Munitions

CBU-105 Sensor Fuzed Weapon

Also known as
  • CBU-105
  • CBU-105/B
  • CBU-105D/B
  • CBU-97
  • CBU-97/B
  • Sensor Fuzed Weapon
  • Sensor Fused Weapon
  • SFW
  • WCMD SFW

The CBU-105 Sensor Fuzed Weapon is the WCMD-guided configuration of the CBU-97 anti-armor cluster munition, pairing an SUU-66 dispenser with ten BLU-108 submunitions and forty Skeet warheads. U.S. Air Force reporting documents CBU-105 combat use in the 2003 Iraq War, while Human Rights Watch documented later Saudi-led coalition use and malfunctioning remnants in Yemen.

CBU-105 Sensor Fuzed Weapon, Sensor-fuzed cluster munition, Munitions
Image source: CBU-105 SFW.jpg

Role in Conflicts

Profile / Specs

Profile

Origin
United States
Type
Sensor-fuzed cluster munition
Service note
Late Cold War development; U.S. production ended in the 2000s and export production wound down in 2017
Designer
Textron Defense Systems and the U.S. Air Force
Designed
Full-scale development contract awarded in 1985; low-rate production decision reviewed in 1991
Unit cost
Not publicly standardized; Saudi Arabia's 2011 FMS notification estimated 404 live rounds and support at $355 million
Produced
1990s-2017
Number built
U.S. Air Force 2007 handbook listed about 90 CBU-97 and 3,100 CBU-105 weapons; later export production continued before Textron's final deliveries in 2017

Specifications

Weight
About 427 kg, or roughly the 1,000-pound class
Length
About 2.3 m
Diameter
About 400 mm
Payload
10 BLU-108 submunitions, each dispensing four Skeet warheads
Warheads
40 sensor-fuzed, top-attack explosively formed penetrator warheads
Sensors
Skeet warheads use infrared and laser sensing to classify vehicle-like targets
Guidance
WCMD inertial tail kit corrects wind drift and release errors
Coverage
Air Force handbook and manufacturer literature describe up to about 30 acres of coverage
Standoff range
Air Force handbook lists CBU-105 range at up to about 10 nautical miles
Primary target set
Armored vehicles, vehicle columns, strongpoints, dug-in positions, and some maritime targets
Design And Payload

The CBU-105 is best read as the guided member of the CBU-97 Sensor Fuzed Weapon family rather than a separate bomb body. WCMD adds wind correction to the 1,000-pound-class dispenser while preserving the BLU-108/Skeet top-attack payload.

Dispenser

An SUU-66 tactical munitions dispenser releases ten BLU-108 submunitions over the target area.

Submunitions

Each BLU-108 ejects four Skeet warheads, giving one round forty top-attack warheads intended for vehicle-like targets.

Guidance

The WCMD tail kit corrects release and wind errors, allowing more accurate medium- and high-altitude delivery than the ballistic CBU-97 body.

Safety Claims

Manufacturer and U.S. export documents describe self-destruct or self-deactivation features, but Yemen field reports documented BLU-108 remnants that did not function as intended.

Variants

The CBU-105 designation applies the Wind Corrected Munitions Dispenser tail kit to the CBU-97 Sensor Fuzed Weapon family.

VariantConfigurationDesignation notes
CBU-97/B Sensor Fuzed WeaponBaseline ballistic dispenser

The unguided CBU-97/B carries the same Sensor Fuzed Weapon payload without the WCMD tail kit that creates the CBU-105 configuration.

Sources: U.S. Air Force Handbook 2007, ARES CBU-97/CBU-105 briefing

CBU-105D/B Sensor Fuzed WeaponWCMD-guided all-up round

DSCA export notices identify the CBU-105D/B as the Wind Corrected Munitions Dispenser Sensor Fuzed Weapon configuration supplied for foreign military sales.

Sources: DSCA Saudi CBU-105 notification, Federal Register Oman CBU-105 notification

Carrier Aircraft

These aircraft are documented as carrying or using CBU-105 Sensor Fuzed Weapons.

CarrierCarrier typeCarriage evidence
F-15 family fighter aircraft, Fighter aircraft family, Aircraft & UAVsF-15 family fighter aircraftMultirole fighter

Boeing's Advanced F-15 weapons inventory lists CBU-105 Sensor Fuzed Weapon among the aircraft's external carriage options.

Sources: Advanced F-15 Weapons Inventory

B-52 Stratofortress, Long-range heavy bomber, Aircraft & UAVsB-52 StratofortressStrategic bomber

An Air Force photo caption shows CBU-105 munitions loaded onto a B-52H Stratofortress, and an Air Force article says B-52 crews used CBU-105 sensor-fused cluster bombs in combat.

Sources: Load 'er up, B-52 crews use 'smart-guided' cluster bomb

B-1B Lancer, Long-range, multi-role supersonic bomber, Aircraft & UAVsB-1B LancerLong-range bomber

The Air Force B-1B fact sheet lists CBU-105 Sensor Fuzed Weapons among the bomber's carried ordnance.

Sources: B-1B Lancer CBU-105 load

F-16 Fighting Falcon, Multirole fighter aircraft, Aircraft & UAVsF-16 Fighting FalconMultirole fighter

Lockheed Martin said the F-16's smart-weapon capacity was doubled after certification of the BRU-57 multiple weapon rack for the CBU-103/104/105/107 WCMD family on Block 40/42/50/52 aircraft.

