Munitions

AGM-130

Also known as
  • AGM-130 Missile
  • AGM-130A
  • AGM-130C
  • AGM-130 Standoff Weapon System

The AGM-130 was a U.S. powered air-to-surface standoff missile derived from the GBU-15 guided-bomb family and carried by the F-15E Strike Eagle. Air Force, DoD, and conflict-reporting sources document its television or imaging-infrared terminal guidance, two-way data link, GPS/INS midcourse upgrade, Mk 84 or BLU-109-class warheads, and combat use in Iraqi no-fly-zone enforcement, Operation Allied Force, and the 2003 Iraq War.

AGM-130, Powered air-to-surface standoff missile, Munitions
Image source: AGM-130 Missile Fact Sheet

Role in Conflicts

2003 Iraq War
Long-Range Strike

CENTAF's Operation Iraqi Freedom munitions accounting lists four AGM-130 guided munitions expended, and an Air Force photo caption documents AGM-130 missiles being moved to the flight line at a forward-deployed location supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Profile / Specs

Profile

Origin
United States
Type
Powered air-to-surface standoff missile
Service note
1994-2013
Designer
Rockwell International
Designed
1984
Unit cost
Approximately $450,000 per weapon
Produced
1990-2000
Number built
Approximately 700 to 1,000 procured by the U.S. Air Force
Developed from
GBU-15 Guided Bomb Unit

Specifications

Primary function
Air-to-surface guided and powered bomb
Launch weight
2,917 lb (1,312.65 kg)
Length
12 ft 10.5 in (3.90 m)
Diameter
18 in (45.72 cm)
Wingspan
59 in (149.86 cm)
Ceiling
30,000-plus ft (9,091 m)
Guidance
Television or imaging-infrared seeker with man-in-the-loop data link; upgraded weapons added autonomous GPS/INS
Warhead options
Mk 84 blast/fragmentation or BLU-109 penetrator
Carrier aircraft
F-15E
Variants

The AGM-130 family retained the modular GBU-15 guidance concept while adding a rocket propulsion section for longer standoff range.

VariantConfigurationDesignation notes
GBU-15 Guided Bomb Unit, Air-to-surface guided glide bomb, MunitionsGBU-15 Guided Bomb UnitUnpowered glide-bomb family predecessor

Air Force and Designation-Systems sources describe the AGM-130 as a powered product improvement or derivative of the GBU-15 guided-bomb family.

Sources: AGM-130 Missile Fact Sheet, Boeing AGM-130 Designation-Systems

AGM-130AMk 84 blast-fragmentation warhead version

Air Force and Designation-Systems sources identify the AGM-130A as the Mk 84-based variant of the powered GBU-15 derivative.

Sources: AGM-130 Missile Fact Sheet, Boeing AGM-130 Designation-Systems

AGM-130CBLU-109 penetrator warhead version

The Air Force fact sheet identifies the AGM-130C as the BLU-109 penetrator variant, while Designation-Systems describes AGM-130C subvariants with TV/CCD or imaging-infrared seekers.

Sources: AGM-130 Missile Fact Sheet, Boeing AGM-130 Designation-Systems

Carrier Aircraft

The Air Force identifies the F-15E Strike Eagle as the AGM-130 aircraft integration path.

CarrierCarrier typeCarriage evidence
F-15E Strike Eagle, Dual-role strike fighter, Aircraft & UAVsF-15E Strike EagleStrike fighter

The Air Force fact sheet says the AGM-130 was designed for use from the F-15E aircraft.

Sources: AGM-130 Missile Fact Sheet

Bomb Body Compatibility

AGM-130 variants used the modular GBU-15 guidance concept with different 2,000-pound-class warhead bodies.

Compatible itemItem typeCompatibility evidence
Mk 84 Mod 4 2,000-pound unguided bomb, 2,000-pound unguided general-purpose bomb, MunitionsMk 84 Mod 4 2,000-pound unguided bomb2,000-pound general-purpose bomb body

Air Force and Designation-Systems sources identify the AGM-130A as the Mk 84 blast-fragmentation version.

Sources: AGM-130 Missile Fact Sheet, Boeing AGM-130 Designation-Systems

BLU-109 penetrator warhead, 2,000-pound hard-target penetrator warhead, MunitionsBLU-109 penetrator warhead2,000-pound penetrator warhead

Air Force and Designation-Systems sources identify the AGM-130C as the BLU-109 penetrator version.

