Matra Durandal
| Matra Durandal | |
|---|---|
An American F-111 carrying BLU-107 Durandals in December 1981. | |
| Type | Anti-runway bomb |
| Place of origin | France |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1977–present |
| Used by | United States, France, Israel |
| Wars | Gulf War (1991) |
| Production history | |
| Manufacturer | Matra (now MBDA) |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 200 kg (440 lb) |
| Length | 2.7 m (8 ft 10 in) |
| Diameter | 22.3 cm (8.8 in) |
| Warhead weight | 100 kg (220 lb) primary charge 15 kg (33 lb) secondary charge |
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. The bomb is named after a mythical medieval French sword.