Air Weapons: April 16, 2002

Archives

: Through early March, the Afghan War had seen the US drop 10,500 bombs (Mk82, Mk83, and Mk84) as well as two new thermobaric fuel-air bombs and two (prototype) Joint Stand Off Weapons. Of the 10,500 conventional bombs, 4,734 had Joint Direct Attack Munitions kits, while 1,320 had laser-guidance kits. The rest were dropped as free-fall dumb bombs. Tonnage is divided as follows:

39%: USAF B-1 Lancer heavy bombers, flying at night (mostly ignored by the media)

29%: USAF B-52 bombers, flying in the daytime (and getting all of the good TV coverage)

24%: US Navy fighters and attack planes of various types

8%: USAF fighters (F-15E, F-16) flying mostly from Central Asian bases--Stephen V Cole