Air-delivered Bombs

Air-delivered bombs are bombs that are dropped from an aerial vehicle and designed to achieve a state of free fall as they reach the intended target or target area. Air-delivered bombs most often consist of a thin-walled body filled with explosive material. They may be equipped with fins Fixed or adjustable vanes, typically attached to the body of a projectile , control surfaces, or parachutes in order to achieve greater accuracy. Fuzes may be fitted to the nose, centre, or tail of the munition, or in multiple positions.

Many air-delivered bombs feature visible welding seams Junctions where sections of a munition have been welded together , as well as suspension lugs Mounting holes that are affixed to munitions carried under the wings or body of aircraft to attach the bomb to an aircraft. When a high explosive air-delivered bomb detonates, few characteristic fragments generally survive – but tail assemblies and lugs are among the most common remnants.

Air-delivered bombs are deployed by releasing them from an aerial vehicle, such as a plane or drone. After the release their trajectory is determined by their horizontal speed, their drag, and the height from which they were dropped.

Compared with other categories of munitions, air-delivered bombs are typically large, with the capacity to cause significant damage. They range vastly in weight, from only a few kilograms to more than 2,000 kilograms – roughly the weight of a car.

Guided Air-delivered Bomb

An air-delivered bomb that uses some form of precision guidance to correct its trajectory and increase its accuracy. Guided munitions are preferred to unguided bombs by many nations due to the inherently more precise characteristics.

Unguided Air-delivered Bomb

An air-delivered bomb which cannot alter its course during free-fall, instead following a ballistic trajectory The motion of unpowered, unguided munitions that move along a curved path under the action of only gravity and air resistance after being dropped by an aircraft. Unguided air-delivered bombs can be delivered fairly accurately by modern aircraft using onboard sensors and guidance systems to time the release.