65 results
Analyst Note:
Contextual information, including an assessment of the crater which appears to be linked to this munition remnant, suggests that a 2,000-pound-class bomb fitted with a SPICE 2000 guidance kit was used in this airstrike. (ARES)
Analyst Note:
The M329 is a multi-purpose tank gun projectile designed to engage a range of targets other than tanks. It is one of the few cluster munitions that takes the form of a tank gun projectile, dispensing six explosive submunitions over a relatively small area. It has also been referred to as the ‘APAM 120’, describing its functional role (‘anti-personnel/anti-materiel’) and calibre (120 mm). (ARES)
Analyst Note:
This image shows a distinctively shaped component of MBDA’s ‘Diamond Back’ joined tandem wing assembly as fitted to the GBU-39 Small Diameter Bomb (SDB). (ARES)
Analyst Note:
The visible component is part of a Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) guidance kit, an accessory package that is fitted to unguided air-delivered bombs to convert them to precision guided munitions. Specifically, this image shows part of the left strake of the strake kit. Whilst the JDAM kit would not constitute a munition in its own right, this remnant is included here as contextual information strongly suggests it formed part of a complete munition that functioned. (ARES)
Analyst Note:
The remnant pictured here is part of a Small Diameter Bomb actuator assembly, which moves the four tail-fin control surfaces which alter the course of the munition in flight. (ARES)
Analyst Note:
The circled remnant is the hardened steel nosecone of the GBU-39, which renders the munition capable of penetrating more than 3 feet (approx. 1 metre) of steel-reinforced concrete. It is one of several components that often survives the detonation of the munition. (ARES)
Analyst Note:
This image depicts an M117-series unguided aerial bomb. Belonging to a class of weapons referred to as ‘demolition bombs’—which use Tritonal or similar explosive compounds to generate a more powerful blast effect than TNT or Composition B—the M117 is an American design which dates to the Korean War era and is rarely seen in service with modern armed forces. (ARES)
2 Analyst Notes:
This munition is assessed to be one of the Small Diameter Bomb (SDB) I variants (GBU-39 series), rather than one of the SDB II 'StormBreaker' (GBU-53 series) munitions, on the basis of contextual information. 'Small Diameter Bomb' is the manufacturer's terminology, whilst 'GBU-39' is the U.S. Air Force designation (also used by many other operators). (ARES)
Analyst Note:
Some artillery projectiles, such as this M150 type, use a hexachloroethane-based composition (HC) to generate smoke for screening or marking purposes. In many armed forces, HC smoke munitions have partially replaced those relying on white phosphorus for similar effects. (ARES)
Analyst Note:
107mm spin-stabilized rockets of this design are often utilized by non-state actors in an indirect fire role. Like the original Chinese models that they are copied from, they do not require more than a simple electric power source and a rudimentary launch platform to achieve an acceptable level of accuracy. (ARES)
Collection
Israel and Gaza 2023 – 2024
On 7 October 2023, Hamas militants breached the heavily-fortified border separating Israel and the Gaza Strip, attacking numerous towns and villages. More than 1,000 people in Israel were reported killed, with more than 250 taken hostage and moved to Gaza. In response, Israel has launched one of its largest military operations of recent decades, seeking […]
Analyst Note:
The MK 84 unguided air-delivered bomb can be fitted with the Paveway II, Paveway III, GBU-15, or Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) guidance kits, converting it into a precision guided munition. (ARES)
