Military

A Complete Overview Of The US Military's Bombs and Missiles

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24/7 Wall St. Staff
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A recent news release revealed the U.S. president gave permission to Ukraine to utilize U.S. weapons, such as rockets and rocket launchers, to strike inside Russia for limited purposes. The Department of Defense (DOD) has provided billions of dollars worth of weapons to Ukraine to aid them in response to the Russian invasion in 2022. Providing weapons to other countries is one of the many ways the U.S. military utilizes the weapons developed for their own stockpiles. The Pentagon is requesting $30 million in 2024 to “buy the maximum number of munitions that American industry can produce” in an effort to replenish what has been used.

Weapons used by the U.S. military vary and include nuclear weapons, guided munitions, and ballistics missiles. 24/7 Wall St. reviewed congressional research reports and military documents and publications to identify the bombs used by the U.S. military. These weapons include defensive missiles designed to intercept approaching threats, tactical missile systems, and strategic nuclear weapons. Some of the systems on the list have never been deployed, while others have been routinely used for decades. The majority of the bombs on this list were developed for use by the U.S. Navy and Air Force and account for a considerable share of the U.S. military budget. For example, the Sidewinder missiles integrated into F-16 and F-22 fighters cost just under half a million dollars each.

Why Are We Writing About Bombs and Missiles in the U.S. Military?

Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons

The U.S. DOD maintains America’s Nuclear Triad, described as “the backbone of America’s national security.” The Triad consists of land, sea, and air munitions set to be used in the event of an attack. Ballistic missiles unleashed from silos or submarines are one level of defense. From the air, bomber aircraft such as the B-52H Stratofortress or B-2A Spirit are poised to provide “massive firepower” in a short time. It is helpful to understand these weapons and munitions in order to better understand how our government protects us.

These are the bombs and missiles used by the U.S. military.

1. A/U/RGM-84 Harpoon

Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons

  • Bomb Type: Anti-ship missile
  • Guidance System: Radar
  • Dimensions: 12.5-15 feet in length and, 13.5 inches in diameter
  • Range: 75-120 nautical miles, depending on the block and launch platform
  • Service Branch User(s): U.S. Navy and Air Force
  • Manufactured By: Boeing
  • Foreign Buyers: Denmark and Taiwan

2. AGM-114 Hellfire

Source: usnavy / Flickr
  • Bomb Type:  Air-to-surface weapon
  • Guidance System: Laser-guided
  • Dimensions: 104 pounds, 64 inches in length, and 7 inches in diameter
  • Range: 550 to 12,030 yd
  • Service Branch User(s):  U.S. Navy, Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps
  • Manufactured By:  Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman
  • Foreign Buyers: 32 countries, including India, Australia and Ukraine

3. AGM-154 JSOW

Source: U.S. Navy via Wikimedia Commons
  • Bomb Type: Long-range standoff weapon
  • Guidance System: Link-16 data link, GPS/INS, terminal IR seeker
  • Dimensions: 13 feet in length and 4 inches in diameter
  • Range: 12-63 nautical miles
  • Service Branch User(s): U.S. Navy and Air Force
  • Manufactured By: Raytheon
  • Foreign Buyers: Australia, Canada, Finland, Greece, Poland, Singapore, and Turkey

4. AGM-158

Source: ewg3D / iStock via Getty Images
  • Bomb Type:  Long-range standoff weapon
  • Guidance System:  GPS/INS and imaging IR terminal seeker
  • Dimensions: 14 feet in length
  • Range: 200 miles to 1,000 miles
  • Service Branch User(s):  U.S. Air Force and Navy
  • Manufactured By:  Lockheed Martin, Raytheon, and Honeywell
  • Foreign Buyers: Australia, Finland, and Poland

