The Mk 20 Rockeye II is a U.S. free-fall cluster bomb built around a Mk 7 dispenser, a Mk 339 mechanical time fuze, and 247 Mk 118 shaped-charge bomblets. Fielded in 1968 for attacks on armored and area targets, the Rockeye family is directly documented in U.S. and NATO air operations from Vietnam through Desert Storm, the 1986 U.S.-Libya confrontations, and Operation Allied Force.
GICHD identifies Mk 118 Rockeye dual-purpose submunitions as having been used during the 1955 Vietnam War, aligning the Mk 20 family with late-war U.S. air-delivered cluster-munition use.
GlobalSecurity reports extensive Desert Storm Rockeye employment, including 15,828 Rockeyes dropped by U.S. Marines and additional Rockeyes released by U.S. Air Force and Navy aircraft.
Role detailsGICHD lists Mk 118 Rockeye submunitions among cluster munitions used by NATO forces in Kosovo in 1999.
The Monitor's historical-use timeline records U.S. Navy aircraft using Mk-20 Rockeye bombs against Libyan ships in the Gulf of Sidra on 25 March 1986 and later dropping Rockeyes on Benina Airfield.
Rockeye II designations describe Mk 20 bomb-cluster mods and CBU-99/CBU-100 service designations around the same dispenser-and-bomblet concept. The Navy ordnance training material distinguishes Mk 20 Mod 3 and Mod 6 by Mk 118 bomblet configuration.
| Designation | Documented detail | Catalog treatment |
|---|---|---|
| Mk 20 Mod 3 | Loaded with Mk 118 Mod 0 antitank bomblets. | Current-family mod, retained as an alias rather than a separate variant row. |
| Mk 20 Mod 6 | Loaded with Mk 118 Mod 1 antitank bomblets. | Current-family mod, retained as an alias rather than a separate variant row. |
| CBU-99/B and CBU-100/B | Service designations associated with Rockeye II references. | Retained as aliases for search and identification. |
The Rockeye II design combines a free-fall dispenser, a mechanical time fuze, and shaped-charge bomblets. The dispenser opens after release, scattering Mk 118 bomblets that arm separately and attack armor or other hard targets with small shaped-charge warheads.
| Element | Cataloged detail | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Mk 7 dispenser | Clamshell-style bomb dispenser | Holds and releases the bomblet load after aircraft drop. |
| Mk 339 mechanical time fuze | Primary timing device for dispenser opening | Controls when the dispenser functions after release. |
| 247 Mk 118 bomblets | Dual-purpose shaped-charge submunitions | Creates area coverage while retaining an armor-attack effect. |
Published aircraft weapon listings and gallery sources document Rockeye carriage on light-attack and training aircraft; this section links only cataloged aircraft with direct source support.
| Carrier | Carrier type | Carriage evidence |
|---|---|---|
 | Advanced jet trainer / light attack aircraft | TaiwanAirPower lists Mk 20 cluster bombs among the AT-3's carried weapons. Sources: ROCAF AIDC AT-3 - TaiwanAirPower.org |
GlobalSecurity states that Rockeye was fielded in 1968 as a free-fall, unguided cluster weapon for armored and area targets.
Sources: MK-20 Rockeye - GlobalSecurity.org
The Monitor records U.S. Navy Mk-20 Rockeye use against Libyan ships during the March 1986 Gulf of Sidra confrontation.
Sources: Cluster Munition Monitor 2025 - The Monitor
GlobalSecurity reports large-scale Rockeye use by U.S. Marine Corps, Navy, and Air Force aircraft during Desert Storm.
Sources: MK-20 Rockeye - GlobalSecurity.org
GICHD lists Mk 118 Rockeye submunitions among the cluster-munition types used in Kosovo in 1999.
Sources: A Guide to Cluster Munitions - GICHD
