No More Daisy Cutters In Active Service
Duke Field Airmen from the 711th Special Operations Squadron
dropped the last operational Bomb Live Unit-82 from an MC-130E
Combat Talon I July 15 at the Utah Test and Training Range.
Nicknamed "Commando Vault" in Vietnam and "Daisy Cutter" in
Afghanistan, the BLU-82 is a 15,000-pound bomb, and because of its
size, the bomb was dropped by parachute from the aircraft.
"We in the Air Force Reserve Command feel fortunate to have been
chosen to drop the last operational Daisy Cutter," said Col. Jon
Weeks, the 919th Special Operations Wing vice commander and mission
commander on the drop. "Our people in the 711th Special Operations
Squadron dropped several BLU-82s during the first few months of
Operation Enduring Freedom with significant psychological and
tactical effect."
When originally designed, the BLU-82 was the largest
conventional bomb in existence. It could instantly clear jungles
for helicopter landing zones in Vietnam. Later, the military used
the bomb as an antipersonnel weapon because of its large lethal
radius combined with the psychological effects of the flash and
sound... qualities that were particularly useful during initial
attacks against Al-Qaeda terror cells in Afghanistan in 2001.
The warhead contains 12,600 pounds of GSX slurry, composed of
ammonium nitrate, aluminum powder and polystyrene. A 38-inch fuse
extender detonates the bomb, allowing maximum destruction at ground
level without leaving a crater.
"The power of this weapon is overwhelming," Colonel Weeks said.
"Even flying the chase plane at 6,000 feet above ground level and
approximately three-quarters of a mile away from the bomb's
detonation point, we felt a shock wave that shook the aircraft. As
former commander of the 711th SOS and a traditional reservist, I
feel especially proud to have been part of this historical
event."
The crew determines the accurate delivery of the weapon. The
navigator positions the aircraft and calculates ballistic and wind
computations. The pilot keeps the plane on course with precision
instrument flying.
"As far as aircraft loads go, the delivery of the BLU-82 was
nothing unusual," said Lt. Col. Mike Theriot, the aircraft
commander and pilot on the mission. "Our aircraft routinely drop
loads much larger and heavier."
Wing officials said they believe there are no plans, at this
time, to produce BLU-82s in the future. The only remaining inactive
bombs are used for loadmaster training and for static displays in
museums.
(Aero-News salutes Capt. Patrick Nichols, 919th Operations
Group)