GBU-28 vs TM-57 mine: Specs Compared

ABombs, grenades & mines

GBU-28

Laser-guided bunker busting bomb

BBombs, grenades & mines

TM-57 mine

First system

Second system

Measured figures

Head to head

3 of 21 rows sourced on both sides

5.82moverall

—

Length

All recorded figures & sources

4.04 m

bomb body

Single source

5.824 m

overall

Single source

19 ft 1.3 in (5.824 m) overall 13 ft 3 in (4.04 m) bomb body^[source]

—

100mm

Height

All recorded figures & sources

0.1 m

Height

Single source

100 millimetres (3.9 in)^[source]

407mmwidest point

300mm

Diameter

All recorded figures & sources

0.382 m

main body

Single source

0.407 m

widest point

Single source

15 in (382 mm) main body 16 in (407 mm) widest point^[source]

0.3 m

Diameter

Single source

300 millimetres (12 in)^[source]

1,800–2,300kg

9.5kgWeight

Mass

All recorded figures & sources

1,800–2,300 kg

Mass

Single source

4,000–5,000 lb (1,800–2,300 kg)^[source]

9.5 kg

Weight

Single source

9.5 kilograms (21 lb)^[source]

306.2kgFilling weight

7kgof TNT

Warhead massScopes differ

All recorded figures & sources

306.2 kg

Filling weight

Single source

675 lb (306.2 kg)^[source]

7 kg

of TNT

Single source

7 kilograms (15 lb) of TNT^[source]

Bars compare reported quantities only. A larger figure does not make a system better; configurations and test conditions differ.

Configuration

Details

GBU-28 and TM-57 mine configuration
Specification	GBU-28	TM-57 mine
Type	Laser-guided bunker busting bomb^[source]	—
Place of origin	United States^[source]	—
In service	1991–present^[source]	—
Used by	United States Israel South Korea^[source]	—
Wars	Gulf War Gaza war Israel–Hezbollah conflict (2023–2024) 2024 Hezbollah headquarters strike 2026 Iran war^[source]	—
Designer	Albert L. Weimorts^[source]	—
Manufacturer	Raytheon General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems^[source]	—
Filling	Tritonal , AFX‐757 IM^[source]	—
Detonation mechanism	Impact, time delay^[source]	—
References	Janes^[source]	—
Role	4,000–5,000-pound (1,800–2,300 kg) class laser-guided " bunker busting " bomb^[source]	—
Source measurement	The GBU-28 (Guided Bomb Unit‐28) is a 4,000–5,000-pound (1,800–2,300 kg) class laser-guided " bunker busting " bomb produced originally by the Watervliet Arsenal , Watervliet, New York . It was designed, manufactured, and deployed in less than three weeks due to an urgent need during Operation Desert Storm to penetrate hardened Iraqi command centers located deep underground. Only two of the weapons were dropped in Desert Storm, both by F-111Fs . One GBU-28 was dropped during Operation Iraqi Freedom . It was designed by Albert L. Weimorts .^[source]GBU-28 · Lead; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage The initial batch of GBU-28s was built from modified 8-inch (203 mm) artillery barrels (principally from deactivated M110 howitzers ), but later examples are purpose-built with the BLU-113 bomb body made by National Forge of Irvine, Pennsylvania. They weigh 5,000 pounds (2,268 kg) and contain 630 pounds (286 kg) of tritonal explosive.^[source]GBU-28 · Design and development; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage The GBU-28 C/B version uses the 5,000-pound BLU-122 bomb body, which contains AFX-757 explosive in a 4,000-pound (1,800 kg) casing machined from a single piece of ES-1 Eglin steel alloy.^[source]GBU-28 · Design and development; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage The bomb underwent testing at the Tonopah Test Range , Nevada , a test facility for United States Department of Energy funded weapon programs. An F-111F of the 431st Test and Evaluation Squadron based at McClellan AFB in California dropped the first GBU-28 at Tonopah on February 24, 1991. It proved capable of penetrating over 160 feet (50 m) of earth or 16 feet (5 m) of solid concrete; this was demonstrated when a test bomb, bolted to a missile sled, smashed through 22 feet (6.7 m) of reinforced concrete and still retained enough kinetic energy to travel a half-mile (800 m) downrange. The GBU-28 went from finalized design to first use in combat in only two weeks between 13 and 27 February 1991.^[source]GBU-28 · Design and development; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage On the night of 27/28 February 1991, just hours before the ceasefire, two General Dynamics F-111Fs , loaded with one GBU-28 each, headed towards a target on the outskirts of Baghdad . The al-Taji Airbase, located 15 miles (24 km) northwest of the Iraqi capital, had been hit at least three times by GBU-27/Bs from F-117 Nighthawks , "digging up the rose garden". The first GBU-28 was dropped off-target due to target misidentification. The second GBU-28 was a direct hit and penetrated the thick reinforced concrete before detonating, killing everyone inside.^[source]GBU-28 · Operational history; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage In October 2021, the USAF completed assessments of the GBU-72 Advanced 5K Penetrator (A5K), a 5,000 lb (2,300 kg) penetrator bomb consisting of a BLU-138 penetrator warhead combined with a JDAM GPS guidance kit. In development since 2017, the GBU-72 is expected to cause significantly more damage against hardened, buried targets and is fitted with a more durable and efficient smart electronic fuse that can activate at a preprogrammed location. The Air Force plans to begin buying the weapon in 2022 to replace the GBU-28. Israel is also reportedly interested.^[source]GBU-28 · Operational history; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage	—
Operating pressure	—	200–700 kilograms (440–1,540 lb)^[source]
Fuse	—	MVZ-57 pressure. MVSh-57 tilt with MD019 detonator.^[source]
Country of origin	—	Soviet Union^[source]Inventory Origin column; table 19, row 8, cell 5; revision 1377394124; retrieved 2026-09-30

