Matra Durandal

Matra Durandal
An American F-111 carrying BLU-107 Durandals in December 1981.
TypeAnti-runway bomb
Place of originFrance
Service history
In service1977–present
Used byUnited States, France, Israel
WarsGulf War (1991)
Production history
ManufacturerMatra (now MBDA)
Specifications
Mass200 kg (440 lb)
Length2.7 m (8 ft 10 in)
Diameter22.3 cm (8.8 in)
Warhead weight100 kg (220 lb) primary charge
15 kg (33 lb) secondary charge

Named after a mythical medieval French sword, the Durandal is an anti-runway penetration bomb developed by the French company Matra (now MBDA), designed to destroy airport runways and exported to several countries. A simple crater in a runway could be filled in without issue, so the Durandal uses two explosions to displace the concrete slabs of a runway, thus making the damage to the runway far more difficult to repair.