What Are Gravity Bombs?

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has stated that Iran’s air defence systems have been significantly degraded during the ongoing conflict, enabling the United States Department of Defense to consider deploying precision gravity bombs weighing 500-lb, 1,000-lb, and 2,000-lb.

Earlier Reliance on Standoff Munitions

Until now, the United States had relied primarily on long-range standoff munitions, which allow strikes from outside the range of enemy air defence systems. These weapons are designed to neutralise early-warning radars and surface-to-air missile batteries before aircraft enter contested airspace.

Two of the key standoff systems used recently include:

• Tomahawk cruise missile
• LUCAS (Low‑cost Unmanned Combat Attack System) drones

These systems have been deployed from U.S. naval destroyers and stealth aircraft to minimise risks to pilots while establishing air superiority over Iranian airspace.

What Are Gravity Bombs?

A gravity bomb, historically called a free-fall bomb, is an unpowered aerial munition.

Unlike cruise missiles such as the Tomahawk cruise missile, gravity bombs do not have engines or propulsion systems. Once released from an aircraft, their trajectory is determined by gravity, aerodynamics, and the aircraft’s speed and altitude.

Nuclear Gravity Bombs

Some gravity bombs can carry nuclear warheads, with explosive yields measured in kilotons or megatons of TNT. These weapons require extensive modernisation programmes, often costing over $20 million per unit through Life Extension Programs.

Their use also carries a critical political constraint: explicit authorisation from the U.S. President, since deploying a nuclear gravity bomb would signal a major global escalation.

Source: IE