FORCETALLY

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GBU-28

TM-57 mine

Type

Laser-guided bunker busting bomb^[source]

—

Place of origin

United States^[source]

—

In service

1991–present^[source]

—

Used by

United States Israel South Korea^[source]

—

Wars

Gulf War Gaza war Israel–Hezbollah conflict (2023–2024) 2024 Hezbollah headquarters strike 2026 Iran war^[source]

—

Designer

Albert L. Weimorts^[source]

—

Manufacturer

Raytheon General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems^[source]

—

Filling

Tritonal , AFX‐757 IM^[source]

—

Detonation mechanism

Impact, time delay^[source]

—

References

Janes^[source]

—

Role

4,000–5,000-pound (1,800–2,300 kg) class laser-guided " bunker busting " bomb^[source]

—

Source measurement

The GBU-28 (Guided Bomb Unit‐28) is a 4,000–5,000-pound (1,800–2,300 kg) class laser-guided " bunker busting " bomb produced originally by the Watervliet Arsenal , Watervliet, New York . It was designed, manufactured, and deployed in less than three weeks due to an urgent need during Operation Desert Storm to penetrate hardened Iraqi command centers located deep underground. Only two of the weapons were dropped in Desert Storm, both by F-111Fs . One GBU-28 was dropped during Operation Iraqi Freedom . It was designed by Albert L. Weimorts .^[source]GBU-28 · Lead; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage

The initial batch of GBU-28s was built from modified 8-inch (203 mm) artillery barrels (principally from deactivated M110 howitzers ), but later examples are purpose-built with the BLU-113 bomb body made by National Forge of Irvine, Pennsylvania. They weigh 5,000 pounds (2,268 kg) and contain 630 pounds (286 kg) of tritonal explosive.^[source]GBU-28 · Design and development; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage

The GBU-28 C/B version uses the 5,000-pound BLU-122 bomb body, which contains AFX-757 explosive in a 4,000-pound (1,800 kg) casing machined from a single piece of ES-1 Eglin steel alloy.^[source]GBU-28 · Design and development; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage

The bomb underwent testing at the Tonopah Test Range , Nevada , a test facility for United States Department of Energy funded weapon programs. An F-111F of the 431st Test and Evaluation Squadron based at McClellan AFB in California dropped the first GBU-28 at Tonopah on February 24, 1991. It proved capable of penetrating over 160 feet (50 m) of earth or 16 feet (5 m) of solid concrete; this was demonstrated when a test bomb, bolted to a missile sled, smashed through 22 feet (6.7 m) of reinforced concrete and still retained enough kinetic energy to travel a half-mile (800 m) downrange. The GBU-28 went from finalized design to first use in combat in only two weeks between 13 and 27 February 1991.^[source]GBU-28 · Design and development; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage

On the night of 27/28 February 1991, just hours before the ceasefire, two General Dynamics F-111Fs , loaded with one GBU-28 each, headed towards a target on the outskirts of Baghdad . The al-Taji Airbase, located 15 miles (24 km) northwest of the Iraqi capital, had been hit at least three times by GBU-27/Bs from F-117 Nighthawks , "digging up the rose garden". The first GBU-28 was dropped off-target due to target misidentification. The second GBU-28 was a direct hit and penetrated the thick reinforced concrete before detonating, killing everyone inside.^[source]GBU-28 · Operational history; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage

In October 2021, the USAF completed assessments of the GBU-72 Advanced 5K Penetrator (A5K), a 5,000 lb (2,300 kg) penetrator bomb consisting of a BLU-138 penetrator warhead combined with a JDAM GPS guidance kit. In development since 2017, the GBU-72 is expected to cause significantly more damage against hardened, buried targets and is fitted with a more durable and efficient smart electronic fuse that can activate at a preprogrammed location. The Air Force plans to begin buying the weapon in 2022 to replace the GBU-28. Israel is also reportedly interested.^[source]GBU-28 · Operational history; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage

—

Operating pressure

—

200–700 kilograms (440–1,540 lb)^[source]

Fuse

—

MVZ-57 pressure. MVSh-57 tilt with MD019 detonator.^[source]

Country of origin

—

Soviet Union^[source]Inventory Origin column; table 19, row 8, cell 5; revision 1377394124; retrieved 2026-09-30