Sources: AGM-130 Missile Fact Sheet, Boeing AGM-130 Designation-Systems

Timeline

AGM-130 Key Events

  1. Development begins

    The Air Force fact sheet says AGM-130 development began in 1984 as a product improvement to the GBU-15 guided glide bomb system.

    Sources: AGM-130 Missile Fact Sheet

  2. First unit operational

    The Air Force fact sheet states that the first AGM-130 unit became operational in 1994.

    Sources: AGM-130 Missile Fact Sheet

  3. Boeing North American production contract

    Forecast International records Boeing North American, Incorporated receiving a $31.3 million contract to provide 72 AGM-130s from government-furnished components.

    Sources: Forecast International AGM-130

  4. No-fly-zone AGM-130 strike

    American Forces Press Service reporting through DVIDS records an AGM-130 fired at an Iraqi radar site during no-fly-zone enforcement, with the weapon missing and striking a residential area near Basra.

    Sources: Pentagon Confirms Strike on Iraqi Neighborhood

  5. Operation Allied Force bridge strike

    Human Rights Watch identifies an AGM-130 launched by an F-15E as the weapon used in NATO's Grdelica railway bridge strike during Operation Allied Force.

    Sources: Kosovo Civilian Deaths in the NATO Air Campaign

  6. Retired from USAF inventory

    Designation-Systems reports that the AGM-130 was retired from the U.S. Air Force inventory in 2013.

    Sources: Boeing AGM-130 Designation-Systems

Media

AGM-130 Videos

AGM-130 Images

AGM-130, Powered air-to-surface standoff missile, Munitions - view 1
Source: AGM-130 Missile Fact Sheet
AGM-130, Powered air-to-surface standoff missile, Munitions - view 2
Source: AGM-130 Missile Fact Sheet
AGM-130, Powered air-to-surface standoff missile, Munitions - view 3
Source: AGM-130 drop Wikimedia Commons
Related Weapon Systems
GBU-15 Guided Bomb Unit, Air-to-surface guided glide bomb, MunitionsMunitionsGBU-15 Guided Bomb UnitAir-to-surface guided glide bombThe GBU-15 Guided Bomb Unit is a U.S. electro-optical glide bomb built around a 2,000-pound Mk 84 or BLU-109 bomb body, with television or imaging-infrared guidance and a man-in-the-loop data link. U.S. Air Force, museum, and Air University sources document F-111F use in Desert Storm, F-15E drops during Operation Deliberate Force, enhanced GPS/INS-equipped GBU-15 combat employment in Operation Enduring Freedom, and current deployment only from the F-15E Strike Eagle.
GBU-31 JDAM (Mk 84 / BLU-109), 2,000-pound GPS/INS-guided bomb configuration, MunitionsMunitionsGBU-31 JDAM (Mk 84 / BLU-109)2,000-pound GPS/INS-guided bomb configurationThe GBU-31 JDAM is the 2,000-pound Joint Direct Attack Munition configuration built around Boeing's GPS/INS tail kit and either a Mk 84-class general-purpose bomb body or a BLU-109 hard-target penetrator body. U.S. military and Federal Register sources distinguish the KMU-556 Mk 84 configuration from the KMU-557 BLU-109 configuration, while direct conflict-use reporting traces GBU-31/JDAM employment from Kosovo and Afghanistan to Iraq, Yemen, Operation Inherent Resolve, the Israel-Hamas war, and the 2025 Israel-Iran conflict.
AGM-65 Maverick, Air-to-surface guided missile, MunitionsMunitionsAGM-65 MaverickAir-to-surface guided missileThe AGM-65 Maverick is a U.S. air-to-surface guided missile family for close air support, interdiction, and defense suppression from aircraft including the A-10, F-16, F-15E, AV-8, F/A-18, and P-3C. Air Force and Navy fact sheets describe electro-optical, imaging-infrared, and laser-guided seekers paired with either shaped-charge or heavyweight penetrating warheads. Official sources document large-scale Desert Storm employment, later Iraq and Afghanistan use, and AGM-65F loading on a U.S. Navy P-3C Orion during 2014 Operation Inherent Resolve.
AGM-158 JASSM, Air-launched standoff cruise missile, MunitionsMunitionsAGM-158 JASSMAir-launched standoff cruise missileThe AGM-158 Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile is Lockheed Martin's low-observable, subsonic air-launched cruise missile family built to let bomber and fighter aircraft strike defended, high-value targets from standoff range. Its documented combat record includes baseline AGM-158A launches from B-1B bombers in the 2018 Syria missile strikes, AGM-158B use after the 2019 Baghdadi raid, reported Operation Rough Rider use against Houthi targets, and large-scale JASSM-family employment during the 2026 Iran War.
GBU-24 Paveway III, 2,000-pound-class laser-guided bomb, MunitionsMunitionsGBU-24 Paveway III2,000-pound-class laser-guided bombThe GBU-24 Paveway III is a U.S.-origin 2,000-pound-class laser-guided bomb family that combines a Paveway III guidance section and airfoil group with Mk 84, BLU-109, or related hard-target bomb bodies. Official and military-history sources document GBU-24 use in the Gulf War, Kosovo, Afghanistan, and the 2003 Iraq War, while Yemen rights-monitoring sources identify GBU-24 or Paveway III-series remnants from Saudi/UAE-led coalition airstrikes where fragmentary evidence can limit exact bomb-body identification.
GBU-38 Joint Direct Attack Munition, 500-pound GPS/INS-guided bomb, MunitionsMunitionsGBU-38 Joint Direct Attack Munition500-pound GPS/INS-guided bombGBU-38 Mk-82 JDAM is Boeing's 500-pound GPS/INS-guided Joint Direct Attack Munition, turning the Mk 82 bomb body into an all-weather precision air-to-surface weapon. U.S. Air Force sources list the GBU-38 at 92.6 inches long, 558 pounds at launch, a 14-inch wingspan, up to 15 miles range, and 5-meter-or-less CEP when GPS data is available, while combat reporting documents F-15E, F-16, B-1B, and MQ-9 employment in Afghanistan, Iraq, and 2014 Operation Inherent Resolve.

