Mark 81 bomb

Also known as

MK-81 (250 lb.) general purpose bomb
Mk 81
Mk-81
Mark 81
MK81
Mk 81 250-pound unguided bomb
MK 81 GP aircraft bomb
250 lb bomb
250-pound bomb

The Mark 81 bomb is a U.S. 250-pound-class general-purpose aircraft bomb produced by General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems. Current technical listings give its 115 kg body weight, 1,180 mm length, about 228 mm diameter, TNT filler, and multiple fuze families; image evidence ties Mk 81 bombs to U.S. Navy use over Vietnam and Afghan A-29 operations.

Mark 81 bomb, 250-pound general-purpose bomb, Munitions

Image source: Mark 81 bombs.jpg | Wikimedia Commons

Role in Conflicts

Side: United States and South Vietnam

A U.S. Navy VA-25 A-1J Skyraider was photographed dropping Mk 81 250-pound bombs over Vietnam during USS Midway's 1965 Vietnam deployment.

Side: United States, NATO, and Afghan government forces

A 2017 U.S. Air Force photo caption identifies Afghan munitions airmen mounting a Mark-81 bomb on an A-29 in Kabul while supporting combat operations against anti-government forces.

Role details

Profile / Specs

Profile

Origin: United States
Built by: General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems
Type: 250-pound general-purpose bomb

Specifications

Weight: 115 ±5 kg without tail assembly (about 250 lb class)
Length: 1180 ±10 mm without tail assembly
Maximum diameter: ~228 mm
Filler: TNT, about 40 kg
Fuze options: M904, M905, Onur 1 MOD 3 series, Onur 2 series, FMU-139 series, and FMU-152 series

Delivery Configurations

The Mark 81's small bomb body appears in several delivery configurations, from a low-drag free-fall body to retarded and guided-kit forms.

Low-drag body

MKE's current listing describes the MK 81 as a 115 kg-class general-purpose aircraft bomb body with TNT filler and multiple fuze families.

Source: MK 81 GP Aircraft Bomb | MKE USA

Retarded Snakeye form

The U.S. Navy image caption identifies Mark 81 bombs fitted with a Mark 14 Tail Retarding Device aboard an A-4F Skyhawk.

Source: Mark 81 bombs.jpg | Wikimedia Commons

Guided-kit form

ASELSAN's LGK 81 brochure describes a semi-active laser guidance kit that uses a 250 lb MK-81 warhead and adds guided delivery features.

Source: LGK 81 brochure | ASELSAN

Variants

The Mark 81 is the 250-pound member of the Mark 80 low-drag general-purpose bomb family; related bodies scale the same family concept into larger weight classes, while some later kits convert selected bomb bodies into guided configurations.

Variant	Configuration	Designation notes
Mark 81 Snakeye	Retarded low-level delivery configuration	A public-domain U.S. Navy photo caption identifies Mark 81 general-purpose bombs fitted with the Mark 14 Tail Retarding Device. Sources: Mark 81 bombs.jpg \| Wikimedia Commons
Mk 82	500-pound Mark 80-series bomb body	ARES describes the Mk 82 as the 500-pound-class member of the Mark 80 series, alongside the Mk 81, Mk 83, and Mk 84. Sources: Guidance kits for Mark 80 series air-delivered bombs \| ARES
Mk 83	1,000-pound Mark 80-series bomb body	ARES identifies the Mk 83 as the 1,000-pound-class member of the Mark 80 general-purpose bomb family; this catalog does not yet have a public unguided Mk 83 record. Sources: Guidance kits for Mark 80 series air-delivered bombs \| ARES
Mk 84	2,000-pound Mark 80-series bomb body	ARES identifies the Mk 84 as the 2,000-pound-class member of the Mark 80 general-purpose bomb family. Sources: Guidance kits for Mark 80 series air-delivered bombs \| ARES
LGK 81	Semi-active laser-guided kit configuration	ASELSAN describes LGK 81 as a laser guidance kit that converts 250 lb MK-81 unguided bombs into precision weapons, with a 250 lb MK-81 warhead and certified platforms including F-4, F-15, F-16, Su-25, Bayraktar Akinci, Hurkus, and Aksungur. Sources: LGK 81 brochure \| ASELSAN

Carrier Aircraft

Sources tie the Mark 81 bomb to U.S. Navy attack aircraft, light-attack trainers, and modern guided-kit certified platforms.

