Munitions

1,000-pound drop bomb

Also known as
  • 1,000 lb bomb
  • 1000 lb bomb
  • Mk 83
  • Mark 83
  • MK-83
  • MK83
  • Mk 83 Mod 5
  • BLU-110
  • BLU-110/B
  • BLU-110A/B
  • BLU-110B/B
  • BLU-110C/B

The 1,000-pound drop bomb is a U.S. low-drag general-purpose bomb-body class represented by the Mk 83 and BLU-110 family. Air Force and Army references frame the Mk 83/BLU-110 as a 1,000-pound free-fall body that can accept fins, fuzes, laser/GPS guidance kits, or mine-kit hardware, while direct U.S., NATO, and Human Rights Watch evidence documents Mk 83 use from Vietnam and Desert Storm through Kosovo, Iraq, and Yemen.

1,000-pound drop bomb, Free-fall bomb, Munitions
Image source: Wikimedia Commons Mark 83 carrier photo

Role in Conflicts

1955 Vietnam War
Long-Range Strike
Side
United States and South Vietnam

A U.S. Navy National Museum of Naval Aviation photo identifies a VAH-4 A-3B Skywarrior dropping a Mk 83 454 kg bomb in South Vietnam during the squadron's 1965 Vietnam deployment.

1999 Kosovo War / Operation Allied Force
Fire Support
Side
NATO

A DoD Kosovo after-action report lists MK-83 among direct-attack unguided ballistic weapons used in Operation Allied Force, and an RAF-hosted Air Power Review article describes British Harriers dropping a single Mk 83 1,000-pound bomb on a suspected artillery decoy position.

Profile / Specs

Specifications

Weight class
1,000 pounds / 454 kg nominal
Body family
Mk 83 / BLU-110 1,000-pound low-drag general-purpose bomb body
Primary function
1,000-pound free-fall general-purpose bomb
Dimensions
9 ft 10 in long; 14 in diameter
Construction
Streamlined steel body with nose and aft wells for fuzes, plugs, sensors, fins, guidance airfoil kits, or mine kits
Effects
Blast and fragmentation
Guidance-kit use
Can accept laser or GPS guidance airfoil kits
Reported unit cost
$7,089 (FY2004 actual dollars)
Producer
General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems, Garland, Texas
Variants

The record covers the unguided 1,000-pound bomb body rather than every all-up guided weapon. Mk 83 identifies the standard 1,000-pound LDGP bomb body, while BLU-110 designations identify the same body class in insensitive-munition and protected Navy applications.

VariantConfigurationDesignation notes
Mk 83 / MK83 Mod 5Standard 1,000-pound low-drag general-purpose bomb body

U.S. Air Force art identifies the MK-83 as a 1,000-pound free-fall general-purpose bomb, while Designation Systems treats Mk 83 as the standard 1,000-pound LDGP warhead for JDAM and Paveway II applications.

Sources: Air Force MK-83 art, Designation Systems JDAM page, Raytheon (Texas Instruments) Paveway II

BLU-110/BThermally insensitive 1,000-pound bomb body

The U.S. Army bombs page and Designation Systems describe BLU-110 as the Mk 83-class 1,000-pound body used with alternate explosive filler and U.S. Navy protective-coating variants.

Sources: PL Joint Ammunition and Weapon Systems - Bombs, Raytheon (Texas Instruments) Paveway II, Designation Systems JDAM page

BLU-110A/BInsensitive-munition BLU-110 variant

The U.S. Army bombs page places BLU-110 in the 1,000-pound bomb class; Designation Systems identifies BLU-110A/B as a Navy protective-coating variant used in the same Mk 83-class applications.

Sources: PL Joint Ammunition and Weapon Systems - Bombs, Designation Systems JDAM page, Raytheon (Texas Instruments) Paveway II

BLU-110B/BProcured 1,000-pound GP bomb body

Air Force procurement data identifies BLU-110B/B as a 1,000-pound general-purpose bomb produced by General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems in Garland, Texas.

Sources: FY06 BLU-110B/B 1000 LB GP Bomb

BLU-110C/BBLU-110 designation variant

Designation Systems lists BLU-110C/B in the protected Navy BLU-110 group used with 1,000-pound JDAM applications.

Sources: Designation Systems JDAM page

Carrier Aircraft

Official U.S. Navy imagery directly documents Mk 83 carriage and release on F/A-18 Hornet, F/A-18E Super Hornet, and F-14B Tomcat aircraft, while secondary aircraft references list the class among AT-3 external stores.

CarrierCarrier typeCarriage evidence
F/A-18 Hornet (Tactical), Carrier-capable multirole strike fighter, Aircraft & UAVsF/A-18 Hornet (Tactical)Carrier strike fighter

A U.S. Navy caption identifies an F/A-18C/D Hornet releasing MK-83 1,000-pound bombs during ATFLIR adjacent-store release tests.

