Which bombs did the B-52 use?

[Oliver]

Hi,
I've spent countless hours now looking through various online sources as well as good old fashioned physical books, trying to get information about which bombs where used by the B-52's during the Vietnam war, in Iraq (Gulf War) and Afghanistan (2001-present) respectively, but without luck.
If anybody have any kind information about the bomb models that where used it would be of great help!

I appreciate every ounce of effort you guys might put into this, since I've hit a bit of a dead end here!

Best regards,
Oliver

 

[Aussie Digger]

Hi,
I've spent countless hours now looking through various online sources as well as good old fashioned physical books, trying to get information about which bombs where used by the B-52's during the Vietnam war, in Iraq (Gulf War) and Afghanistan (2001-present) respectively, but without luck.
If anybody have any kind information about the bomb models that where used it would be of great help!

I appreciate every ounce of effort you guys might put into this, since I've hit a bit of a dead end here!

Best regards,
Oliver

Mate there are countless sources on the web, detailing everything available in open sources about B-52 operations.

2 minutes on Google, FAS (Federation of American Scientists) or Wikipedia will provide you with the information you need...

At present they use Mk 80 series bombs.

Obtain from here after approx 85 seconds of searching:

Federation of American Scientists :: B-52 Stratofortress

 

[weasel1962]

Re:

Primarily M-117s in the pre-smart weapon days. B-52s dropped 43,435 M-117/M-117Rs during GW-1 representing 28.5% of all munitions dropped during desert storm. The 750lb M-117s were used in Vietnam as well but the B-52s dropped the older 500 lb-ers.

You can google M-117.

Today, B-52s carry jdams which was probably used in afghanistan and iraqi freedom as well.

 

[Aussie Digger]

Today, B-52s carry jdams which was probably used in afghanistan and iraqi freedom as well.

Ah, but he didn't ask, "what guided weapon systems does the B-52 employ?" He asked what "bombs" did they use...

Shouldn't be handing out freebies like this... :roll

Let the lad develop his own research skills...

 

[weasel1962]

Re:

Ah, but he didn't ask, "what guided weapon systems does the B-52 employ?" He asked what "bombs" did they use...

Shouldn't be handing out freebies like this... :roll

Let the lad develop his own research skills...

Its semantics. JDAM may be a guidance kit but its still strapped to a bomb which as you have posted are the mk-80s (and contradicts your not handing out freebies since you were the first to mention it). There is also a difference between saying the B-52s are dropping mk-80s as compared to jdams ie dumb bombs vs guided bombs which is the point I'm making.

As to the M-117s, those are basically dumb bombs which aren't mk-80s but the stocks have probably been intentionally depleted during desert storm to allow mk-80 series replacements.

 

[Oliver]

Your posts are ridiculously condescending, Aussie Digger.

I've searched for anything remotely linked to B-52's and the mentioned wars on google and wikipedia - even ended up on FAS a couple of times - but haven't gotten the answers I was looking for.
I'm doing the research for an artist and the lingo I'm reading through isn't exactly my area of expertise, so I would have appreciated the 2 minutes of effort from your side, instead of a "I know how to do that - that's easy".
But I get it, this is "your area", no need to put it any clearer.

Cheers

 

[Aussie Digger]

Your posts are ridiculously condescending, Aussie Digger.

I've searched for anything remotely linked to B-52's and the mentioned wars on google and wikipedia - even ended up on FAS a couple of times - but haven't gotten the answers I was looking for.
I'm doing the research for an artist and the lingo I'm reading through isn't exactly my area of expertise, so I would have appreciated the 2 minutes of effort from your side, instead of a "I know how to do that - that's easy".
But I get it, this is "your area", no need to put it any clearer.

Cheers

If you don't care for condescension, then don't come on here, gobbing off that you've done "countless hours of searching" when all it takes is typing "B-52 bombs" straight into Google to get the answer you are apparently seeking.

The reason for the intolerance, is the innumerable questions of the same sort (if not the same topic) we get weekly. Frankly, you are lucky you got a response here at all.

You are welcome for the actual ANSWER that I gave you in that very same post by the way...

 

[Aussie Digger]

Its semantics. JDAM may be a guidance kit but its still strapped to a bomb which as you have posted are the mk-80s (and contradicts your not handing out freebies since you were the first to mention it). There is also a difference between saying the B-52s are dropping mk-80s as compared to jdams ie dumb bombs vs guided bombs which is the point I'm making.

As to the M-117s, those are basically dumb bombs which aren't mk-80s but the stocks have probably been intentionally depleted during desert storm to allow mk-80 series replacements.

Actually, it's not quite semantics, because the JDAM kit, is just the kit that attaches to a Mk 80 series bomb unit. Not a bomb itself.

However it makes a Mk 80 bomb so much more, because it takes a relatively straightforward weapon and literally turns it into a munition, a weapon with greatly improved accuracy, an ability to maneuver and in some cases, re-target and provides significantly extended range, when equipped with strakes or a wingkit. The effect it has, turns the humble bomb, into something much more than originally intended.

Cheers

AD

 

[Oliver]

If you don't care for condescension, then don't come on here, gobbing off that you've done "countless hours of searching" when all it takes is typing "B-52 bombs" straight into Google to get the answer you are apparently seeking.

The reason for the intolerance, is the innumerable questions of the same sort (if not the same topic) we get weekly. Frankly, you are lucky you got a response here at all.

You are welcome for the actual ANSWER that I gave you in that very same post by the way...

I'm sorry to say this, but I'm not "gobbing off" anything. I have actually spent countless hours reading through this, believe it or not.

Think about it, wouldn't it be easier to "just type it into google" than having to signup and create a thread about it? (Especially knowing what the general reception of newcomer questions are, from forums about my area of expertise.)

Anyhow, the search you mention (and all the more specific ones I can think of), more or less links to the same 20-30 sites. I know which bombs it use(d). I know which wars it fought in. I know how, when and where it took place. But I can't find the correlation between those bits of information except for the mk84 and 82 being used in the Vietnam war.

And sorry, thanks for the answer about mk80-series, just got thrown of by the other stuff. I am glad you did answer none the less.