MK20 Rockeye Cluster Bomb

Length:	7.5 ft (2.3 m)
Diameter:	13.2 in (335 mm)
Tail Span	2.8 ft (0.85 m)
Weight:	485 lbs (220 kg)
Filling:	247 bomblets

The MK20 Rockeye Cluster Bomb comes in 3 major assemblies: the nose which includes the MK339 Mechanical Time Fuze, the dispenser (body) containing 247 MK118 bomblets and the tail assembly.

The nose section currently hold the MK339 Mechanical Time Fuze and the Canadian Air Force is looking in replacing it with the FMU-140 Electronic Proximity Fuze. The MK339 Fuze is initiated upon bomb release and then causes the separation of the dispenser after a preset timing which allows the bomblets to fall free. If the FMU-140 is acquired, then it will be able to be set to one of 10 settings which via doppler will cause the dispenser to open up at altitudes varying between 300 ft and 3,000 ft (90 - 900 m).

mk20_2.gif (24377 bytes)

The MK7 Mod 6 dispenser houses 247 shaped charge bomblets and is covered with a thermal protection coating which is indicated by two coloured bands around the circonference of the bomb dispenser. Incorporated in the dispenser along its length are linear shaped charges (shaped charges concentrate most of the blast in one direction) which will split the dispenser once initiated to allow the bomblets to disperse.

mk118.gif (5878 bytes) The MK118 bomblets come in three main parts: the conical shaped charge warhead, the fuzing system and the tail assembly. The shaped charge which, consists of 0.4 lbs of high explosive, causes upon detonation a jet of super heated and pressurised gas to penetrate 10 inches of steel and 31 inches of reinforced concrete. When they are freed from the dispenser, they fall free and arm themselves on their way to the targets. If they hit a hard target such as a tank, bunker, etc a piezo electric crystal in the tip of the probe gets crushed which causes the crystal to produce electricity thus detonating the warhead and enabling the shaped charge to form a jet to penetrate the armour. If the bomblets hit a soft target, the impact is not sufficient to crush the crystal to produce the electricity to cause it to detonate at that point. The bomblets travels on the lenght of the probe until it hit at its wide diameter at which point it will suddenly stop. This sudden decelleration will cause an inertia firing pin to set off the warhead, cause a blast and send metal fragments all around. The dispersion of the 247 bomblets roughly covers the size of a football field.

The tail assembly has four folding fins so they can fit on the delivery aircraft and will pop open upon the bomb release.

If you have any questions on the MK20 Rockeye Cluster Bomb, send me an email and I'll see what I can do......