Sources: Wikimedia Commons Hornet Mk 83 test photo

F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, Carrier-capable multirole strike fighter, Aircraft & UAVsF/A-18E/F Super HornetCarrier strike fighter

A U.S. Navy caption identifies an F/A-18E Super Hornet carrying ten Mark 83 bombs.

Sources: Wikimedia Commons Mark 83 carrier photo

F-14 Tomcat, Carrier-based air superiority fighter, Aircraft & UAVsF-14 TomcatCarrier fighter-bomber

A U.S. Navy caption documents VF-103 ordnancemen loading Mk-83 1,000-pound general-purpose bombs on an F-14B aboard USS John F. Kennedy during Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Sources: Wikimedia Commons VF-103 Mk-83 OIF photo

AIDC AT-3/T-5 Brave Eagle, Advanced jet trainer and light attack aircraft family, Aircraft & UAVsAIDC AT-3/T-5 Brave EagleAdvanced jet trainer / light strike aircraft

MilitaryFactory lists 1,000lb drop bombs among the AT-3's external stores.

Sources: MilitaryFactory AT-3 Tz-Chiang aircraft page

Guided Configurations

The same 1,000-pound bomb-body class appears in several guided all-up weapon records where a seeker, guidance tail, wing kit, or stand-off kit is fitted around the Mk 83 / BLU-110 warhead class.

Compatible itemItem typeCompatibility evidence
GBU-32 1,000-pound Joint Direct Attack Munition, 1,000-pound GPS/INS-guided bomb kit, MunitionsGBU-32 1,000-pound Joint Direct Attack Munition1,000-pound GPS/INS-guided JDAM

Air Force and Navy JDAM documentation list the 1,000-pound BLU-110/MK 83 payload, and Designation Systems details Mk 83 and BLU-110 warhead options for GBU-32-series JDAM kits.

Sources: Air Force JDAM Fact Sheet, Navy JDAM Fact File, Designation Systems JDAM page

GBU-35 BLU-110 Joint Direct Attack Munition, 1,000-pound GPS/INS-guided bomb, MunitionsGBU-35 BLU-110 Joint Direct Attack MunitionBLU-110 JDAM designation

Designation Systems lists GBU-35(V)1/B as the Navy BLU-110 JDAM designation before later Navy use folded the 1,000-pound class back under GBU-32(V)2/B naming.

Sources: Designation Systems JDAM page

GBU-16 Paveway II, 1,000-pound laser-guided bomb, MunitionsGBU-16 Paveway II1,000-pound laser-guided Paveway II

NAVAIR describes the GBU-16 as a 1,000-pound bomb modified with the common Paveway II laser guidance kit, matching the Mk 83 / BLU-110 class documented for GBU-16-series warheads.

Sources: Direct Attack Weapons, Raytheon (Texas Instruments) Paveway II

SPICE 1000/Mk 83 guided-bomb configuration, Air-delivered precision-guided bomb kit, MunitionsSPICE 1000/Mk 83 guided-bomb configurationSPICE stand-off guidance-kit configuration

Rafael identifies SPICE 1000 as a 1,000-pound/Mk 83-class configuration, making it a stand-off guided application of the same bomb-body class.

Sources: Rafael SPICE 1000 brochure

Mk 83 REK guided bomb, Range-extension guided bomb, MunitionsMk 83 REK guided bombRange-extension guided bomb

Qaswa and specialist reporting describe AZB-83 / REK configurations around the Mk 83 or PK-83 1,000-pound bomb class.

Sources: Qaswa AZB Range Extension Kits, Quwa AZB Range-Extension Kit overview

Bomb body versus all-up weapon

This page stays focused on the Mk 83 / BLU-110 bomb-body class. Guided-kit-specific conflict rows belong on the all-up guided weapon records unless a source directly documents this free-fall body in a specific conflict.

Sources: Air Force JDAM Fact Sheet, Direct Attack Weapons

Bomb Body Role

The 1,000-pound class functions as both a free-fall bomb and a reusable warhead baseline for guided weapons. Official U.S. sources describe the Mk 83 as the free-fall general-purpose bomb and the BLU-110 as the Mk 83-class bomb body used with alternate filler and aircraft-store hardware.

Unguided body

Mk 83 / BLU-110 low-drag general-purpose bomb class.

Guided applications

GBU-16 Paveway II, GBU-32 JDAM, SPICE 1000, and Mk 83 REK records treat the body as the warhead or bomb-body basis.

Catalog boundary

This record tracks direct Mk 83 / BLU-110 evidence; guidance-kit-specific use remains on the corresponding all-up weapon records.