5. AGM-176 Griffin

Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
  • Bomb Type: Air-to-surface weapon
  • Guidance System:  GPS and laser-guided
  • Dimensions: 43 inches in length and 5.5 inches in diameter
  • Range: 12 miles
  • Service Branch User(s): U.S. Air Force, Marine Corps
  • Manufactured By: Raytheon
  • Foreign Buyers: N/A

6. AGM-183 ARRW

Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
  • Bomb Type:  Strategic weapon
  • Guidance System:  in testing
  • Diameters: 22 feet in length
  • Range: over 1,000 miles
  • Service Branch User(s):  U.S. Air Force
  • Manufactured By:  Lockheed Martin
  • Foreign Buyers: N/A

7. AGM-65 Maverick

Source: ewg3D / iStock via Getty Images
  • Bomb Type: Air-to-surface weapon
  • Guidance System: electro-optical, laser, and imaging infrared guidance systems
  • Dimensions: 8 feet, 2 inches in length and 12 inches in diameter
  • Range: greater than 12 nautical miles
  • Service Branch User(s): U.S. Navy, Marine Corps, and Air Force
  • Manufactured By: Raytheon and Northrop Grumman
  • Foreign Buyers: at least 35 countries, including the United Kingdom, Belgium, Canada, and Israel

8. AGM-84K SLAM-ER

Source: U.S. Navy via Wikimedia Commons
  • Bomb Type: Air-to-surface weapon
  • Guidance System: GPS and infrared terminal guidance
  • Dimensions: 14.3 feet in length and 13.5 inches in diameter
  • Range: 168 miles
  • Service Branch User(s): U.S. Navy
  • Manufactured By: Boeing
  • Foreign Buyers: Tawain

9. AGM-86 ALCM

Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
  • Bomb Type:  Strategic nuclear weapon
  • Guidance System: Litton inertial navigation system element with TERCOM updates or Litton INS element integrated with multi-channel onboard GPS
  • Dimensions: 20 feet, 9 inches in length and 24.5 inches in diameter
  • Range: 680 – 1,500+ miles
  • Service Branch User(s):  U.S. Air Force
  • Manufactured By: Boeing
  • Foreign Buyers: N/A

10. AGM-88e AARGM

Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
  • Bomb Type: Air-to-surface weapon
  • Guidance System: millimeter-wave radar for precise terminal guidance
  • Dimensions: 13 feet, 8 inches in length
  • Range: 13 – 80 nautical miles
  • Service Branch User(s):  U.S. Air Force
  • Manufactured By:  Northrop Grumman, Orbital ATK, and Northrop Grumman
  • Foreign Buyers: Poland and the Netherlands

11. AIM-120 AMRAAM

Source: vestman / Flickr
  • Bomb Type:  Air-to-air missile
  • Guidance System: two-stage guidance when fired at long range. The aircraft passes data to the missile just before launch, giving it information about the location of the target aircraft from the launch point, including its direction and speed.
  • Dimensions: 12 feet in length and 7 inches in diameter
  • Range: over 20 miles
  • Service Branch User(s): U.S. Navy, Marine Corps, and Air Force
  • Manufactured By: Raytheon, Northrop Grumman, and Nammo Group
  • Foreign Buyers:  Japan

12. AIM-9 Sidewinder

Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
  • Bomb Type:  Air-to-air missile
  • Guidance System: an infrared homing guidance section and an active optical target detector
  • Dimensions: 9 feet, 11 inches in length, 5 inches in diameter
  • Range: 1-2 miles
  • Service Branch User(s):  U.S. Navy and Air Force
  • Manufactured By:  Raytheon and Northrop Grumman
  • Foreign Buyers: Romania

13. B61 Thermonuclear Bomb

Source: pburka / Flickr
  • Bomb Type: Tactical nuclear weapon
  • Guidance System: uses a tail kit guidance assembly to convert it into a guided stand-off nuclear bomb
  • Dimensions: varies depending on model
  • Range: 190,000 feet
  • Service Branch User(s): U.S. Air Force
  • Manufactured By: Los Alamos National Laboratory and Boeing
  • Foreign Buyers: Belgium, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Turkey

