BLU-82 Daisy Cutter

The BLU-82B/C-130 weapon system, developed under the "Commando Vault" program and nicknamed "Daisy Cutter," was an American air-to-surface conventional bomb. Originally designed during the Vietnam War to clear helicopter landing zones and artillery emplacements in dense jungle, the system was initially test-dropped from a CH-54 Tarhe heavy-lift helicopter.

The parachute-retarded weapon was configured for delivery from C-130 or MC-130 transport aircraft and CH-54 Tarhe helicopters. Its warhead contained GSX slurry, an explosive mixture of ammonium nitrate, aluminum powder, and polystyrene. Unlike fuel-air explosives that utilize ambient oxygen as an oxidizer, the BLU-82 relied on this conventional composition to ensure reliable detonation under adverse wind and thermal conditions. Detonation occurred just above ground level via a fuze extender, maximizing ground-level destruction while preventing cratering. Weapon delivery depended on precise aircraft positioning managed by ground-based radar or onboard navigation, requiring accurate ballistic and wind computations.

The United States and South Vietnam operated the weapon. Its combat debut occurred on March 22, 1970, in Laos during Campaign 139. During Operation Lam Son 719, U.S. C-130 aircraft dropped the bombs in Laos to clear landing zones and strike North Vietnamese Army (NVA) and Pathet Lao troop concentrations, warehouses, and vehicle parks. South Vietnamese forces deployed the weapon against NVA positions during the Battle of Xuân Lộc. During the Mayaguez incident, a U.S. MC-130 dropped a bomb to assist Marine forces extracting from Koh Tang island.

During the Gulf War, U.S. MC-130 Combat Talons dropped the weapon during night missions to test its capability to breach minefields and to exploit its anti-personnel and psychological effects. In the War in Afghanistan, the U.S. Air Force dropped the weapon to target Taliban and al-Qaeda personnel and cave complexes, including during the Battle of Tora Bora. The BLU-82 was retired from service in 2008, with the final operational unit dropped during a training flight at the Utah Test and Training Range. The system was replaced by the GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast.