- Matra Durandal
-
Matra Durandal 
An F-111 carrying BLU-107 Durandals.Type Anti-runway bomb Place of origin France Service history In service 1977–present Used by United States, Argentina, Turkey, Jordan Wars Gulf War (1991) Production history Manufacturer Matra (now MBDA) Specifications Weight 200 kg (440 lb) Length 2.7 m (8 ft 10 in) Diameter 22.3 cm (8.8 in) Warhead weight 100 kg (220 lb) primary charge
15 kg (33 lb) secondary chargeNamed for a mythical medieval French sword, the Durandal is a bomb developed by the French company Matra (now MBDA), designed to destroy airport and airfield runways.
Contents
Overview
Designed to be dropped from low altitudes, the bomb's fall is slowed by a parachute. The maximum release speed is 550 knots (1,020 km/h; 630 mph) and the minimum release altitude is 200 feet (61 m). When the bomb has reached a 40° angle due to the parachute's drag, it fires a rocket booster that accelerates it into the runway surface. The 100-kilogram (220 lb) primary charge explodes once the weapon has penetrated the concrete and drives the secondary charge even deeper. The 15-kilogram (33 lb) secondary charge then explodes after a one second delay. Later production weapons have a programmable fuze that can delay the secondary detonation up to several hours.
The weapon can penetrate up to 40 centimetres (16 in) of concrete, and creates a crater 2 metres (6 ft 7 in) deep and approximately 5 metres (16 ft) in diameter. In addition, concrete slabs around the crater are disturbed in an area approximately 15 metres (49 ft) in diameter. The disturbed slabs are displaced up to 50 centimetres (20 in) above the original surface, making repair more difficult than the simple crater from a conventional bomb.[1]
Service History
The Durandal was adopted by the US in a slightly modified form (with a steeper impact angle and a higher 630 knot deployment speed) as the BLU-107/B in the 1980s, and carried by F-111 and F-15E strike aircraft.[2]
In addition, the Durandal is in service with Argentina, Turkey, and at least 14 other un-identified nations. There is conflicting information as to whether the Durandal is or ever has been in service with the French Armée de l'Air.[3][4]
It was used by the USAF in Desert Storm, delivered by F-111E's of the 20th Fighter Wing operating out of Turkey. 20th Wing flight commander Captain George Kelman said "there is nothing better at destroying a runway than a Durandal."[5]
There is a persistent story that the first use of the Durandal was during the Six Day War in 1967. This has no basis in fact, as the Durandal was developed in the early to mid 1970s.[6] The actual weapon was the Israeli made direct predecessor to the Durandal which would soon lead to joint French-Israeli Durandal development along with many systems already jointly developed before and during in this time period.[7]
See also
- JP233 - A British anti-runway weapon
- BAP 100 - A smaller French anti-runway weapon adopted by the French Air Force
References
- ^ "Ordnance & Munitions Forecast". http://www.docstoc.com/docs/80290053/Durandal-BLU-Archived. Retrieved 23 July 2011.
- ^ "Ordnance & Munitions Forecast". http://www.docstoc.com/docs/80290053/Durandal-BLU-Archived. Retrieved 23 July 2011.
- ^ "Ordnance & Munitions Forecast". http://www.docstoc.com/docs/80290053/Durandal-BLU-Archived. Retrieved 23 July 2011.
- ^ "MBDA (Matra) BLU-107/B Durandal". http://www.designation-systems.net/dusrm/app4/blu-107.html. Retrieved 23 July 2011.
- ^ "BLU-107 Durandal - Dumb Bombs". http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/munitions/blu-107.htm. Retrieved 23 July 2011.
- ^ "Jane's Air Launched Weapons". Jane's Information group. 12. http://articles.janes.com/articles/Janes-Air-Launched-Weapons/Durandal-BLU-107-B-France.html. Retrieved 7/23/2011.
- ^ http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2007/may/06/israelandthepalestinians.features
External links
Categories:- Aerial bombs
- Anti-runway weapons
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