14. BGM-71 TOW

Source: Stocktrek Images / Stocktrek Images via Getty Images
  • Bomb Type:  Anti-tank missile
  • Guidance System: a tripod-mounted wire-guided anti-tank guided-missile system
  • Dimensions: 5 feet and 9 inches in length and 5.98 inches in diameter
  • Range: up to 2.8 miles
  • Service Branch User(s): U.S. Army
  • Manufactured By:  Raytheon
  • Foreign Buyers: Saudi Arabia

15. CBU-105 SFW

Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
  • Bomb Type: Area weapon
  • Guidance System: IR targeting in each warhead; INS (via WCMD tail kit predispersal) and GPS-data (via aircraft, prerelease)
  • Dimensions: 7.7 feet in length and 15 inches in diameter
  • Range: Delivers 40 lethal projectiles over an area of about 500 ft x 1,200 feet
  • Service Branch User(s):  U.S. Air Force
  • Manufactured By: Textron Systems
  • Foreign Buyers: India, Oman, South Korea, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates

16. CBU-107 PAW

Source: myhrcat / E+ via Getty Images
  • Bomb Type: Area weapon
  • Guidance System: guided by a Wind-Corrected Munitions Dispenser tail kit to help with accuracy
  • Dimensions: 7.7 feet in length and 15 inches in diameter
  • Range: works by gliding toward its target, and before impact, begins to spin and emit nearly 4,000 metal projectiles that can penetrate targets within 200 feet
  • Service Branch User(s):  U.S. Air Force
  • Manufactured By:  General Dynamics, Lockheed Martin, and Textron
  • Foreign Buyers: N/A

17. Evolved Seasparrow Missile Block 1 (ESSM) (RIM 162D)

Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
  • Bomb Type: Surface-to-air and surface-to-surface radar-guided missile
  • Guidance System: radar and midcourse data uplinks
  • Dimensions: 12 feet in length and 10 inches in diameter
  • Range: 31+ miles
  • Service Branch User(s): U.S. Navy
  • Manufactured By: Raytheon
  • Foreign Buyers: ESSM Block 1 is part of a 10-nation international cooperative development program between the U.S., NATO partner nations, and Australia

18. GBU-10/12/49 Paveway II

Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
  • Bomb Type:  Precision-guided air-to-surface weapon
  • Guidance System: laser-guided
  • Dimensions: Span 5.5 ft, length approx. 14.8 ft, diameter 18 in (GBU-10); span 4.4 ft, length 10.8 ft, diameter 11-18 in (GBU-12/49)
  • Range: from 6 – 9 miles
  • Service Branch User(s): U.S. Air Force
  • Manufactured By: Lockheed Martin and Raytheon
  • Foreign Buyers: N/A

19. GBU-24/28 Paveway III

Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
  • Bomb Type:  Precision-guided air-to-surface weapon
  • Guidance System: third-generation laser guidance
  • Dimensions: Span 6.7 ft, length 14.4 ft, diameter 18 in (GBU-24); length approx. 20 ft, diameter 15 in (GBU-28)
  • Range: more than 11 miles
  • Service Branch User(s): U.S. Air Force
  • Manufactured By:  Raytheon
  • Foreign Buyers: various NATO airforces

20. GBU-31/32/38 JDAM

Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
  • Bomb Type:  Precision-guided air-to-surface weapon
  • Guidance System: GPS
  • Dimensions: Span 25 in (GBU-31), 19.6 in (GBU-32), 14 in (GBU-38); length (with JDAM and warhead) approx 12 ft (GBU-31), 10 ft (GBU-32), 7.8 ft (GBU-38)
  • Range: up to 15 miles
  • Service Branch User(s): U.S. Air Force, Navy
  • Manufactured By: Boeing, Textron, and Honeywell
  • Foreign Buyers: Germany

