The “Hammer”… an American bomb used by Israel in the Jabalia and Al-Mamadani massacres | Encyclopedia

The “MK 84” bomb, also known as “Mark 84”, was called the “Hammer” because of the severe damage it causes when it explodes. It weighs two thousand pounds (approximately 900 kilograms). It is a guided bomb with an explosive warhead, used in wars. Gulf and Vietnam.

It is likely that it is the bomb that Israel dropped on civilians in the Baptist Hospital and Jabalia Camp massacres in its war on the Gaza Strip in October 2023, as military experts believe that the effect and damage of the Israeli raids in the two aforementioned places matches the effects caused by the “hammer” bomb.

Manufacturing

The “Mark 84” was designed to be a free-falling, unguided bomb among the so-called “dumb bombs.” It is the largest version of the “Mark 80” series of bombs, and was developed in a way that allows it to slow down its speed to ensure that the warplane stays away from it as much as possible.

Mk 84 bombs were used in The Second Gulf War During Operation Desert Shield, the number of bombs dropped was estimated at 12,000, dropped by F-15EE, F-16S, and F-111FS aircraft.

The name of the bomb changed over time to “BLU-117” and then to “BLU-117B”.

Capabilities and features

The explosive munition constitutes 45% of the total weight of the bomb, and can create a crater about 15 meters wide and more than 10 meters deep.

The bomb can penetrate metal to a depth of approximately 38 centimetres, and penetrate approximately 3 meters of concrete depending on the height from which it was dropped and directed, and cause fatal damage around it exceeding a circle with a diameter of approximately 73 meters.

Accusations of Israel using the “hammer”

Baptist Hospital

Officials at the Turkish defense technology company Troy said in an interview conducted by Anadolu that after reviewing and analyzing videos of the raid carried out by Israel on the Baptist Hospital on October 17, 2023, and analyzing the sound of the explosion and the extent of its strength, they concluded that there are indications that The bomb used may be a Mk 84 equipped with a JDAM system.

The JDAM system is a package of multiple guidance devices that attach to “unguided bombs” (dumb bombs) and convert them into guided bombs, with a control unit that combines inertial guidance and GPS.

Troy company director Saeed Ersoy Baraktelioglu added that the bomb contains approximately 430 kilograms of explosive materials, and that its ammunition “can be very destructive if it reaches its target at the appropriate angle.”

Berkatlioglu said that the bomb can be filled with different types of explosives to increase its effectiveness, and that the “hammer” contains HMX (a highly soluble explosive substance) and can easily penetrate and destroy an entire building.

He continued, “Another possibility is that the bomb used was a BLU-109 bunker-buster bomb, and both bombs are in the Israeli army’s inventory.”

On the other hand, we find that the previous information is documented on the website of the US Defense Security Agency, which is specialized in providing “financial, technical, military and other assistance to the allies of the United States of America, as it indicated that Israel requested that it be provided with some weapons in 2012, including these two bombs that it confirmed.” Israel previously owned them.

Troy operates in the field of warhead technologies, small missiles and military-grade high explosive chemicals.

Jabalia massacre

For its part, on November 3, 2023, the New York Times published a report stating that Israel used at least two bombs, each weighing 907 kilograms, during the air strike it carried out on October 31, which caused a massacre against civilians in a camp. Jabalia, a crowded area north of Gaza City.

The newspaper said that it relied in its analysis on military experts, and on an analysis it conducted of satellite images, photos and video clips that documented the massacre.