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Bombs, grenades & mines1991–presentProfile in progress
Laser-guided bunker busting bomb
GBU-28 is a laser-guided bunker busting bomb originating in United States. It was built by Raytheon General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems. Reported operators include United States Israel South Korea.
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Laser-guided bunker busting bomb
United States
1991–present
United States Israel South Korea
Gulf War Gaza war Israel–Hezbollah conflict (2023–2024) 2024 Hezbollah headquarters strike 2026 Iran war
Albert L. Weimorts
Raytheon General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems
4,000–5,000 lb (1,800–2,300 kg)
19 ft 1.3 in (5.824 m) overall 13 ft 3 in (4.04 m) bomb body
15 in (382 mm) main body 16 in (407 mm) widest point
Tritonal , AFX‐757 IM
675 lb (306.2 kg)
Impact, time delay
Janes
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 .
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 .
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Reference text from Wikipedia contributors, used under CC BY-SA 4.0.
True scale
Sourced dimensions beside a 1.75 m human reference.
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