Timeline

1,000-pound drop bomb Key Events

  1. Vietnam combat release photographed

    A U.S. Navy A-3B Skywarrior from VAH-4 was photographed dropping a Mk 83 454 kg bomb in South Vietnam during the squadron's 1965 deployment.

    Sources: Wikimedia Commons A-3B Mk 83 Vietnam photo

  2. Desert Storm F/A-18 strike recorded

    The U.S. Navy Desert Storm chronology records USS Saratoga F/A-18s delivering 100,000 pounds of Mk-83 1,000-pound bombs on Iraqi positions in Kuwait.

    Sources: GulfLINK Navy Desert Storm chronology

  3. Southern Watch carrier loadout documented

    A U.S. Defense photo shows MK-83 bombs being moved to USS George Washington's flight deck in the Persian Gulf while the battle group supported Operation Southern Watch.

    Sources: Department of War USS George Washington Mk 83 photo

  4. Kosovo unguided use listed

    The DoD Kosovo after-action report lists MK-83 among direct-attack unguided ballistic weapons used in Operation Allied Force, and an RAF-hosted article describes British Harriers dropping one Mk 83 on a suspected artillery decoy position.

    Sources: Kosovo Operation Allied Force After-Action Report, RAF Air Power Review A-10 Strike Control

  5. Fallujah support loadout photographed

    U.S. Navy imagery documents VF-103 ordnancemen loading Mk-83 1,000-pound bombs on an F-14B aboard USS John F. Kennedy during Operation Iraqi Freedom support to Fallujah.

    Sources: Wikimedia Commons VF-103 Mk-83 OIF photo

  6. Saada remnants documented

    Human Rights Watch photographed remnants of a U.S.-made Mk-83 air-dropped 1,000-pound bomb after Saudi-led coalition airstrikes in Saada City, Yemen.

    Sources: HRW Targeting Saada

Media

1,000-pound drop bomb Images

1,000-pound drop bomb, Free-fall bomb, Munitions - view 1
Source: Department of War USS George Washington Mk 83 photo
1,000-pound drop bomb, Free-fall bomb, Munitions - view 2
Source: Wikimedia Commons US Navy 030830-N-6187M-003 Mark 83 bombs
1,000-pound drop bomb, Free-fall bomb, Munitions - view 3
Source: Wikimedia Commons A-3B Mk 83 Vietnam photo
1,000-pound drop bomb, Free-fall bomb, Munitions - view 4
Source: Wikimedia Commons Hornet Mk 83 test photo
1,000-pound drop bomb, Free-fall bomb, Munitions - view 5
Source: Wikimedia Commons Mark 83 carrier photo
1,000-pound drop bomb, Free-fall bomb, Munitions - view 6
Source: Wikimedia Commons Truman MK 83 BLU-110 photo
Related Weapon Systems
FAB-250, 250 kg general-purpose free-fall aviation bomb, MunitionsMunitionsFAB-250250 kg general-purpose free-fall aviation bombThe FAB-250 is a Soviet-origin 250 kg general-purpose aviation bomb family built around unguided free-fall bodies and later adapted in some wars through improvised carriers or glide-kit conversion. WeaponsSystems.net describes the FAB M62 series as a Soviet free-fall bomb family with a common 250 kg version produced by Bazalt, while direct conflict reporting links FAB-250-class bombs to Azerbaijan's converted An-2 aircraft in 2020 and to Russian and Ukrainian strike adaptations in the 2014 Russia-Ukraine War.

