Profile
- Type
- Air-delivered 500-pound low-drag general-purpose bomb
- Conflict side
- Israel
- Origin
- United States
- Service note
- 1950s design; still in service
Aircraft & UAVs
Mk 82 500-pound unguided bomb
The Mk 82 is the U.S. Mark 80-series 500-pound low-drag general-purpose bomb, used by Saudi-led coalition aircraft in Yemen's civil war and identified in fragments from a July 2025 Gaza strike.
- Conflict side
- Yemeni government and coalition forcesIsrael
- Built by
- General Dynamics
- Built in
- United States
Production History
- Built by
- General Dynamics
- Built in
- United States
Specifications
- Weight
- 500 lb nominal; actual weight varies by configuration from about 510 lb to 570 lb
- Length
- 66.15 in (5 ft 6.2 in)
- Diameter
- 10.75 in
- Explosive fill
- 192 lb of Tritonal, Minol II, or H-6
- Guidance
- Unguided free-fall bomb
- Fuzing
- Nose and tail fuzes; can use conical or retarded tail fins
Conflict Usage
- Yemen Civil War
- Side: Yemeni government and coalition forcesRole: Coalition airstrike bomb
Human Rights Watch identified US-supplied Mk-82 bombs used by Saudi-led coalition aircraft in Yemen Civil War strikes on the Amran Cement Factory in 2015 and 2016.
- Israel-Hamas War
- Side: IsraelRole: Air-delivered strike bomb
Israeli military used an MK-82 bomb in the Israel-Hamas War strike on the al-Baqa cafe in Gaza City on 2 July 2025, according to The Guardian and ordnance experts.
Mk 82 500-pound unguided bomb Images
Related Weapon Systems
M117 750-pound unguided bombAir-dropped general-purpose bombThe M117 is a U.S.-origin 750-pound general-purpose bomb. During the Israel-Hamas War, Israeli Air Force photos showed F-16s armed with M117s for Gaza strikes, highlighting the use of older unguided ordnance.
Mk 82 fitted with a Paveway- or Lizard-series guidance kit500-pound guided air-delivered bombA Mk 82 500-pound bomb fitted with a Paveway- or Lizard-series guidance kit becomes a laser-guided precision bomb. In the Israel-Hamas War, open-source reporting documented Gaza remnants marked for use on Mk82, tying this configuration to Israeli airstrikes.
MQ-9 ReaperMedium-altitude long-endurance unmanned combat aerial vehicleThe MQ-9 Reaper is a General Atomics medium-altitude, long-endurance remotely piloted aircraft built for persistent intelligence collection and precision strike. Larger and more powerful than the MQ-1 Predator, it combines satellite control, electro-optical and infrared sensors, laser designation, and weapons such as Hellfire missiles and guided bombs, making it a recurring U.S. and coalition platform in counterterrorism, maritime-security, and regional-strike operations.
122 mm Katyusha rocketUnguided 122 mm artillery rocketThe 122 mm Katyusha rocket is the common Grad-style unguided artillery rocket family associated with BM-21 and improvised launchers. In Yemen, open-source investigations document pro-Houthi use of 122 mm unguided rockets in Aden, where their area-effect, low-accuracy fire made them especially dangerous in populated neighborhoods.
9K52 Luna-M artillery rocket systemArtillery rocket systemThe 9K52 Luna-M, known to NATO as FROG-7, is a Soviet wheeled short-range artillery rocket system whose unguided 9M21 rockets remained in Houthi hands during the Yemen Civil War, where they were used for close-range and cross-border strikes.
BL-755 cluster bombAir-dropped anti-armor cluster bombThe BL-755 is a British air-dropped anti-armor cluster bomb built around a dispenser carrying 147 bomblets. In the Yemen Civil War, it is documented as a legacy UK-made munition used by Saudi-led coalition forces before Saudi Arabia said the coalition would cease using the type.Sources
Mark 82 500 lb LDGP BombsPublisher: Air Force Armament Museum Foundation | Note: Supports Mk 82 background, General Dynamics manufacturer attribution, 500-pound weight, dimensions, explosive fill, and fin/fuze variants. | Accessed: 2026-06-20Israeli military used 500lb bomb in strike on Gaza cafe, fragments revealPublisher: The Guardian | Note: Supports Israel-Hamas War direct conflict use: Israeli military used an MK-82 bomb in a Gaza strike on the al-Baqa cafe. | Accessed: 2026-06-20Bombing Businesses: Saudi Coalition Airstrikes on Yemen's Civilian Economic StructuresPublisher: Human Rights Watch | Note: Supports Yemen Civil War direct conflict use: Human Rights Watch identified US-supplied Mk-82 bombs used by Saudi-led coalition aircraft in Yemen Civil War strikes on the Amran Cement Factory in 2015 and 2016. | Accessed: 2026-06-20Sgt. Jim Hendricks steadies a Mark 82 bomb being carried by a bomb loader to an F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft for loadingPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance and public-domain status for the Mk 82 loading photo. | Accessed: 2026-06-20Mk-82 xxl.jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance and public-domain status for the Mk 82 diagram image. | Accessed: 2026-06-20MK-82 500 lb, Free Fall, General Purpose BombPublisher: U.S. Air Force | Note: Supports image provenance and public-domain status for the official U.S. Air Force Mk 82 image. | Accessed: 2026-06-20