Analysis of Recent IAF Footage: Israeli F-15Is Targeting Hezbollah Leader Hassan Nasrallah
Recent footage released by the Israeli Air Force (IAF) shows F-15I aircraft taking off for a strike against Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in Beirut. Analysis suggests that Israel likely employed American-made 2,000-pound (907 kg) BLU-109 bombs equipped with Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) guidance kits for this operation.
🔶 The BLU-109, which stands for ‘Bomb Live Unit,’ was developed in the mid-1980s for the US Air Force. This bunker buster munition features a 250 kg tritonal payload, designed to penetrate 1.8 to 2.4 meters of reinforced concrete before detonating.
🔶 Measuring 2.41 meters in length and with a diameter of 370 mm, the BLU-109 has a total mass of 874 kg. It is equipped with a forged steel point tip and a mechanical-electric delayed-action tail fuse, facilitating effective penetration and detonation.
When armed with a JDAM kit, the BLU-109 transforms from a conventional free-falling bomb into a GPS-guided munition, allowing it to communicate with the aircraft that deploys it. JDAM-equipped versions are officially designated as GBU-31(V)3/B.
https://www.military.com/video/guided-weapons/guided-bombs/usaf-blu-109-bunker-buster/1102951849001
🔶 The BLU-109 is produced by General Dynamics’ Ordnance and Tactical Systems division.
🔶 Initially developed for a potential European WWIII scenario against the Soviet bloc, the BLU-109 has instead become a staple in conflicts involving the US and its allies since 1991. It has been deployed in various operations, including against Yugoslavia in 1999, Afghanistan starting in 2001, Iraq in 2003, and most recently by Israel in its operations in Gaza and Lebanon in 2023-2024.
🔶 In addition to Israel, the US has exported the BLU-109 to several allies, including Greece, the Netherlands, Morocco, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, and Turkiye.
🔶 The standard BLU-109’s explosive tritonal fill consists of 80% TNT and 20% aluminum powder. There is also a variant known as the BLU-118, which features a PBXIH-135-based thermobaric charge.
🔶 It is estimated that approximately 85 GBU-31(V)3/B munitions were used in the attack on Nasrallah, contributing to an estimated total of around 80 tons of explosives deployed.