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120 mm illuminating bombs M1, M2
Region
Israel
Category
Ammunition, Missiles and precision weapons
Armament All Tampella, TDA or similar 120 mm smoothbore mortars. Development By Israel Military Industries ( IMI ). Description A streamlined steel bomb body with steel tailboom and alloy fins; it has five gas check grooves around the waist arranged as three and two. A primary cartridge fits into the tailboom and six secondary increments, in cloth-covered split rings, fit around the tailboom in front of the fins. These provide Charges 2, 4, 6, 8 and 9, which are the only charges used with the bomb. The bomb is
assembled in two parts, the body and the tailcone and tailboom assembly, both being joined by shearable pins. The nose is threaded for a time fuze. In the body is the flare canister and behind it, the parachute. Attached to a central spigot in the flare canister is a short steel rocket motor. When the time fuze magazine explodes it provides sufficient internal gas pressure to cause the shear pins to break and allow the body section to be blown free. At the same time the rocket motor is ignited and as soon as the body section has cleared this rocket pulls the flare canister away from the tail section. Once it is clear, a small braking parachute is deployed, slowing the flare canister (which by now has begun to burn) and allowing the tail section to fly past. As it does so, the main parachute is pulled clear of the tail section and deploys, allowing the burning flare to float to the ground. The M1 and M2 bombs are similar except in the filling of the flare canister, giving the M2 a greater intensity but shorter burning time. Manufacturer Israel Military Industries ( IMI ).