Friday, September 05, 2008

BLU-97

BLU-97 CEB

Also Known As: BLU-97/B, Combined Effects Bomb

Origin:United States of America

Description: The BLU-97 is a small size, cylindrical submunition/bomblet capable of neutralizing armored vehicles, personnel and material thanks to its shaped explosive charge. A scored steel casing and zirconium ring for anti-armor, incendiary and fragmentation capability ensure for the BLU-97 the ability to take out a wide range of targets. All in, the BLU-97s can cause devastating effects when used properly against multiple targets in a wide area.

BLU-97s were designed to detonate in large numbers at a certain altitude to affect a wide area. Once the BLU-97 detonates, the scored steel case breaks into around 300 fragments that act as kinetic energy penetrators. These fragments can injure outstanding damage to light armored vehicles and materiel and are lethal against personnel. Due to these characteristics the BLU-97 based weapons are allowed to attack grouped targets even on the move, for example armored formations.

The BLU-97 warhead has been provided to the CBU-87 Combined Effects Munitions (CEM) cluster bomb, the Tomahawk Block II TLAM-D cruise missile, and the AGM-154A JSOW standoff weapon. BLU-97s carried by CBU-87s were extensively used during operation Desert Storm in 1991 and follow-on conflicts. It is said that the US armed forces airborne platforms dropped more than 10,000 CBU-87s during Desert Storm.

Specifications
Dimensions: Diameter 60 mm, Length 200 mm

Applications
AGM-154A JSOW, CBU-87 CEM, Tomahawk Block II Operators

United States of America

Notes
(*) lead contractor
IOC: Initial Operating Capability
FOC: Full Operating Capability
CEP: Circular Error Probable
Comm: Commissioning Date
Meters (m) Kilometers (km) Nautic Miles (nm) Inch (in) Yard (yd) Foot (ft) Millimeter (mm)
Pound (lb) Kilogram (kg) kN (KiloNewton) Ton (t)
Meters per Second (mps) Kilometers per Hour (kph) Knot (kt) Miles per Hour (mph)
Liter (l) Galon (gl)
Year (yr) Minutes (min) Second (sec)
Shaft-Horse-Power (shp)

Last Updated: Sunday, August 24, 2008

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