Big and Ugly - the SLUFAE Rocket

[US-Subs]

This is one of my largest rockets. Designed for clearing passage through minefields, it used a 5-inch Zuni rocket motor to push a 345mm fuel-air-explosive (FAE) warhead out over the minefield. The warhead carried a cargo of compressed highly explosive gas (typically ethylene oxide or the like) which was released just above the ground, allowed to spread for a second or two, then detonated. The concussion and overpressure would then (theoretically) detonate the mines under the cloud.

Unfortunately it was not reliable in all soil types, was not large enough for all mines and it was too easy to develop and build countermeasures into mines to protect against this type of clearance, so the design was short lived.

The SLUFAE (surface-launched-unit fuel-air-explosive) rocket was designated the M130, and fired from a hideous looking 30 pack launcher mounted on the back of an armoured chassis.

Some unofficial documents claim that the M130's warhead was made from a BLU-73 FAE submunition, but I am not yet convinced. They are similar in size, but there are more differences than similarities. I have not yet found an official document to use for data.

 

[HAZORD]

Your example is in better shape than mine. My example is drill round bronze color and someone demilled a hole in the side of it.

The skirt around the rear of the motor housed a parachute that lowered the warhead straight down into the mine field, where a telescoping fuze probe would start the dispersion and detonation process.

Attached are high speed photos from China Lake Archives showing the dispersal of the fuel into the air around the target from a normal FAE bomblet, the detonation, and the result.

I spoke with some scrap dealers that purchased vehicles from a test convoy that was attacked by FAE weapons at China Lake. They said the huge overpressure from the blast had flattened the fuel tanks, smashed the oil pans up around the crank shafts, etc.

An additional delivery method for the FAE bomblets, was MAD-FAE, Air Delivery from a helicopter, again tested at China Lake.

 

[ordnance]

Yes, definitely a big and ugly device. Here's a photo of one recently spotted at the Ordnance Museum in Hawthorne, Nevada.

I doubt he will tell it, but the story of how US-Subs acquired his SLUFAE rocket still makes me chuckle 20 years after he told it to me. The essence of being a good scrounger is being at the right place at the right time and putting out the extra effort to get that big chunk of iron back into the car.....and home safely.

 

[US-Subs]

Perhaps a story for another time. Rick, you haven't answered my e-mail about SLICS yet.