Munitions

M117 750-pound unguided bomb

Also known as
  • M117 General Purpose Bomb
  • Bomb, 750 lb GP, M117
  • M-117
  • 750-lb GP bomb

The M117 is a U.S.-origin 750-pound-class general-purpose unguided bomb from the mid-1950s, with documented B-52 use in the Vietnam War and Desert Storm and later Israeli F-16 carriage imagery during the 2023 Israel-Hamas War. Its family included standard low-drag bodies, retarded-tail M117R bombs, and M117D destructor configurations for ground or shallow-water mining.

M117 750-pound unguided bomb, 750-pound unguided general-purpose bomb, Munitions
Image source: Wikimedia Commons: M117 bomb

Role in Conflicts

Profile / Specs

Profile

Origin
United States
Type
750-pound unguided general-purpose bomb
Service note
Korean War era design
Designer
U.S. military ordnance authorities
Designed
Early 1950s

Specifications

Weight
750-pound class; T.O. 1-1M-34 lists 823 lb for the M117 GP and 857 lb for M117R/M117D
Length
7 ft 6 in for M117 GP; 7 ft 7 in for M117R/M117D
Diameter
16 in (about 408 mm)
Filler
386 lb of Tritonal in M117A1E1/M117A3 or 386 lb of Minol II in M117A1E2
Guidance
Unguided free-fall
Fuzing
Nose and tail fuze options; M117D destructor configuration used MK 75 arming-kit components
Design Notes

The M117 page is best read as an unguided bomb-family entry: the major distinctions are filler markings, retarded-tail release, and destructor fuzing rather than guidance kits.

DetailReader noteSource
Weight class750-pound class bomb; T.O. 1-1M-34 lists 823 lb for the M117 GP body and 857 lb for M117R/M117D configurations.T.O. 1-1M-34 Aircrew Weapons Delivery Manual
Release modesThe M117R retarding assembly provided high- or low-drag employment by opening drag plates after release.T.O. 1-1M-34 Aircrew Weapons Delivery Manual
Destructor configurationThe M117D used the retarded-bomb configuration with MK 75 arming-kit components for ground implant and shallow-water mining operations.T.O. 1-1M-34 Aircrew Weapons Delivery Manual
Final U.S. training useMinot Air Force Base kept remaining M117s for B-52 pilot training until the March 30, 2016 final drop.Bombs Away!
Variants

The M117 family kept the same 750-pound-class bomb body while changing filler markings, tail assemblies, or fuzing for retarded release and destructor roles.

VariantConfigurationDesignation notes
M117A1E1 / M117A3Tritonal-filled general-purpose bomb markings

T.O. 1-1M-34 lists M117A1E1 and M117A3 bombs as carrying 386 lb of Tritonal explosive filler.

Sources: T.O. 1-1M-34 Aircrew Weapons Delivery Manual

M117A1E2Minol II-filled general-purpose bomb marking

The same weapons manual identifies M117A1E2 as the Minol II-filled member of the M117 general-purpose bomb family.

Sources: T.O. 1-1M-34 Aircrew Weapons Delivery Manual

M117RRetarded-tail general-purpose bomb

T.O. 1-1M-34 describes the M117R as an M117 body fitted with MAU-91A/B or MAU-91B/B retarding tail assemblies for high- or low-drag employment.

Sources: T.O. 1-1M-34 Aircrew Weapons Delivery Manual

M117DDestructor and mine configuration

The M117D used the retarded configuration with destructor fuzing for ground implant and shallow-water mining operations.

Sources: T.O. 1-1M-34 Aircrew Weapons Delivery Manual, Blast from the past: Last M117 bomb dropped near Guam coast

Carrier Aircraft

Air Force reporting ties the M117 most clearly to B-52 carriage in U.S. service, while Israeli Air Force imagery and outside analysis document later F-16 carriage during the 2023 Gaza air campaign.

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

Minot Air Force Base said the B-52 was the only airframe that could carry the M117, and Air Force reporting links the bomb to B-52 use in Vietnam and Desert Storm.

Sources: Bombs Away!, Blast from the past: Last M117 bomb dropped near Guam coast

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

Israeli Air Force imagery from October 2023 showed F-16s armed with unguided bombs that outside analysts identified as M117s during the Gaza air campaign.

Sources: Israeli Air Force F-16 loading post, Business Insider Israeli Air Force unguided bomb photos

F-4 Phantom II, Twin-engine, two-seat supersonic fighter-bomber, Aircraft & UAVsF-4 Phantom IIMultirole fighter-bomber

The M117 General Purpose Bomb page identifies the weapon as a 750-pound general-purpose bomb and notes F-4 aircraft among its users.

