The United States came across a problem in the late 1990s. They wanted to put Saddam Hussein in his place, but they did not want to stoop to the Iraqi dictators level.

Territory Issues

Hussein did not follow any of the no-fly rules, but the United States was able to keep his planes grounded. However, the U.S. planes had to deal with anti-aircraft units attacking from civilian territory.

He would constantly move into zones that were to keep the Kurdish and Sunni people living there safe.

He would also place troops where he was not allowed, but would make sure they have plenty of civilian coverage to stop the Americans from attacking. The U.S. had to find a way not to cause collateral damage.

Creative Solution

Concrete bombs were their solution. The creative solution used training bombs to imobilze real targets and they weighed between 500 and 2,000 pounds.

Since they did not explode on impact they did not cause destruction, but they carried energy that was transferred to their target. Civilians would not be hurt by the use of these bombs, and if the bombs hit nearby the crews themselves would survive too.

They were a win-win. The concrete bombs were less expensive to make since they were just steel and concrete. Since the Air Force was used to dropping them in practice, they had no issue transitioning to using them on mission.

Common Use

The Americans and the British both used the bombs to annihilate planes, tanks and other targets on the ground with little to no damage to civilians and buildings nearby.

The only additional collateral it caused was a puff of white smoke that went up in the air. Of course its intended target was smashed to smitherines due to the sheer amount of force caused by the concrete bomb being dropped.

According to NBC News, the bomb could level a home and its contents with no problem. In 2011, France used the bombs in Libya and the U.S. still used them in missions today.