tohall@helios.lerc.nasa.gov (Dave Hall (Sverdrup)) (02/15/91)
From: tohall@helios.lerc.nasa.gov (Dave Hall (Sverdrup))
Saw this info in a local article:
The U.S is using the largest bomb in the arsenal - the 15,000-pound
"BLU-82" - in recent allied air attacks on Iraq as part of an intensified
effort to shake enemy troop morale before the expected allied ground
offensive.
Warplanes began dropping the massive bomb, also known as a "daisy
cutter", last week and are expected to continue during the ongoing phase of
softening up Iraqi troops for the anticipated U.S. ground assault.
Supposedly, the huge bombs are being used for their "shock value" in
hopes of shattering Iraqi morale and inducing large-scale defections.
The dropping of the bombs is followed by a rain of leaflets promising
that more such bombardment was to come and the only way the Iraqi soldiers
could escape the punishment would be to turn themselves in as prisoners.
The name "daisy cutter" derives from the fact that the weapon is
detonated above the ground and flattens everything in its large blast radius.
The concussion at point of detonation is supposed to be equivalent to that of
a small nuclear weapon.
Its explosive yield varies from 12,600 to 15,000 pounds, according to Air
Force documents. The largest munitions used previously in the conflict were
2,000-pound bombs dropped from aircraft and 1,900-pound shells fired
from 16-inch guns aboard U.S battleships in the Persian Gulf.
The BLU-82, also known as Big Blue 82, is detonated 3-6 feet off the
ground to maximize the shock wave. It clears an area with a diameter of 300-
600 yards.
Ground commanders in Vietnam said they could hear the big bomb's blast
from a distance of over 10 miles.
The bomb is dropped by transport planes because it cannot be fitted
under any U.S. fighter or tactical bomber. A B-52 bomb bay would have to be
extensively modified to accomodate the huge and rarely used weapon, so the
bombs are loaded onto wheeled pallets and shoved out the rear cargo hatch of a
C-130 transport. amichiel@rodan.acs.syr.edu (Allen J Michielsen) (02/18/91)
From: amichiel@rodan.acs.syr.edu (Allen J Michielsen) In Article:<> tohall@helios.lerc.nasa.gov (Dave Hall (Sverdrup)) writes: >From: tohall@helios.lerc.nasa.gov (Dave Hall (Sverdrup)) >Saw this info in a local article: >The U.S is using the largest bomb in the arsenal - the 15,000-pound >"BLU-82" - in recent allied air attacks on Iraq as part of an intensified >effort to shake enemy troop morale before the expected allied ground ... > Warplanes began dropping the massive bomb, also known as a "daisy >cutter", last week and are expected to continue during the ongoing phase of >softening up Iraqi troops for the anticipated U.S. ground assault. > Supposedly, the huge bombs are being used for their "shock value" in Don't take this to task, but you entirely avoided the tactical purpose of the daisy cutter in this situation. It is NOT entended as a 'demorilization' weapon (although it is a nice side effect...). I don't have the exact number, but Iraq has (reported) laid mines in massive quantity (approaching 5 billion or some nearby fantastically huge number). In quantity, some of these anti personnel devices can cost as little as $4.52 (us) {source pentagon/abc}. Many of the mines were given to iraq by saudia arabia, kuwait, iran, england, jordan, and the U.S.. The main tactical purpose for using daisy cutterss, in this situation, is as a very fast mine sweeper. The ground forces can (in theory I guess) then very rapidly move forward with total disregard to potential mines by following the crater lines. al -- Al. Michielsen, Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering, Syracuse University InterNet: amichiel@rodan.acs.syr.edu amichiel@sunrise.acs.syr.edu Bitnet: AMICHIEL@SUNRISE
JTW106@PSUVM.PSU.EDU (Jeff Wolfe) (02/18/91)
From: Jeff Wolfe <JTW106@PSUVM.PSU.EDU> In article <1991Feb15.065559.9255@cbnews.att.com>, tohall@helios.lerc.nasa.gov (Dave Hall (Sverdrup)) says: >Saw this info in a local article: > >The U.S is using the largest bomb in the arsenal - the 15,000-pound >"BLU-82" - in recent allied air attacks on Iraq as part of an intensified {... ...} > The bomb is dropped by transport planes because it cannot be fitted >under any U.S. fighter or tactical bomber. A B-52 bomb bay would have to be >extensively modified to accomodate the huge and rarely used weapon, so the >bombs are loaded onto wheeled pallets and shoved out the rear cargo hatch of a >C-130 transport. A blurb on CNN today confirmed this, and included footage of a large pallet being yanked out of the tail end of a C-130 and falling on a 'chute'. It appeared to explode into a large grey cloud, and then the grey cloud was detonated. I assume that this was an FAE bomb? The same blurb on CNN had footage on smaller canisters being dropped from pylons. the bomb would be released, fins would deploy, and the bomb would fall. Approxamately 10-20 ft above ground, the whole thing "popped" like an upside down firework, into a large grey cloud. Approx 5 - 10 secs. later the cloud detonated into a pretty awesome fireball. Is the blast from a bomb like this in any way directional? Can you direct it? -- Jeff Wolfe JTW106@psuvm.psu.edu Dalton, Pa. JTW106@psuvm.BITNET