The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) has announced on 6 December that General Dynamics – Ordnance and Tactical Systems (GDOTS) has been tapped by the U.S. Army to make MK80 and BLU-109 Tritonal bomb parts.
According to a statement, GDOTS was awarded a $264 million contract for Mark-80 and BLU-109 Tritonal bomb components.
Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Oct. 31, 2023.
The Mark-80 class of general-purpose bombs a shape known as Aero 1A, designed by Ed Heinemann of Douglas Aircraft as the result of studies in 1946. It has a length-to-diameter ratio of about 8:1, and results in minimal drag for the carrier aircraft. It includes four basic weapon types:
Mark-81 – nominal weight 250 pounds (113 kg)
Mark-82 – nominal weight 500 pounds (227 kg)
Mark-83 – nominal weight 1,000 pounds (454 kg)
Mark-84 – nominal weight 2,000 pounds (907 kg)
The BLU-109 is a hardened penetration bomb. The BLU-109 has a steel casing about 1 inch (25.4 mm) thick, filled with 530 lb (240 kg) of Tritonal. It has a delayed-action tail-fuze. The BLU-109 entered service in 1985. It is also used as the warhead of some marks of the GBU-15 electro-optically guided bomb, the GBU-27 Paveway III laser-guided bomb, and the AGM-130 rocket-boosted weapon.
As with other “bunker busters”, it is intended to smash through concrete shelters and other hardened structures before exploding.