Resources
A range of guides, including visual and text explainers, to help demystify munitions and their use.
Key Munition Categories
Air-delivered Bombs
Air-delivered bombs are bombs that are dropped from an aerial vehicle. Compared to other munition categories, they are typically large and can weigh up to 2,000 kilograms – roughly the weight of a car.
Artillery Gun Projectiles
Artillery gun projectiles are gun-launched indirect-fire projectiles that are typically unguided. They can be generally described as a steel cylinder with a tapered pointed nose, where the fuze of the munition is often fitted.
Mortar projectiles
Mortar projectiles are gun-launched indirect-fire that are typically unguided. Compared with artillery projectiles, mortar projectiles are generally shorter and lighter.
Rockets and Missiles
Rockets and missiles are two closely related types of powered munitions which utilise an internal propulsion method. A rocket fitted with a guidance system is referred to as a missile.
Tank Gun Projectiles
Tank gun projectiles are projectiles fired from tank guns, which may vary from simple high explosive munitions to visually distinctive kinetic energy penetrators or complex ‘multi-purpose’ types which combine blast, fragmentation, shaped charge, and/or incendiary damage mechanisms.
Glossary
A glossary of explosive munitions from the Open Source Munitions Portal
Collections
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The GBU-39 air-delivered bomb: a visual guide
An interactive 3D model of the Israeli military’s “weapon of choice” in Gaza
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What Are Bomb Guidance Kits?
A visual guide to JDAMs and other guidance kits from the Open Source Munitions Portal
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How to tell if an artillery projectile has been fired
If an artillery gun projectile appears unfunctioned, it can sometimes be challenging to tell on first glance whether it has been fired and failed to function, or has not been fired at all. In general, munitions specialists look for the following three characteristics in making this determination: Engraved driving bands, where the soft material (typically […]
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Ukraine 2022 – 2024
On 24 February 2022, Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, with forces seeking to capture most major cities – including the capital Kyiv. This marked the largest conflict in Europe since the Second World War, and around a quarter of Ukrainian territory fell under Russian control – though its forces were repelled from Kyiv. […]
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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 […]