| Mark 84 | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Type | Low-draggeneral-purpose bomb |
| Place of origin | United States |
| Service history | |
| In service | Since 1950s |
| Used by | United States Israel Saudi Arabia |
| Production history | |
| Manufacturer | General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems |
| Unit cost | US$16,000 |
| Variants | |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 2,039 lb (925 kg) |
| Length | 12 ft 7 in (3.84 m) |
| Diameter | 18 in (460 mm) |
| Tailspan | 2 ft 1 in (640 mm) |
| Warhead | Tritonal,H6 orPBXN-109 |
| Warhead weight | 946 lb (429 kg) |
| References | Janes[1][2][3][4][5][6] andThe War Zone[7] |
TheMark 84 orBLU-117[8] is a 2,000-pound (900 kg) Americangeneral purpose aircraft bomb. It is the largest of theMark 80 series of weapons. Entering service during theVietnam War, it became a commonly used US heavyunguided bomb. At the time, it was the third largest bomb by weight in the US inventory behind the 15,000-pound (6,800 kg)BLU-82 "Daisy Cutter" and the 3,000-pound (1,400 kg)M118 "demolition" bomb. It is currently sixth in size due to the addition of the 5,000 lb (2,300 kg)GBU-28 in 1991, the 22,600 lb (10,300 kg)GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast bomb (MOAB) in 2003, and the 30,000 lb (14,000 kg)GBU-57A/B Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP).
The Mark 84 has a nominal weight of 2,000 lb (907 kg), but its actual weight varies depending on its fin,fuze options, and retardation configuration, from 1,972 to 2,083 lb (894 to 945 kg). It is a streamlined steel casing filled with 945 lb (429 kg) oftritonal high explosive.[9]
The Mark 84 can form a crater 50 feet (15 m) wide and 36 ft (11 m) deep. It can penetrate up to 15 inches (38 cm) of metal or 11 ft (3.4 m) of concrete, depending on the height from which it is dropped, and causes lethal fragmentation to a radius of 400 feet (120 m).[10]
Many Mark 84s have been retrofitted with stabilizing and retarding devices to provide precision guidance capabilities. They serve as the warhead of a variety of precision-guided munitions,[11] including theGBU-10/GBU-24/GBU-27Pavewaylaser-guided bombs,GBU-15 electro-optical bomb,GBU-31 JDAM and Quickstrikesea mines.[12] TheHGK is a Turkish guidance kit used to convert 2000-lb Mark 84 bombs into GPS/INS guided smart bombs.[13]
According to a test report conducted by the United States Navy'sWeapon System Explosives Safety Review Board (WSESRB) established in the wake of the1967 USSForrestal fire, thecooking off time for a Mk 84 is about 8 minutes 40 seconds.
MK 84 were used by U.S. forces in theVietnam War,Gulf War,[14]Iraq War,Afghanistan War, and thebombing of Yugoslavia,[15] and by Israel in the2014 Gaza War and the ongoingGaza war.[16][17]
According to a forensic investigation byHuman Rights Watch, MK 84 bombs were also in theSaudi-led intervention in the Yemeni civil war.[18]
In 2023 and 2024, the United Statessupplied over 14,000 Mark 84 bombs to Israel. They have been used extensively in theGaza Strip during theGaza war. At least one of the bombs was used in the13 July 2024 al-Mawasi attack that killed the top commander ofHamas' military wing,Mohammed Deif, and Hamas'Khan Yunis Military Division ChiefRafa Salama and 90+ civilians and injured over 300.[19][20][21]
According to the US SenatorMark Kelly, Israel used a bomb of this type in theassassination ofHassan Nasrallah, leader ofHezbollah, inLebanon on September 27, 2024.[22]
Human Rights Watch conducted on-site investigations on March 28, and found remnants at the market of a GBU-31 satellite-guided bomb, which consists of a US-supplied MK-84 2,000-pound bomb mated with a JDAM satellite guidance kit, ...
The new arms packages include more than 1,800 MK84 2,000-pound bombs and 500 MK82 500-pound bombs, said the sources, who confirmed a report in the Washington Post.
