American Mk.82 bomb found unexploded in Russian forest
7:19 AM EDT, July 23, 2024
The Russian military found an unexploded American Mk.82 aerial bomb in a forest in an unidentified area, reports the Military News UA profile on platform X. According to the report, this discovery is particularly interesting because it's the first time an unexploded aerial bomb of non-Soviet or non-Russian manufacture has been found on the front line.
Since the beginning of the conflict in Ukraine, the Russians have regularly been finding unexploded ordnance of various types on their territory. These finds often result from issues with the Russian Federation's military weaponry, which, due to malfunctions, fails to reach the intended target and falls within the country of the aggressor.
Among recent incidents of this type is the crash of the Iranian-made Mohajer-6 drone in Russia. On another occasion, the Russians found a black Beaver drone near Astrakhan—an instance involving Ukrainian equipment. Because of its camouflage, this drone must have surprised the Russians with its presence.
The first such discovery in Russia
The Russians were equally surprised when they recently found an American-made Mk.82 aerial bomb in an unknown area. The Military News UA profile explains that this is the first time an unexploded ordnance made by a country other than Russia or the former USSR has been found on the territory of the Russian Federation.
To note, the Mk.82 bomb found in a forest in the Russian Federation is a general-purpose free-fall aerial bomb. Weighing around 500 lbs, it is one of the smallest and most commonly used aerial bombs.
This bomb measures slightly over 7.2 ft in length and 11 inches in width and houses 87 kg (approximately 192 lbs) of explosive material. The streamlined steel body of the Mk.82 contains a load of TNT (80%) and aluminum powder (20%), commonly referred to as tritonal.
The manufacturer designed the Mk.82 to be as versatile as possible during use in armed conflicts. For this reason, different sets of fins, fuses, and retardation systems can be mounted on the Mk.82 bomb. This adaptability is crucial as it allows for the preparation of the most effective ammunition depending on the conditions on the front.
