An end of an era – M117 bombs depart RAF Welford
420th Munitions Squadron Operations Flight Chief
September 9, 2009
by Master Sgt. Kenneth C. Burnett
RAF WELFORD, United Kingdom — The final day has come! The last remaining M117 General Purpose Bombs at the 420th Munitions Squadron, Royal Air Force Welford were removed Sept. 2.
This journey began over a year ago with Headquarters United States Air Forces in Europe soliciting for a contractor to agree to demilitarize 3,509 bombs. As RAF Welford is the command’s forward operating location for bomber aircraft, it was the optimum location for storing the M117 bombs until the decision was made to demilitarize the bombs. The accomplishment of shipping the M117s for demilitarization served three-fold for the Welford storage site: disposing of outdated munitions, reducing net explosive weight as directed by command, and eliminating munitions from outside storage to meet 3rd Air Force’s agreement with the United Kingdom government.
The M117 is a 750 pound general purpose bomb with an explosive weight of 403 pounds and is smaller in comparison to mark 80 series bombs. It was standard arsenal for various 1950s aircraft that have been since retired. Until recently the everlasting B-52 Stratofortress carried the M117. The M117 bombs were vital weapons dropped extensively in the Vietnam and Gulf wars. However, the bombs are no longer a component of the Department of Defense supply inventory, hence, the reason for M117 Demilitarization Project.
The M117 contract was awarded at end of 2008 to a Norway company for $2.3 million and funded by Headquarters United States Air Forces in Europe and Air Force Materiel Command. On March 1, RAF Welford was charged by headquarters to stow 3,509 bombs into International Organization for Standardization containers for shipment with a deadline of March 31. …
