- Side
- United States and South Vietnam
During the 1955 Vietnam War, U.S. Navy imagery published through Wikimedia Commons identifies a Mk 84 bomb exploding in North Vietnam circa 1972, tying the 2,000-pound bomb to U.S. air operations in the conflict.
Munitions
Mk 84 Mod 4 2,000-pound unguided bomb
Also known as
- Mark 84
- Mk 84
- MK-84
- MK84
- M-84
- 2,000-pound Mark 80-series bomb
The Mk 84 Mod 4 is a U.S. 2,000-pound Mark 80-series general-purpose bomb body, used as a heavy unguided air-delivered strike weapon and as the body for JDAM, Paveway, SPICE, and other guided configurations. Sources tie Mk 84-class bombs to U.S. air operations in Vietnam, Kosovo, Desert Storm, and Afghanistan, Saudi-led coalition airstrikes in Yemen, and Israeli heavy-bomb use in Gaza.
Role in Conflicts
- Side
- Coalition forces
In the 1990 Gulf War, GAO's Desert Storm air-campaign review described U.S. F-16 and F/A-18 attacks with unguided Mk-84 bombs and counted targets attacked only with 2,000-pound Mk-84 unguided bombs.
Role details- Side
- NATO
During Operation Allied Force, the U.S. Department of Defense after-action report listed MK-84 blast-fragmentation bombs among the direct-attack unguided weapons used in NATO's air campaign.
In Operation Enduring Freedom, a U.S. National Archives image record identified Mk-84 2,000-pound bombs awaiting loading onto a 28th Air Expeditionary Wing B-1B Lancer for combat missions over Afghanistan.
Role details
During the 2014 Yemen Civil War, Human Rights Watch documented Saudi-led coalition airstrikes using U.S.-supplied Mk 84 2,000-pound bomb bodies, including remnants associated with JDAM and Paveway kits at the March 2016 Mastaba market strike.
Role details- Side
- Israel
In the 2023 Israel-Hamas War, a PLOS Global Public Health study identified 592 Mark-84/M-84 2,000-pound bomb craters in Gaza between October 7 and November 17, 2023, and Harvard's FXB Center separately reported nearly 600 M-84 bombs air-dropped in Gaza.
Role detailsProfile / Specs
Profile
- Origin
- United States
- Type
- 2,000-pound unguided general-purpose bomb
- Service note
- 1955 Vietnam War era-present
- Designer
- U.S. Navy
- Designed
- 1950s-1960s
- Produced
- 1960s-present
Specifications
- Nominal class
- 2,000-pound Mark 80-series general-purpose bomb
- Program weight
- 1,997.22 lb for the Mk 84 2000lb General Purpose Bomb
- Length
- 145.37 in without nose fuze; 149.27 in with nose fuze
- Diameter
- 18.00 in
- Baseline guidance
- Unguided, low-drag general-purpose bomb body
- Compatible kits
- Conical fin, laser/GPS guidance airfoil kit, or mine kit depending on configuration
- Fill and DODIC examples
- F275 Mk 84 Mod 4 Tritonal fill; F262 Mk 84 Mod 4 inert fill; ED02 Mk 84 Mod 10 no fill
- Penetration
- Up to 11 ft (3.4 m) of concrete
- Fragmentation radius
- About 400 yards (366 m)
Variants
The Mk 84 is the 2,000-pound member of the Mark 80 general-purpose bomb family. Fill, fuze, and insensitive-munition changes produce related Mk 84/BLU-117 designations, while guidance kits change the complete weapon into GBU-series or SPICE configurations where a Mk 84-class body is specified.
| Variant | Configuration | Designation notes |
|---|---|---|
| Mk 84 Mod 10 | No-fill general-purpose bomb body | The PEO Ammunition portfolio lists ED02 as Mk 84 Mod 10 with no fill, alongside Mk 84 Mod 4 live and inert DODICs. Sources: PEO Ammunition Portfolio Book 2017 |
| BLU-117 | Insensitive-munition 2,000-pound general-purpose bomb body | U.S. Army bomb program material describes BLU-117 as identical to the 2,000-pound class Mk 84 bomb except for explosive filler. Sources: U.S. Army aircraft bombs page |
 | Mk 84 JDAM configuration | NAVAIR lists the Mk 84/BLU-117 payload class under JDAM direct-attack weapons. Sources: NAVAIR Direct Attack Weapons |
 | Paveway II laser-guided configuration | NAVAIR identifies the GBU-10 as using a 2,000-pound general-purpose bomb, and ARES explains the GBU designation logic for Paveway kits on Mk 84 or BLU-109 bodies. Sources: NAVAIR Direct Attack Weapons, ARES Mark 80 guidance kits |
Carrier Aircraft
The Mk 84 appears in documented bomber, strike-fighter, and light-attack stores contexts; each linked aircraft row is tied to a source that identifies Mk 84 carriage or use.