Sources: Lockheed Martin BRU-57 certification release

Timeline

CBU-105 Sensor Fuzed Weapon Key Events

  1. Full-scale development contract

    The U.S. Air Force awarded Textron Defense Systems a full-scale development contract for the Sensor Fuzed Weapon after defining a requirement to attack multiple tanks and armored vehicles in one aircraft pass.

    Sources: GAO SFW Production Review

  2. GAO reviewed production readiness

    GAO reported that testing had overcome earlier technical problems but warned that production decisions still depended on unresolved cost-effectiveness and interdiction-analysis questions.

    Sources: GAO SFW Production Review

  3. First reported CBU-105 combat use

    U.S. Air Force reporting said B-52 crews used CBU-105 WCMDs in combat against an Iraqi tank column during Operation Iraqi Freedom.

    Sources: B-52 crews use 'smart-guided' cluster bomb

  4. U.S. production endpoint listed

    The U.S. Air Force handbook listed FY2007 as the final production year for the CBU-105 in U.S. inventory planning.

    Sources: U.S. Air Force Handbook 2007

  5. Saudi CBU-105 sale notification

    DSCA notified Congress of a possible Saudi purchase of 404 CBU-105D/B weapons, integration test assets, and support equipment with Textron Systems as prime contractor.

    Sources: DSCA Saudi CBU-105 notification

  6. Textron discontinued production

    Textron told investors it would discontinue sensor-fuzed weapon production because of reduced orders and difficulty obtaining export approvals in the political environment then facing the product line.

    Sources: Textron SEC sensor-fuzed weapon discontinuation

Media

CBU-105 Sensor Fuzed Weapon Images

CBU-105 Sensor Fuzed Weapon, Sensor-fuzed cluster munition, Munitions - view 1
Source: Load 'er up.jpg
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Sources

U.S. Air Force Handbook 2007Publisher: U.S. Air Force / GovInfo | Note: Supports CBU-97/CBU-105 specifications, mission, inventory figures, production endpoint, aircraft compatibility, and WCMD range context. | Accessed: 2026-07-04GAO SFW Production ReviewPublisher: U.S. Government Accountability Office | Note: Supports Sensor Fuzed Weapon development history, Textron full-scale development contract, payload sequence, and intended anti-armor/interdiction role. | Accessed: 2026-07-04ARES CBU-97/CBU-105 briefingPublisher: Armament Research Services | Note: Supports CBU-97/CBU-105 designation context, CBU-105 dimensions and payload details, BLU-108/Skeet technical context, and submunition safety-mode caveats. | Accessed: 2026-07-04Load 'er upPublisher: U.S. Air Force | Note: Supports CBU-105 loading onto a B-52H Stratofortress during Combat Hammer. | Accessed: 2026-07-04B-52 crews use 'smart-guided' cluster bombPublisher: U.S. Air Force | Note: Supports 2003 Iraq War direct use: B-52 crews used CBU-105 Wind Corrected Munitions Dispensers against an Iraqi tank column during Operation Iraqi Freedom. | Accessed: 2026-07-04B-1B Lancer CBU-105 loadPublisher: U.S. Air Force | Note: Supports the B-1B's carriage of CBU-105 Sensor Fuzed Weapons. | Accessed: 2026-07-04HRW Yemen cluster munitions reportPublisher: Human Rights Watch | Note: Supports 2014 Yemen Civil War direct use: Human Rights Watch documented CBU-105 remnants and Saudi-led coalition use in Yemen, including reported attacks in Hajjah and other governorates. | Accessed: 2026-07-04HRW Yemen Saudis using US cluster munitionsPublisher: Human Rights Watch | Note: Supports 2014 Yemen Civil War direct use: Human Rights Watch documented Saudi-led coalition CBU-105 use in at least six Yemen airstrikes, including Amran, Hodaida, Saada, and Sanaa, and noted failed BLU-108 remnants. | Accessed: 2026-07-04Lockheed Martin smart weapons releasePublisher: Lockheed Martin | Note: Supports WCMD guidance-kit context, CBU-103/104/105 family relationship, and manufacturer/background claims for the CBU-105 system. | Accessed: 2026-07-04Lockheed Martin BRU-57 certification releasePublisher: Lockheed Martin | Note: Supports BRU-57 compatibility with the CBU-103/104/105/107 WCMD family on F-16 Block 40/42/50/52 aircraft. | Accessed: 2026-07-04Advanced F-15 Weapons InventoryPublisher: Boeing | Note: Supports F-15 family carriage of CBU-105 Sensor Fuzed Weapon in Boeing's external carriage matrix. | Accessed: 2026-07-04DSCA Saudi CBU-105 notificationPublisher: Defense Security Cooperation Agency | Note: Supports Saudi Arabia's 2011 request for 404 CBU-105D/B Sensor Fuzed Weapons, integration test assets, estimated cost, end-use restrictions, and Textron Systems as prime contractor. | Accessed: 2026-07-04Federal Register Oman CBU-105 notificationPublisher: Federal Register / Defense Security Cooperation Agency | Note: Supports CBU-105D/B all-up-round description, SUU-66 tactical munitions dispenser, ten BLU-108 submunitions, four Skeets per submunition, and intended target set. | Accessed: 2026-07-04Textron SEC sensor-fuzed weapon discontinuationPublisher: U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission / Textron Inc. | Note: Supports Textron's 2016 plan to discontinue sensor-fuzed weapon production because of reduced orders and export-approval conditions. | Accessed: 2026-07-04CBU-105 SFW.jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance for the public-domain CBU-105 SFW photograph. | Accessed: 2026-07-04Load 'er up.jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance for the public-domain CBU-105 loading photograph. | Accessed: 2026-07-04