Mark 77 bomb
The Mark 77 is a US 750-lb (340-kg) air-dropped incendiary bomb that carries 110 gallons (415 litres) of a fuel gel mix that is the direct successor to napalm.
Mk-77s were used by the US Marine Corps during the First Gulf War. Approximately 500 were dropped, reportedly mostly on Iraqi-constructed oil filled trenches. Thirty Mk-77s were also used in the 2003 invasion of Iraq.
Use of incendiary bombs against civilian populations was banned in the 1980 United Nations Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons. The US has not signed this agreement although they did retire use of napalm. The Mk-77 is the only incendiary bomb currently in use by the United States military. Another incendiary weapon - white phosphorus - is allegedly being used as an incendiary weapon in the current Iraq War. White phosphorus or 'Willie Peet' is used primarly as a smoke-screening agent. Only the US and Russia continue to invent and use gelled fuel bombs.
The chemical used differs from napalm of the Vietnam War era in that it is based on kerosene and a polystyrene-like gel and reportedly contains an oxidizing agent. This will make it even more difficult to put out once ignited. The official designation of Vietnam-era napalm bombs is the Mark 47. Mk-77s are commonly referred to as napalm in US Military slang.
The US military has issued denials against articles claiming the use of napalm in cases where it seems that Mk-77s had actually been deployed (see referenced articles). The Pentagon has claimed that the Mk-77 has less impact on the environment.
References
- MK-77 Dumb Bombs, Federation of American Scientists
- New, improved and more lethal: son of napalm, Sydney Morning Herald, 8 August 2003
- US lied to Britain over use of napalm in Iraq war, The Independent, 17 June 2005
- ITALIAN TV ALLEGES U.S. USED CHEMICAL WEAPONS IN FALLUJAH
- US State Department Response to Illegal Weapon Allegations, 27 January 2005