| Carrier | Carrier type | Carriage evidence |
|---|---|---|
 | Long-range bomber | The Air Force B-1B fact sheet lists Mk 84 2,000-pound bombs in the bomber's carried ordnance load. Sources: B-1B Lancer Mk 84 load |
 | Strike fighter | Air Combat Command reported Mk 84 conical bombs being assembled for loading onto F-15E Strike Eagles. Sources: Air Combat Command Mk-84 assembly |
 | Multirole fighter | GAO's Desert Storm air-campaign review describes F-16 attacks using unguided Mk-84 bombs. Sources: GAO Desert Storm air-campaign review |
 | Carrier-capable strike fighter | GAO's Desert Storm air-campaign review describes F/A-18 attacks using unguided Mk-84 bombs. Sources: GAO Desert Storm air-campaign review |
 | Advanced jet trainer / light strike aircraft | NET-MAQUETTES lists Mk 84 2,000 lb bombs among the AT-3's seen stores. |
Guided-Bomb Configurations
The same heavy bomb body appears under different weapon names when fitted with GPS/INS, laser, electro-optical, or SPICE guidance assemblies.
| Compatible item | Item type | Compatibility evidence |
|---|---|---|
| GPS/INS JDAM configuration | NAVAIR identifies the BLU-117/Mk 84 payload class in JDAM direct-attack weapons, matching the 2,000-pound GBU-31 family. Sources: NAVAIR Direct Attack Weapons |
 | Laser JDAM configuration | Boeing describes the Mk 84 Laser JDAM flight-test vehicle as a 2,000-pound weapon released from an F-16 test aircraft. Sources: Boeing Mk-84 Laser JDAM tests |
| Paveway II laser-guided configuration | NAVAIR identifies the GBU-10 as a 2,000-pound general-purpose-bomb configuration in the Paveway II family. Sources: NAVAIR Direct Attack Weapons |
 | Paveway III laser-guided configuration | ARES states that the same Mk 84 or BLU-109 body fitted with a Paveway III kit is designated GBU-24. Sources: ARES Mark 80 guidance kits |
 | SPICE 2000 electro-optical configuration | OSMP documents an Israeli F-16C carrying a Mk 84-series bomb fitted with a SPICE 2000 bolt-on guidance kit. |
Bomb Body And Guidance Families
The Mk 84 entry represents the heavy bomb body. When fitted with seeker, control, and tail assemblies, the same 2,000-pound class body can appear under guided-weapon designations that are cataloged separately.
| Configuration | Guidance family | Catalog link |
|---|---|---|
| Mk 84 / BLU-117 | Unguided general-purpose bomb body with conical-fin, airfoil-kit, or mine-kit options. | Current record |
| GBU-31(V)1 | JDAM GPS/INS tail-kit configuration for the Mk 84 / BLU-117 payload class. | |
| GBU-10 | Paveway II semi-active laser configuration using a 2,000-pound general-purpose bomb body. | |
| GBU-24 | Paveway III configuration for Mk 84 or BLU-109-class 2,000-pound bodies. | |
| SPICE 2000 / Mk 84 | SPICE electro-optical guidance kit on a Mk 84-series bomb body. | |
Sources: U.S. Army aircraft bombs page; NAVAIR Direct Attack Weapons; ARES Mark 80 guidance kits; OSMP Israeli F-16C SPICE 2000 image record.
Timeline
Mk 84 Mod 4 2,000-pound unguided bomb Key Events
Mk 84 photographed in Vietnam
A U.S. Navy image identifies a Mk 84 bomb exploding in North Vietnam, providing direct visual evidence of the bomb in U.S. Vietnam War air operations.
Desert Storm unguided-bomb use reviewed
GAO's Desert Storm air-campaign study analyzed U.S. F-16 and F/A-18 attacks with unguided Mk-84 bombs.
Operation Allied Force uses Mk 84 bombs
The U.S. Department of Defense after-action report for Operation Allied Force listed MK-84 bombs among the direct-attack unguided weapons used in the NATO air campaign.
Mk 84 bombs documented for Operation Enduring Freedom
A U.S. National Archives image record documented Mk-84 2,000-pound bombs prepared for loading onto a B-1B Lancer during Operation Enduring Freedom.
Boeing reports Mk-84 Laser JDAM tests
Boeing announced flight testing of the 2,000-pound Mk-84 Laser JDAM from an F-16 test aircraft at Eglin Air Force Base.
Harvard FXB Center reports heavy-bomb use in Gaza
Harvard's FXB Center reported nearly 600 M-84 2,000-pound bombs air-dropped in Gaza during the 2023 Israel-Hamas War.