Sources: M117 General Purpose Bomb

Timeline

M117 750-pound unguided bomb Key Events

  1. Developed and added to Air Force inventory

    Air Force reporting says both the B-52 and the M117 were developed and added to the Air Force's inventory in the 1950s.

    Sources: Blast from the past: Last M117 bomb dropped near Guam coast

  2. B-52 aircrews use it in Vietnam-era bombing campaigns

    The same Air Force article says B-52 aircrews used M117s extensively during Operation Arc Light from 1965-1973 and also dropped them during Linebacker II in December 1972.

    Sources: Blast from the past: Last M117 bomb dropped near Guam coast

  3. Dropped during Desert Storm

    Air Force reporting says B-52 aircrews dropped M117s during Operation Desert Storm, showing the bomb's service extending well beyond the Vietnam era.

    Sources: Blast from the past: Last M117 bomb dropped near Guam coast

  4. PACAF drops its last M117

    Air Force Global Strike Command reported that 20th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron aircrew dropped the final M117 in Pacific Air Forces' inventory on an uninhabited island off Guam.

    Sources: Bombers drop final Vietnam-era warheads, complete 50-year tradition

  5. Minot retires its last M117

    Minot Air Force Base said its last M117 was dropped on March 30, 2016 after the base had been using the bomb for pilot training.

    Sources: Bombs Away!

Media

M117 750-pound unguided bomb Images

M117 750-pound unguided bomb, 750-pound unguided general-purpose bomb, Munitions - view 1
Source: Wikimedia Commons: M117 bombs on trailer with B-52 c1965
M117 750-pound unguided bomb, 750-pound unguided general-purpose bomb, Munitions - view 2
Source: Wikimedia Commons: 2nd Munitions Squadron Production Flight assembles M117 Bombs at Barksdale Air Force Base
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.
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.

Sources

M117 General Purpose BombPublisher: National Museum of the United States Air Force | Note: Supports the M117's Korean War-era origin, general-purpose bomb type, and historical service context. | Accessed: 2026-06-20Bomb, 750 lb GP, M117Publisher: Bullet Picker | Note: Supports the M117's general-purpose bomb description, Tritonal filler, and basic configuration/specification details. | Accessed: 2026-06-20Blast from the past: Last M117 bomb dropped near Guam coastPublisher: Air Force | Note: Supports the M117's mid-1950s Air Force inventory context and direct conflict-use context: B-52 crews used M117 bombs during the 1955 Vietnam War's Operation Arc Light and Linebacker II campaigns and during Operation Desert Storm in the 1990 Gulf War. | Accessed: 2026-07-01T.O. 1-1M-34 Aircrew Weapons Delivery ManualPublisher: Bullet Picker | Note: Supports M117 GP, M117R, and M117D configuration details, listed weights, dimensions, filler markings, retarding tail assemblies, and M117D destructor employment context. | Accessed: 2026-07-01Bombs Away!Publisher: Minot Air Force Base | Note: Supports the M117's B-52-only carriage context at Minot Air Force Base, its 750 lb general-purpose bomb description, and the final March 30, 2016 drop after training use. | Accessed: 2026-06-27Bombers drop final Vietnam-era warheads, complete 50-year traditionPublisher: Air Force Global Strike Command | Note: Supports the final Pacific Air Forces stockpile drop on June 26, 2015 and the B-52 Stratofortress role in that mission. | Accessed: 2026-06-27Israeli Air Force F-16 loading postPublisher: Israeli Air Force | Note: Supports the 2023 Israel-Hamas War direct-use context by documenting Israeli Air Force F-16 loading imagery during the Gaza strike campaign; outside analysis is used for the M117 identification. | Accessed: 2026-07-01Business Insider Israeli Air Force unguided bomb photosPublisher: Business Insider | Note: Supports 2023 Israel-Hamas War direct conflict-use context by reporting that Israeli Air Force imagery during the Gaza bombing campaign showed F-16s armed with unguided bombs identified by outside analysts as 750-lb M117 bombs. | Accessed: 2026-07-01Wikimedia Commons: M117 bombPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance for the M117 bomb display photo. | Accessed: 2026-06-20Wikimedia Commons: M117 bombs on trailer with B-52 c1965Publisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance for the historical M117 loadout photo. | Accessed: 2026-06-20Wikimedia Commons: 2nd Munitions Squadron Production Flight assembles M117 Bombs at Barksdale Air Force BasePublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance for the U.S. Air Force assembly photo. | Accessed: 2026-06-20