Aerospace & Defense Technology - February 2021 - 20
More Bang for the Buck
A New Design and
Manufacturing Method for
Deep Penetrating
Bomb Cases
T
he ~4,450-pound BLU-122
deep penetrating bomb was
developed by the U.S. Air
Force in 2003, making improvements on the BLU-113 penetrator which would enable it to have significant penetration through hard
targets. The weapon incorporates
~780 lb of energetic explosive filling,
a higher-strength case made from
Eglin steel with an ultimate tensile
strength of 245-255 ksi, an impact
toughness of 11.5-15.5 ft-lb @ -40°F,
and a modified nose shape for increased penetration. Despite the improved case, the BLU-122 possesses
only 18-20 feet penetrability in 5.0 ksi
strength reinforced concrete.
The U.S. Air Force is moving ahead to
get a new 2,000-pound class bunker
buster bomb filled with 530 lb of explosive material, built around an improved
warhead called the BLU-137, which has
a steel case made from the USAF-96
steel. This bomb will ultimately replace
existing weapons in this category,
which have already been a key part of
recent engagements. The BLU-137 is intended to provide improvements in capability and survivability over the BLU109 bomb. The BLU-109 has a steel case
made from 4330 modified steel with an
ultimate tensile strength of 245-255 ksi
and an impact toughness of 20 ft-lb @ 40°F. The BLU-122, BLU-137, and BLU109 bombs have monolithic and uniform steel cases.
Recently developed ultra-high-performance concrete (UHPC) made by combining pure powdered quartz with a
mixture of metals and nanofibers has a
compression strength of up to 30,000
psi compared to traditional concrete
(up to 5,000 psi). Despite all advantages,
the BLU-122 and the BLU-137 bombs
cannot penetrate deep targets made
from concrete having more than 5,000
psi compression strength.
20
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Cov
ToC
For decades, the manufacturing
method used to produce cases for deep
penetrating bombs has been to forge
the bomb bodies from steel ingot and
extensively machine on a solid forging,
along with additional cutting. The forging, machining and cutting processes
are very expensive to manufacture. To
reduce cost of the traditional methods
of manufacturing, an alternate manufacturing process is required that is less
expensive and exhibits the same or
higher performance than the traditional methods, while increasing the
supplier base and manufacturing technology options.
Description
The well-known Eglin steel[1] is utilized for manufacturing cases for the
BLU-122 penetrator. Low alloy steel improves the impact toughness of Eglin
steel, but its 245 ksi strength is insufficient to penetrate highly defended tar-
Aerospace & Defense Technology, February 2021
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Aerospace & Defense Technology - February 2021
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Aerospace & Defense Technology - February 2021
Aerospace & Defense Technology - February 2021 - Intro
Aerospace & Defense Technology - February 2021 - Sponsor
Aerospace & Defense Technology - February 2021 - Cov I
Aerospace & Defense Technology - February 2021 - Cov II
Aerospace & Defense Technology - February 2021 - 1
Aerospace & Defense Technology - February 2021 - 2
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Aerospace & Defense Technology - February 2021 - Cov III
Aerospace & Defense Technology - February 2021 - Cov IV
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