Gravity bomb
|
A B-61 nuclear gravity bomb. |
A
gravity bomb is an
aircraft-delivered
bomb that does not contain a
guidance system and hence follows a
ballistic trajectory.
Until the later half of
World War II this described all aircraft bombs, and described the vast majority until the late 1980s.
Then, with the dramatically increased use of
precision guided munitions, a new term was needed to separate 'smart bombs' from those that weren't.
Dumb bomb was used for a time, but many in military circles felt it sounded too trite, and eventually 'gravity bomb' gained currency. Previously they were also referred to as
Iron bombs.
Special types of gravity bombs include retarded gravity bombs, which use a mechanical method of creating increased
drag, such as a
parachute,
ballute or drag-inducing petals. These deploy after the bomb is released and slow its fall, giving the aircraft time to get clear of the blast zone when bombing from low altitude.
