| Mark 83 General-Purpose (GP) Bomb | |
|---|---|
Mark 83 1,000-pound general-purpose bombs
| |
| Type | Low-drag general-purpose (LDGP) bomb |
| Place of origin | United States |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 1,014 pounds (460 kg) |
| Length | 119.49 inches (3,035 mm) |
| Diameter | 14.06 inches (357 mm) |
| Filling | Tritonal, Minol, or Composition H-6 |
| Filling weight | 445 pounds (202 kg) |
The Mark 83 is a 1,000-pound (450 kg) bomb, part of the Mark 80 seriesoflow-drag general-purpose bombs in United States service.
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,[1] and fin configuration.[2] 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 Held Kashmir.[3][4][5]
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.
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.
