In one of his first steps since returning to the White House, US President Donald Trump has decided to release for delivery to Israel 1,800 MK-84 900 kilogram (2,000 pounds) bombs, for which former President Joe Biden had suspended supply.
Brig. Gen. (res.) Israel Shafir, a former squadron commander and commander of Israel's flight school explains that MK-84 bombs, because of their heavy weight, penetrate deeper than MK-83 bombs, which are half as heavy, and MK-82s, which have just 25% of the weight.
He explains, "The bomb penetrates deeper because it is mass times velocity squared, the velocity is the same and then the mass is significant."
According to him, the ability to penetrate deeper depends on several components, one of the most prominent of which is the fuze. "It is possible for the bomb to explode upon impact, or there will be a delay of several milliseconds before the explosion. This is a major armament for the Air Force. This is a bomb that is used on a large scale, and when it is a bomb that weighs a ton - hitting an area of up to ten meters is accurate."
He adds that although the bomb is not guided, as long as the planes carrying them are in a position to see the target they can also hit accurately with a regular bomb. "A kit with GPS can be installed on the MK-84 to make it guided. This way, they can also be dropped in all weather conditions or in cloudy conditions that make it impossible to see the target. There is also the option of laser guidance, which is the most advanced."
The US has provided Israel with more than 10,000 such bombs since the outbreak of the Iron Sword War, he continues. An study by the Watson Institute at the University of Washington found that in the first year of the war alone, Israel was provided with 14,100 MK-84 bombs. During this period, the US also supplied Israel with, among other things, 57,000 155mm shells, 20,000 M4A1 rifles, and 13,981 anti-tank missiles.
The price of each MK-84 bomb is estimated at between $10,000 and $25,000, depending on various factors, such as the number of units and supply. Typically, the price of a bomb is around $16,000 per unit.
Published by Globes, Israel business news - en.globes.co.il - on January 26, 2025.
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