Mark 84 bomb

The Mark 84 or BLU-117 is an American general-purpose bomb, it is also the largest of the Mark 80 series of weapons. Entering service during the Vietnam War, it became a commonly used US heavy unguided bomb (due to the amount of high-explosive content packed inside) to be dropped, second only to the 15,000 pounds (6,803.9 kg) BLU-82 "Daisy Cutter" then in service and presently third only to the 22,600 lb (10,251.2 kg) GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast bomb (MOAB) currently in service. Pilots flying the F-117 Nighthawk over Iraq during the First Gulf War nicknamed it the "Hammer" (albeit fitted with the GBU-27 Paveway III kit for use specially by the Nighthawks), for its considerable destructive power and blast radius.

Development

The Mark 84 has a nominal weight of 2,000 lb (907.2 kg), but its actual weight varies depending on its fin, fuze options, and retardation configuration, from 1,972 to 2,083 lb (894.5 to 944.8 kg). It is a streamlined steel casing filled with 945 lb (428.6 kg) of Tritonal high explosive.