Carrier	Carrier type	Carriage evidence
A-4 Skyhawk	Carrier-based attack aircraft	The photo caption identifies three Mark 81 general-purpose bombs aboard a Douglas A-4F Skyhawk aircraft from Marine Attack Squadron 133 at Naval Air Station Fallon in 1982. Sources: Mark 81 bombs.jpg \| Wikimedia Commons
Aero L-39NG	Light-attack trainer	Aero's Skyfox brochure lists GP bombs MK 81 (118 kg) among western payload options. Sources: L-39 SKYFOX brochure \| Aero
AT-6 Wolverine	Light attack and armed reconnaissance aircraft	Textron Aviation Defense lists the MK-81 (250 lb.) general purpose bomb among the AT-6 Wolverine's supported loads. Sources: AT-6 Wolverine and Beechcraft T-6 Texan II \| Textron Aviation Defense
A-29 Super Tucano	Light attack aircraft	A 2017 DVIDS photo identifies Afghan munitions airmen mounting a Mark-81 bomb on an A-29 Super Tucano in Kabul. Sources: Afghan Airmen load munitions onto A-29 Super Tucano \| DVIDS
F-4 Phantom II	Fighter-bomber	ASELSAN lists F-4 among the certified platforms for LGK 81, the laser-guidance-kit configuration built around a 250 lb MK-81 warhead. Sources: LGK 81 brochure \| ASELSAN
F-15 family fighter aircraft	Fighter aircraft family	ASELSAN lists F-15 among the certified platforms for LGK 81, linking the 250 lb MK-81 bomb body to a modern guided-kit carriage configuration. Sources: LGK 81 brochure \| ASELSAN
F-16 Fighting Falcon	Multirole fighter	ASELSAN lists F-16 among the certified platforms for LGK 81, the laser-guidance-kit configuration using a 250 lb MK-81 warhead. Sources: LGK 81 brochure \| ASELSAN
Su-25	Attack aircraft	ASELSAN lists Su-25 among the certified platforms for LGK 81, documenting compatibility for the guided 250 lb MK-81 configuration. Sources: LGK 81 brochure \| ASELSAN
Bayraktar Akıncı	Uncrewed combat aircraft	ASELSAN lists Bayraktar Akinci among the certified platforms for LGK 81, documenting unmanned-aircraft carriage for the guided MK-81 configuration. Sources: LGK 81 brochure \| ASELSAN
Turkish Aerospace Hürkuş	Light attack and trainer aircraft	ASELSAN lists Hurkus among the certified platforms for LGK 81, complementing other sources that place Mark 81-class loads on light attack aircraft. Sources: LGK 81 brochure \| ASELSAN

Timeline

Mark 81 bomb Key Events

Jan 1, 1965
Mk 81 bombs dropped over Vietnam
A VA-25 A-1J Skyraider from USS Midway was photographed dropping Mk 81 250-pound bombs over Vietnam during the carrier's 1965 deployment.
Sources: USS Midway Photo Archive - VA-25 A-1J Dropping Mk-81 Bombs
Sep 12, 2017
Afghan A-29 Mark-81 loading documented
A U.S. Air Force photo documented Afghan munitions airmen mounting a Mark-81 bomb on an A-29 Super Tucano in Kabul.
Sources: Afghan Airmen load munitions onto A-29 Super Tucano | DVIDS
Jan 1, 2025
LGK 81 guided-kit configuration listed
ASELSAN's LGK 81 brochure described a semi-active laser guidance kit for 250-pound MK-81 bombs and listed certified aircraft and UAV platforms.
Sources: LGK 81 brochure | ASELSAN