21. GBU-43 MOAB

Source: FI295 via Wikimedia Commons
  • Bomb Type:  Precision-guided munitions
  • Guidance System: GPS guided, with fins and inertial gyro for pitch and roll
  • Dimensions: Length 30 feet, diameter 3.3 feet
  • Range: Its principal effect is a massive blast wave – said to stretch for a mile in every direction
  • Service Branch User(s): U.S. Air Force
  • Manufactured By:  AFRL and Dynetics
  • Foreign Buyers: N/A

22. GBU-53 StormBreaker

Source: Mztourist / Wikimedia Commons
  • Bomb Type:  Precision-guided munitions
  • Guidance System: utilizes MMW and IIR sensors to find and identify targets, refine aim points, and guide the weapon to impact
  • Dimensions: length 5.75 ft, wingspan 5.6 ft, diameter 7 in
  • Range: 40 nautical miles
  • Service Branch User(s): U.S. Air Force, Navy
  • Manufactured By:  Raytheon
  • Foreign Buyers: Norway, Germany, and Finland

23. GBU-54 LJDAM

Source: guvendemir / E+ via Getty Images
  • Bomb Type:  Precision-guided munitions
  • Guidance System: GPS and laser-guided
  • Dimensions: Length (with JDAM and warhead) approx 8 feet
  • Range: up to 15 miles
  • Service Branch User(s): U.S. Air Force, Navy
  • Manufactured By:  Boeing
  • Foreign Buyers: United Arab Emirates

24. GBU-57 MOP

Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
  • Bomb Type:  Precision-guided munitions
  • Guidance System: GPS-aided Inertial Navigation System (INS) or by laser designation fired by the aircraft
  • Dimensions: Length 20.5 ft, diameter 31.5 in.
  • Range: 200 feet
  • Service Branch User(s): U.S. Air Force
  • Manufactured By:  Boeing
  • Foreign Buyers: Israel

25. GBU-69 Small Glide Munition

Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
  • Bomb Type:  Precision-guided munitions
  • Guidance System: laser-guided
  • Dimensions: Span 28 in, length 3.5 ft, diameter 4.5 in
  • Range: 20+ miles
  • Service Branch User(s): U.S. Air Force
  • Manufactured By:  Dynetics
  • Foreign Buyers: N/A

26. LGM-30 Minuteman III

Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
  • Bomb Type: Strategic nuclear weapon
  • Guidance System: inertial guidance system
  • Dimensions: 5.5 feet
  • Range:6,000-plus miles (5,218 nautical miles)
  • Service Branch User(s): U.S. Air Force
  • Manufactured By: Boeing, General Electric, Lockheed Martin, and Northrop Grumman
  • Foreign Buyers: N/A

27. MGM-140/164/168 ATACMS

Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
  • Bomb Type: Surface-to-surface missile system
  • Guidance System: inertial
  • Dimensions: 13 feet long, 2 feet wide, and has a launch weight of 2,912 pounds
  • Range: 200 miles
  • Service Branch User(s): U.S. Army
  • Manufactured By: Lockheed Martin
  • Foreign Buyers: Bahrain, Greece, South Korea, Taiwan, Turkey, and the UAE

28. MIM-104 Patriot

Source: VanderWolf-Images / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
  • Bomb Type: Surface-to-air missile system
  • Guidance System: The Track Via Missile (TVM) guidance system is the heart of the system. The Patriot system is built around a phased array radar and fast computers. The missile is launched and guided to the target in three phases.
  • Dimensions: Each container-launcher box is 20 feet long, 3.58 feet wide, and 3.25 feet high. Its empty weight is 1,750 pounds, and its loaded weight is 3,739 pounds.
  • Range: 43 miles
  • Service Branch User(s): U.S. Army
  • Manufactured By:  Raytheon, Lockheed Martin, and Boeing
  • Foreign Buyers: Netherlands

