BLU-82 Daisy Cutter

The BLU-82 weapon system, developed under the "Commando Vault" program and nicknamed the "Daisy Cutter," originated during the Vietnam War to create helicopter landing zones in dense jungle. The system was retired in 2008 and replaced by the GBU-43/B. A limited number of units were produced.

The designation BLU stands for Bomb Live Unit. The weapon uses a warhead containing GSX slurry, a mixture of ammonium nitrate, aluminum powder, and polystyrene. It is a conventional explosive rather than a fuel-air explosive (FAE), as it carries its own oxidizer. To maximize destruction at ground level and prevent the creation of a crater, the bomb is detonated just above the surface by a fuze extender. The system is unguided; accuracy depends on the positioning of the delivery aircraft by onboard navigation equipment or ground-based radar. Aircrews must account for ballistic and wind computations during delivery. Due to the blast effects, the weapon is released from a minimum safe altitude.

The BLU-82 was operated by the United States and South Vietnam. Delivery platforms included C-130 and MC-130 transport aircraft and the CH-54 Tarhe heavy-lift helicopter. Combat use began in March 1970 in Laos. During the Vietnam War, the weapon cleared landing zones and struck troop concentrations, warehouses, and vehicle parks. South Vietnamese aircraft dropped the weapon during the Battle of Xuân Lộc, and U.S. forces used it during the Mayaguez incident. In the 1991 Gulf War, MC-130 aircraft dropped the weapon to test minefield breaching and for anti-personnel and psychological effects. The blast led a British SAS unit to mistakenly report a nuclear detonation. In 2001, the system was deployed in Afghanistan against Taliban and al-Qaeda cave complexes and personnel, including during the Battle of Tora Bora. The last operational BLU-82 was dropped in July 2008 at the Utah Test and Training Range.