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Air-to-Surface
Munitions that are delivered from above the surface of the earth, typically from an aerial vehicle, and designed to strike surface-based targets — whether on land or at sea.

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Shaped Charge Munition
Munitions which shape the blast effects of an explosive fill to achieve a specific effect, most often to penetrate armour. The most common shaped charge munitions use a ‘high explosive anti-tank’ (HEAT) warhead, which is sometimes combined with blast, fragmentation, and/or incendiary damage mechanisms to provide more flexible effects.

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Air-Delivered Bomb
Unpowered munitions dropped from an aerial vehicle, such as a plane or drone. They can be either guided or unguided and range in weight from only a few kilograms to more than 2,000 kilograms — roughly the weight of a car. Heavier air-delivered bombs are among the most destructive munitions in military arsenals.

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Analyst Note:
This image shows two Mikholit air-delivered bombs (‘glide bombs’), and four Mikholit warheads. There are at least two different variants of warheads available for the Mikholit glide bomb. The green cylinder on the left is a blast (high explosive) warhead, whilst the other three warheads are shaped charge warheads which incorporate additional fragmentation. Blast warheads of this type have also been seen with red markings, while the shaped charge warheads have been seen with yellow markings. (ARES)
Analyst Note:
This image shows several GBU-53/B bombs photographed from above while on a munitions transport cart. GBU-53/B bombs are transported and loaded onto the aircraft with the wing assembly on the bottom. When the GBU-53/B is released from the aircraft, the bomb rotates, with the wing assembly side orienting as the top as the bomb glides to its target. (ARES)
Analyst Note:
This image shows an unexploded WDU-45/B, the second stage or penetrator warhead (also called a ‘follow-through’ warhead), of the Bomb Royal Ordnance Augmented Charge (BROACH) multi-stage warhead system used in the AGM-154C variant of the Joint Standoff Weapon (JSOW) air-delivered bomb. The first stage is a shaped-charge warhead designed help the second stage penetrate hardened targets before detonating. The Shadow/SCALP-EG missile also uses a multi-stage BROACH system, but with larger warheads. (ARES)