Media
Mk 84 Mod 4 2,000-pound unguided bomb Images
Related Weapon Systems
Related News
Sources
B-1B Lancer Mk 84 loadPublisher: U.S. Air Force | Note: Supports the B-1B's carriage of Mk 84 2,000-pound bombs. | Accessed: 2026-07-01Air Force Mark 84 photoPublisher: U.S. Air Force | Note: Official U.S. Air Force photo page for the public-domain Mark 84 image and its published weight, dimensions, penetration, and fragmentation notes. | Accessed: 2026-07-01OSMP Mk 84 series pagePublisher: Open Source Munitions Portal | Note: Documents the Mk 84 series, including a bomb marked Mod 4 and a GDT lot number associated with General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems. | Accessed: 2026-07-01U.S. Army aircraft bombs pagePublisher: U.S. Army Program Executive Office Ammunition | Note: Supports Mk 84 and BLU-117 family background, the 2,000-pound general-purpose bomb class, and supported kit types. | Accessed: 2026-07-01PEO Ammunition Portfolio Book 2017Publisher: U.S. Army Program Executive Office Ammunition | Note: Supports Mk 84 2000lb General Purpose Bomb specifications, Mod 4 and Mod 10 DODIC examples, and General Dynamics Garland / McAlester AAP production context. | Accessed: 2026-07-02Army GD-OTS Garland partnership articlePublisher: U.S. Army | Note: Supports General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems Garland context for Mk 80-series bomb bodies filled by McAlester Army Ammunition Plant. | Accessed: 2026-07-02NAVAIR Direct Attack WeaponsPublisher: Naval Air Systems Command | Note: Supports Mk 84/BLU-117 use in direct-attack weapon configurations, including JDAM and Paveway-family designations. | Accessed: 2026-07-01Air Combat Command Mk-84 assemblyPublisher: Air Combat Command | Note: Supports F-15E carriage context by reporting Mk 84 conical bomb assembly for loading onto F-15E Strike Eagles. | Accessed: 2026-07-01GAO Desert Storm air-campaign reviewPublisher: U.S. Government Accountability Office | Note: 1990 Gulf War: directly supports U.S. use of unguided Mk-84 bombs during Desert Storm, including F-16 and F/A-18 attack examples and targets attacked only with 2,000-pound Mk-84 unguided bombs. | Accessed: 2026-07-01DoD Operation Allied Force after-action reportPublisher: U.S. Department of Defense | Note: 1999 Kosovo War / Operation Allied Force: directly supports NATO air-campaign use of MK-84 blast-fragmentation bombs among direct-attack unguided weapons. | Accessed: 2026-07-02NARA Operation Enduring Freedom Mk-84 B-1B image recordPublisher: U.S. National Archives and Records Administration | Note: 2001 War in Afghanistan: directly supports Mk-84 2,000-pound bombs prepared for loading onto a B-1B during Operation Enduring Freedom combat missions over Afghanistan. | Accessed: 2026-07-02Boeing Mk-84 Laser JDAM testsPublisher: Boeing | Note: Supports Mk 84 Laser JDAM background, 2,000-pound class guided configuration context, and F-16 test release. | Accessed: 2026-07-01ARES Mark 80 guidance kitsPublisher: Armament Research Services | Note: Supports Mark 80 guidance-kit designation context, including Paveway and JDAM configurations on Mk 84-class bomb bodies. | Accessed: 2026-07-01OSMP Israeli F-16C SPICE 2000 image recordPublisher: Open Source Munitions Portal | Note: Supports background relationship context by documenting an Israeli F-16C carrying a Mk 84-series bomb fitted with a SPICE 2000 bolt-on guidance kit. | Accessed: 2026-07-01Harvard Gaza heavy-bombs press releasePublisher: FXB Center for Health & Human Rights at Harvard University | Note: 2023 Israel-Hamas War: supports direct-use context by reporting that the Israeli military air-dropped nearly 600 M-84 2,000-pound bombs in Gaza. | Accessed: 2026-07-01PLOS Gaza Mark-84 crater studyPublisher: PLOS Global Public Health | Note: 2023 Israel-Hamas War: directly supports Mark-84/M-84 2,000-pound bomb crater identification in Gaza between October 7 and November 17, 2023. | Accessed: 2026-07-02HRW Mastaba market strike investigationPublisher: Human Rights Watch | Note: 2014 Yemen Civil War: supports direct-use context for Mk 84 2,000-pound bomb bodies used by Saudi-led coalition aircraft with JDAM and Paveway guidance kits in the March 2016 Mastaba market strike. | Accessed: 2026-07-01HRW Bombing Businesses Yemen reportPublisher: Human Rights Watch | Note: 2014 Yemen Civil War: supports direct-use context for Saudi-led coalition airstrikes with MK84 bombs documented in the report. | Accessed: 2026-07-01Wikimedia Mark 84 bomb photoPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Wikimedia Commons file page for the public-domain Mark 84 loading photo. | Accessed: 2026-07-01Wikimedia Mk 84 explosion photoPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: 1955 Vietnam War: image provenance and direct-use context for a Mk 84 bomb explosion in North Vietnam circa 1972. | Accessed: 2026-07-01Wikimedia Mark 84 pallet photoPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Wikimedia Commons file page for the public-domain Mark 84 pallet-loading photo. | Accessed: 2026-07-01AIDC AT-3 - Photos & Videos - NET-MAQUETTESPublisher: NET-MAQUETTES | Note: Supports AT-3 carriage of Mk 84 2,000-pound bombs. | Accessed: 2026-07-01