Sources

AGM-130 Missile Fact SheetPublisher: U.S. Air Force | Note: Supports AGM-130 mission, GBU-15-derived design, F-15E carriage, variants, seeker/data-link description, GPS/INS upgrade, first operational unit, Boeing contractor attribution, specifications, unit cost, and official image provenance. | Accessed: 2026-07-13Forecast International AGM-130Publisher: Forecast International | Note: Supports Rockwell/Boeing AGM-130 production context, Boeing's purchase of Rockwell defense interests, the 1997 Boeing North American AGM-130 contract, production status, approximate production totals, variants, and technical data. | Accessed: 2026-07-13Boeing AGM-130 Designation-SystemsPublisher: Directory of U.S. Military Rockets and Missiles | Note: Corroborates the AGM-130 as a Boeing/Rockwell powered derivative of the GBU-15, its 1984 development award, IOC timing, guidance options, range class, variants, procurement range, and retirement context. | Accessed: 2026-07-13Kosovo Operation Allied Force After-Action ReportPublisher: U.S. Department of Defense | Note: Supports AGM-130 employment from Air Force F-15E aircraft during the 1999 Kosovo War / Operation Allied Force and describes its guidance and data-link concept. | Accessed: 2026-07-13Kosovo Civilian Deaths in the NATO Air CampaignPublisher: Human Rights Watch via Refworld | Note: Directly supports AGM-130 use by an F-15E in NATO's Grdelica railway bridge strike during the 1999 Kosovo War / Operation Allied Force. | Accessed: 2026-07-13Operation Iraqi Freedom By the NumbersPublisher: U.S. Central Command Air Forces / Assessment and Analysis Division | Note: Directly supports AGM-130 guided munition expenditure during the 2003 Iraq War air campaign. | Accessed: 2026-07-13Missile on its wayPublisher: U.S. Air Force | Note: Directly supports AGM-130 missiles fielded by U.S. Air Force ammunition specialists at a forward-deployed location supporting the 2003 Iraq War and provides official image provenance. | Accessed: 2026-07-13Pentagon Confirms Strike on Iraqi NeighborhoodPublisher: DVIDS / American Forces Press Service | Note: Directly supports AGM-130 launch against an Iraqi radar site during 1991 Iraqi No-Fly-Zone Conflict enforcement. | Accessed: 2026-07-13AGM-130 drop Wikimedia CommonsPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports public-domain image provenance for an F-15E releasing an AGM-130 during Combat Hammer at the Utah Test and Training Range. | Accessed: 2026-07-13