to the extreme differential in weight, the standard load for an F-16 is either two MK-84s or six MK-82s.  Both bombs are compatible with many different fuses.  In many cases, however, the M904 nose fuse or M905 tail fuse is used.

Typical targets for the MK-82 include bridges, unhardened buildings, electronic installations, tanks, armored personnel carriers, SAMs, AAA, unrevetted aircraft, and above ground POL sites.  The MK-84 is used for bridges, buildings (hardened and unhardened), runways, tunnels, and underground POL sites.

The frag pattern for a MK-82 at 5,000 feet pressure altitude is 2,500 feet vertically and 2,900 feet horizontally.  The time of fall is 25.9 seconds.  The frag pattern for the MK-84 at the same pressure altitude is 3,150 feet vertically and 3,175 feet horizontally.  The time of fall is 29.7 seconds.

 

MK-82 Air Inflatable Retarder (AIR) High Drag General Purpose Bomb

MK-82 Air Inflatable Retarder

The MK-82 AIR is a MK-82 modified by attaching a BSU-49/B AIR tail assembly.  The MK-82 AIR is about 20 lbs. heavier and 5 inches longer than the MK-82 Low Drag General Purpose (LDGP) bomb.  The AIR provides a high speed, low altitude delivery capability due to increasing the bomb trail.  Additionally, bomb ricocheting or broaching is less likely due to increased impact angles.

The BSU-49/B tail assembly weighs 56 lbs.  The length is 26 inches and the fin span is 15 inches.  The MK-82 AIR release is cockpit selectable as high drag or low drag.  The weapon can be delivered at speeds from 200 to 700 knots.  However, low drag deliveries should be limited to 600 knots maximum due to ballistic instability, which causes excessive dispersion.

Typical targets are the same for the basic MK-82, but the high drag delivery can provide better weapon effects due to impact angle and reduced likelihood of casing break-up.  Typical targets include bridges, buildings, electronic installations, SAM sites, AAA sites, aircraft, runways, and troops in the open.

The frag pattern for the MK-82 AIR is the same as the MK-82 LDGP bomb.  At sea level, the pattern is 2,140 feet vertically and 2,550 feet horizontally.  The time of fall is 24.4 seconds.

 

Proceed to Page 2.

 

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Copyright © 2003 by Keith A. Rosenkranz.  All rights reserved.
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