TERRORISMThe Weapons Which Killed Nasrallah
The 83 tons of explosives which were dropped on 28 September 2024 in the heart of the Dahiya district in Beirut destroyed a deeply dug network of tunnels and bunkers which served as Hezbollah headquarters, killing Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and about two dozen of his senior aids. The bombs were BLU-109 type bombs, which were fitted with a JDAM system to turn each “stupid” gravity bomb into a precision-munition smart bomb.
The 83 tons of explosives which were dropped on 28 September 2024 in the heart of the Dahiya district in Beirut destroyed a deeply dug network of tunnels and bunkers which served as Hezbollah headquarters, killing Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and about two dozen of his senior aids.
The Israel Defense Force (IDF) used 83 1-ton BLU-109 type bombs, which were fitted with a JDAM system to turn each “stupid” gravity bomb into a precision-munition smart bomb.
The assassination of the leader of Hezbollah, considered the strongest terrorist organization in the world, was the result of intelligence capabilities built up over decades, and the close coordination between Israel’s intelligence services and the country’s military. But the attack could not have been carried out without the heavy and precise munitions in the hands of the Israel Air Force (IAF).
The IAF’s F—15i aircraft carried several BLU-109 bombs each, on which the JDAM system was mounted.
BLU-109 (Bomb Live Unit) is a heavy concrete-penetrating bomb developed in 1985 and used by the USAF. It was designed to penetrate bunkers, concrete shelters, and other hardened structures before detonating. BLU-109 can penetrate 1.2–1.8 meters of reinforced concrete. It was sold to allies of the United States, including Israel, South Korea, Greece, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Pakistan and Turkey.
The JDAM system (for Joint Direct Attack Munition) was mounted on the BLU-109 to turn a “stupid” bombs into a “smart” ones y making it much more accurate. JDAM was developed jointly by U.S. Air Force and the U.S. Navy. It was first used in 1999.
The price of the JDAM-fitted BLU-109 is $21,000, which is far less than the price of a guided weapon. Another advantage: Other. They also require relatively little maintenance.
JDAM bombs are of the “launch and forget” type, which allows the aircraft to drop several bombs in one flight, with each bomb guided to hit a different target. Laser bombs, for example, sometimes require continuous marking of the target, marking which is done by a ground force or by an aircraft hovering near the target. The JDAM bomb, on the other hand, does not rely on aircraft or ground forces because it depends on GPS satellites for guidance.
The IDF was the first foreign army to purchase the kit. In May this year it was reported that the United States was delaying the shipment of JDAM kits to Israel. The shipment includes 6,500 kits that make it possible to turn “dumb” (unguided) bombs into “smart,” or guided bombs. The delay was caused by the administration’s desire to reduce the number of civilian casualties in the Gaza Strip, which critics of Israel ascribed to the indiscriminate use of JDAM-equipped BLU-109 bombs.
