Description
5-inch / 127mm Mark 25 Anti-Tank Anti-Personnel Warhead Cutaway with Mark 18 Fuze
Item Overview
This inert 5-inch / 127mm Mark 25 warhead cutaway includes the supplied Mark 18 fuze. Its sectioned body allows the internal warhead arrangement to be examined for collection, study, and display.
Identification and Features
The item is identified as a Mark 25 rocket warhead in cutaway form, accompanied by the supplied Mark 18 fuze. The cutaway format allows the warhead’s exterior shape and internal construction to be studied together.
- Caliber: 5-inch / 127mm
- Warhead designation: Mark 25
- Warhead type: High Explosive Anti-Tank (HEAT)
- Display configuration: Cutaway warhead
- Fuze designation as supplied: Mark 18
- Status: Inert
Function and Cutaway Display
Sectioning the warhead opens its body for inspection and shows the arrangement of its internal spaces and components. This format supports study of aircraft rocket construction and the relationship between the warhead body and fuze. The included fuze also allows the forward assembly to be examined alongside the sectioned warhead.
Zuni Anti-Tank and Anti-Personnel Combat Role
The Zuni system’s documented anti-tank and anti-personnel warhead combined shaped-charge armor penetration with fragmentation effects. This gave aircraft a weapon for attacking armored targets and fortified positions while also damaging lighter equipment and exposed personnel. In Vietnam, Zuni rockets were used against bunkers, troop positions, and other targets requiring concentrated aerial fire support.
Documented Zuni Combat Applications
The 5-inch Zuni served on several types of combat aircraft, from carrier-based attack jets to light attack aircraft and Marine helicopter gunships. Its documented missions included strikes against ground positions, support of troops and river patrol forces, and attacks from ships operating off the Vietnamese coast.
- A-4 Skyhawk: Carrier-based strike operations over Vietnam
- OV-10A Bronco: VAL-4 close air support in the Mekong Delta
- AH-1J SeaCobra: HMA-369 combat operations during Operation MARHUK
Zuni Rocket-System History
The Navy documented the 5-inch Zuni as a high-performance folding-fin aircraft rocket in its December 1960 technical manual. The system combined separate warhead and motor components and used multi-round aircraft launcher packages. During the Vietnam War, it became part of the air-to-ground armament used by naval aviation to attack enemy positions and support forces engaged on the ground.
Combat Aircraft Background
Zuni-equipped aircraft supported different parts of the Vietnam air war. Carrier-based A-4 Skyhawks conducted strike missions over North Vietnam. VAL-4 deployed OV-10A Broncos to South Vietnam in April 1969 to support riverine and ground operations. Marine AH-1J SeaCobras later carried Zuni rockets during ship-based attacks off North Vietnam, extending the rocket’s combat use to helicopter gunships.
History of Combat Use
VAL-4 crews called the Bronco’s Zuni capability their “big stick,” using it against tunnel and bunker complexes and enemy troop formations. During Operation MARHUK in 1972, HMA-369 SeaCobras conducted attacks with Zuni rockets and 20mm cannon. Zuni also recorded an unusual air-to-air success: on May 1, 1967, Lieutenant Commander Theodore R. Swartz of VA-76 shot down a MiG-17 with a Zuni fired from his A-4C Skyhawk.
Ideal For
This cutaway is suited to collections and educational exhibits covering aircraft rocket warheads and naval aviation combat history.
- 5-inch rocket collections
- Aircraft ordnance displays
- HEAT warhead research
- Vietnam naval aviation exhibits
- Cutaway ammunition collections
Approx length 24", Approx width 5", Approx height 5", Approx weight 20lbs.
Pictures are stock images of our inventory. Unless otherwise noted, you will not be receiving the exact item shown in the pictures. The pictures are representative of the item’s general condition. The item you receive might be slightly better, or worse, condition than was shown in the pictures.
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