Description
The CH-54A heavy helicopter was successfully used by the US Army during the Vietnam war.
Carrying a variety of weapons, ammunition, vehicles including excavators, bulldozers, trucks and boats, this also included the M-121 super-heavy bomb. Such bombs were dropped in order to quickly clear the forest under the helipad, allowing for shorter landing time and a more flexible response to a tactical situation.
For these tasks, the M-121 was partially upgraded – the rear hull and tail stabilizers were removed and a special parachute was added to slow its fall. The bombs were also equipped with an elongated nose detonator to provide a blast height of about 3 feet off the ground.
These upgraded bombs were used until their were out of stock, the last being used on 8 August 1970.