Sources

PL Joint Ammunition and Weapon Systems - BombsPublisher: U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Armaments Center | Note: Supports BLU-110 and Mk 83 bomb-body background, general-purpose bomb construction, and common bomb-family context. | Accessed: 2026-07-01Air Force JDAM Fact SheetPublisher: U.S. Air Force | Note: Supports the 1,000-pound BLU-110/MK 83 warhead family and JDAM payload context. | Accessed: 2026-07-01Air Force MK-83 artPublisher: U.S. Air Force | Note: Supports MK-83 primary function, dimensions, and public-domain media/provenance context for the Air Force illustration. | Accessed: 2026-07-01Navy JDAM Fact FilePublisher: U.S. Navy | Note: Supports Navy JDAM background, the 1,000-pound MK 83/BLU-110 payload class, and GBU-32 dimensions and weight context. | Accessed: 2026-07-01Direct Attack WeaponsPublisher: Naval Air Systems Command | Note: Supports GBU-16 Paveway II context as a 1,000-pound bomb modified with a common laser guidance kit. | Accessed: 2026-07-01Designation Systems JDAM pagePublisher: Directory of U.S. Military Rockets and Missiles | Note: Supports JDAM designation structure and the Mk 83 / BLU-110 warhead options for the 1,000-pound GBU-32 family. | Accessed: 2026-07-01Raytheon (Texas Instruments) Paveway IIPublisher: Directory of U.S. Military Rockets and Missiles | Note: Supports Paveway II designation structure and the Mk 83 / BLU-110 warhead options for the 1,000-pound GBU-16 family. | Accessed: 2026-07-01Rafael SPICE 1000 brochurePublisher: Rafael Advanced Defense Systems | Note: Supports SPICE 1000 relationship context as a 1,000-pound/Mk 83-class stand-off guided bomb configuration. | Accessed: 2026-07-01Qaswa AZB Range Extension KitsPublisher: Qaswa Industries | Note: Supports AZB-83 and Mk 83 / PK-83 range-extension-kit relationship context. | Accessed: 2026-07-01Quwa AZB Range-Extension Kit overviewPublisher: Quwa | Note: Supports specialist background for the Mk 83 / PK-83 warhead class in AZB-83 range-extension-kit configurations. | Accessed: 2026-07-01Department of War USS George Washington Mk 83 photoPublisher: U.S. Department of War | Note: Supports 1991 Iraqi No-Fly-Zone Conflict direct fielding and gallery image provenance by identifying MK-83 bombs transported to USS George Washington's flight deck in the Persian Gulf while the battle group supported Operation Southern Watch. | Accessed: 2026-07-02Kosovo Operation Allied Force After-Action ReportPublisher: U.S. Department of Defense | Note: Supports 1999 Kosovo War / Operation Allied Force direct use by listing MK-83 among direct-attack unguided ballistic weapons used during Operation Allied Force. | Accessed: 2026-07-02RAF Air Power Review A-10 Strike ControlPublisher: Royal Air Force Centre for Air and Space Power Studies | Note: Supports 1999 Kosovo War / Operation Allied Force direct use by describing A-10 forward air control directing British Harriers to drop a Mk 83 1,000-pound bomb in Kosovo. | Accessed: 2026-07-02Wikimedia Commons A-3B Mk 83 Vietnam photoPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports 1955 Vietnam War direct use and image provenance by identifying a U.S. Navy A-3B Skywarrior dropping a Mk 83 454 kg bomb in South Vietnam during a 1965 Vietnam deployment. | Accessed: 2026-07-01GulfLINK Navy Desert Storm chronologyPublisher: U.S. Department of Defense GulfLINK | Note: Supports 1990 Gulf War direct use by recording USS Saratoga F/A-18s delivering Mk-83 1,000-pound bombs on Iraqi positions in Kuwait on 1991-01-30. | Accessed: 2026-07-01Wikimedia Commons VF-103 Mk-83 OIF photoPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports 2003 Iraq War direct use and image provenance by documenting Mk-83 1,000-pound bombs loaded on a VF-103 F-14B aboard USS John F. Kennedy while supporting ground troops in Fallujah during Operation Iraqi Freedom. | Accessed: 2026-07-01HRW Targeting SaadaPublisher: Human Rights Watch | Note: Supports 2014 Yemen Civil War direct use by documenting Saudi-led coalition airstrikes in Saada City and photographing remnants of a U.S.-made Mk-83 air-dropped 1,000-pound bomb at a government building in May 2015. | Accessed: 2026-07-01Wikimedia Commons Hornet Mk 83 test photoPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance and F/A-18C/D carrier-aircraft relationship context for MK-83 1,000-pound bomb release testing. | Accessed: 2026-07-01Wikimedia Commons Mark 83 carrier photoPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance and F/A-18E Super Hornet carrier-aircraft relationship context by identifying an aircraft carrying ten Mark 83 bombs. | Accessed: 2026-07-01Wikimedia Commons Truman MK 83 BLU-110 photoPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports gallery image provenance for pallets of MK 83/BLU-110 general-purpose bombs aboard USS Harry S. Truman. | Accessed: 2026-07-01FY06 BLU-110B/B 1000 LB GP BombPublisher: U.S. Air Force | Note: Supports producer, manufacturing location, and reported unit cost for the BLU-110B/B 1000 lb GP bomb. | Accessed: 2026-07-01Wikimedia Commons Mark 83 Bombs.jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance and licensing for a representative Mark 83 / 1,000-pound bomb photo. | Accessed: 2026-07-01Wikimedia Commons US Navy 030830-N-6187M-003 Mark 83 bombsPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance and licensing for carrier-deck Staged Mark 83 bomb imagery. | Accessed: 2026-07-01MilitaryFactory AT-3 Tz-Chiang aircraft pagePublisher: MilitaryFactory | Note: Supports AT-3 external-store background and the listing of 1,000lb drop bombs among the aircraft's external stores. | Accessed: 2026-07-01