29. MK Family of Torpedoes

Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
  • Bomb Type: Anti-submarine weapon
  • Guidance System: vary by model
  • Dimensions: 9.5 feet long and 800 pounds
  • Range: greater than 1,200 feet
  • Service Branch User(s): U.S. Navy
  • Manufactured By: Raytheon
  • Foreign Buyers: Brazil, Tawain, and other foreign navies

30. NGAAW

Source: MisterClips / Getty Images
  • Bomb Type: Area weapon
  • Guidance System: GPS/INS-guided
  • Dimensions: Length approx. 12 ft (2,000-lb class with tail kit), diameter approx. 14.5 in.; length approx. 7.8 ft, diameter approx. 10.7 in. (500-lb class with tail kit)
  • Range: 225-foot radius
  • Service Branch User(s): U.S. Air Force
  • Manufactured By:  Major Tool & Machine and Faxon Machining
  • Foreign Buyers:  N/A

31. RIM-116 Rolling Airframe Missile (RAM)

Source: usnavy / Flickr
  • Bomb Type: Ship self-defense
  • Guidance System: The missile must roll during flight because the RF tracking system uses a two-antenna interferometer that can measure phase interference of the electromagnetic wave in one plane only. The rolling interferometer permits the antennas to look at all planes of incoming energy.
  • Dimensions: 9 feet, 2 inches in length, 5-inch diameter (Block 1) or 6.25 inch (Block 2)
  • Range: 5.6 miles
  • Service Branch User(s): U.S. Navy
  • Manufactured By: Raytheon
  • Foreign Buyers: An American and German joint development

32. Seasparrow Missile (RIM-7)

Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
  • Bomb Type: Surface-to-air missile
  • Guidance System: radar-guided
  • Dimensions: length of 12 feet and diameter of 8 inches
  • Range: 8.1–11.9 nautical miles
  • Service Branch User(s): U.S. Navy
  • Manufactured By: Raytheon and General Dynamics
  • Foreign Buyers: Japan, Thailand, and the United Arab Emirates

33. Standard Missile Family

Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
  • Bomb Type:Surface-to-air, surface-to-surface missile
  • Guidance System: guided by inertial navigation and mid-course commands from AWS using semi-active radar or an infrared (IR) sensor for terminal homing
  • Dimensions: 15-21 feet long, 13.5-21 inches in diameter
  • Range: varies, 19 miles, 90 nautical miles, and as high as 250 nautical miles
  • Service Branch User(s): U.S. Navy
  • Manufactured By: Raytheon
  • Foreign Buyers: Australia, Japan, and South Korea

34. Tomahawk Cruise Missile

Source: wfryer / Flickr
  • Bomb Type: Long-range subsonic cruise missile
  • Guidance System: utilize various guidance systems, including GPS, inertial navigation, and terrain contour matching.
  • Dimensions: Length: 18 ft 3 in without booster, 20 ft 6 in with booster, Diameter: 20.4 in, and 2,900 lb, 3,500 lb with booster
  • Range: up to 1,000 miles
  • Service Branch User(s): U.S. Navy
  • Manufactured By: Raytheon
  • Foreign Buyers:  Japan

35. Trident II (D5) Missile

Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
  • Bomb Type: Submarine-launched strategic nuclear missiles
  • Guidance System: a combination of an inertial navigation system and a stellar reference system, also known as astro-inertial guidance.
  • Dimensions: Length: 44 feet, Diameter: 83 inches, Weight: 130,000 pounds at launch
  • Range: 6,500 nautical miles
  • Service Branch User(s): U.S. Navy
  • Manufactured By:  Lockheed Martin and Space Co.
  • Foreign Buyers: United Kingdom

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Read more: Military, American bombs, Ballistic Missiles, bombs, ICBMs, missiles, munitioins, Trident warheads, warheads

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