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TechnoratiPentagon Eyes Accelerated 'Bunker Buster' Bomb
WASHINGTON - The Pentagon is seeking to speed deployment of an ultra-large "bunker-buster" bomb on the most advanced U.S. bomber as soon as July 2010, the Air Force said on Sunday, amid concerns over perceived nuclear threats from North Korea and Iran.
![[A U.S. Air Force F-15E Strike Eagle aircraft releases a GBU-28 "Bunker Buster" 5,000-pound Laser-Guided Bomb during a 2003 weapons evaluation test. (REUTERS/Technical Sgt. Michael Ammons/USAF/Handout)]](http://www.commondreams.org/files/article_images/bunkerbuster.jpg "bunkerbuster.jpg")
The non-nuclear, 30,000-pound Massive Ordnance Penetrator, or MOP,
which is still being tested, is designed to destroy deeply buried
bunkers beyond the reach of existing bombs.
If Congress agrees to shift enough funds to the program, Northrop Grumman Corp's radar-evading B-2 bomber "would be capable of carrying the bomb by July 2010," said Andy Bourland, an Air Force spokesman.
"The Air Force and Department of Defense are looking at the possibility of accelerating the program," he said. "There have been discussions with the four congressional committees with oversight responsibilities. No final decision has been made."
The precision-guided weapon, built by Boeing Co, could become the biggest conventional bomb the United States has ever used.
Carrying more than 5,300 pounds of explosives. it would deliver more than 10 times the explosive power of its predecessor, the 2,000-pound BLU-109, according to the Pentagon's Defense Threat Reduction Agency, which has funded and managed the seed program.
Chicago-based Boeing, the Pentagon's No. 2 supplier by sales, could be put on contract within 72 hours to build the first MOP production models if Congress signs off, Bourland said.
The threat reduction agency is working with the Air Force to transition the program from "technology demonstration" to acquisition, said Betsy Freeman, an agency spokeswoman.
Both the U.S. Pacific Command, which takes the lead in U.S. military planning for North Korea, and the Central Command, which prepares for contingencies with Iran, appeared to be backing the acceleration request, said Kenneth Katzman, an expert on Iran at the Congressional Research Service, the research arm of Congress.
"It's very possible that the Pentagon wants to send a signal to various countries, particularly Iran and North Korea, that the United States is developing a viable military option against their nuclear programs," Katzman said.
But he cautioned against concluding there was any specific mission in mind at this time.
BIGGEST BOMB
The MOP would be about one-third heavier than the 21,000-pound (9.500 kg) GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast bomb -- dubbed the "mother of all bombs" -- that was dropped twice in tests at a Florida range in 2003.
The 20-foot-long (6-meter) MOP is built to be dropped from either the B-52 or the B-2 "stealth" bomber. It is designed to penetrate up to 200 feet underground before exploding, according to the U.S. Air Force.
The suspected nuclear facilities of Iran and North Korea are believed to be largely buried underground to escape detection and boost their chances of surviving attack.
During a visit to Jerusalem last week, U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates sought to reassure Israel that a drive by President Barack Obama to talk Iran into giving up its nuclear work was not "open-ended."
Iran says its uranium enrichment -- a process with bomb-making potential -- is for energy only and has rejected U.S.-led demands to curb the program.
For its part, North Korea responded to new United Nations sanctions, imposed after it detonated a second nuclear device, by vowing in June to press the production of nuclear weapons and act against international efforts to isolate it.
Editing by Doina Chiacu
42 Comments so far
Show AllIs this bomb big enough to take out a mega embassy complex? Suggest we evacuate the embassy in Baghdad and test the bomb there.
Joe
jclientelle: What, and spoil the fun of Florida's Senator Bill Nelson who (I'm not making this up) opposed offshore oil drilling because it would disrupt military testing operations off the Florida coast. I mean, they tested the mother of all bombs there in 2003, are you insinuating that they should do the mother of the mother there again? I say, a pox on your Baghdad embassy, let us blow up a few more dolphins!
Well, I say let these psychopaths (Presidents, generals,) go to a firing range and battle it out. There wouldn't be any collaterol damage. Some people would get to live, and those morons, can die in their own muck and greed.
"Attention! This Is Your Captain Calling! Due to mind- and brainlessness on behalf of Your Government this Space ship is sinking. Please return to Your seats, buckle up, put Your heads
between Your legs and kiss Your @$$e$ Goodbye!
What are intelligent people supposed to make of this? The rabies of militarism has not even been unleashed yet. When The Troops™ lose it left and right, then You will see the kind of rabies the German Soldiers got infected with. It is still called 'Military Exceptionalism' and it will still lead to the same consequences.
The USA is taking the same trip Nazi Germany took and it too believes that it will all work out. They have it all under control. The 'Endlösung' for 'Terrorists' and other dissidents.
Next stop 'Burning Books' and the opening ceremonies for the brand spanking new 'Consolidation Camps' to ensure 'National Security'.
I wonder whose boots will walk through Washington D.C. when they will drink the same bitter shit here the Germans and many others had to drink in human history. The bitter medicine of defeat. This Cup of misery will taste disgusting, but it may as well induce spiritual healing and the ultimate conclusion in terms of weapons and wars:
Never Again.
Believe That You Can Change Your Beliefs.
When will they ever learn---when will they ever learn?
From what I have read on other websites, here the beauty of the thing.
Firstly keep in mind they are not really practical as a weapon. There only a single plane in the US Air force that can deliver one of these things and at that only ONE at time.
BUT they do have a very distinctive mushroom cloud shape.
You really can not tell the difference between one of these being dropped and a Nuke being dropped without access to all manner of hi tech analysis.
So drop a Nuke.....claim it one of these Bunker Buster Mother of all bombs, then claim the radioactive fallout the fault of the country it dropped on being "proof" of their illicit and evil intentions.
Actually, there are 2 aircraft; the B1 and B2, although the B2 will not likely be used because it does not like to go out in the rain (look it up).
Detonated US nukes have a very distinct radiological "fingerprint" which cannot in any way be confused with fallout from a destroyed nuclear facility.
I am not so sure on that given there STILL debate as to whether North Korea exploded a Nuclear device or a massive conevntional explosive.
The Nth Korea tests were deep underground. If they are sufficiently deep, then no "venting" of radionuclides will occur, so there will be no smoking gun.
There is a provision in the Limited Test Ban Treaty (LTBT) of 1964 (banning above ground, under water and space-based nuclear explosions) that allows for "on-site inspection". Nth Korea is not a signatory to the LTBT, and so no OSI teams were allowed in. OSI teams do have the ability to find the smoking gun.
The Nth Korea tests wer estimated to be the equivalent of around 12 Kt of high-explosive. Detonating this much explosive to seismically appear like a nuclear explosion is technically very difficult, though considerably easier than getting a high-yield out of a nuke.
12 Kt of high-explosive is a cube of around 1,200 cubic meters, and getting this to ignite simultaneously (rather than have the explosion front ripple through the assembly) is tough. So it begs the question, why would Nth Korea bother with such an high-risk experiment, which would be easy to discover (moving that much explosive requires lots of trucks)?
Can any reader give reliable information about whether these penetrators are to have a large component of depleted uranium, as tank killers do?
Bunker busters don't use Depleted Uranium. Depleted Uranium is used in kinetic weapons intended to penetrate tank armor - it's just "heavy lead" which happens to be slightly radioactive and toxic.
The bunker buster uses kinetics to enter the ground, SOME of its weight is made up by the heavy steel casing around the explosives, and in the nose. But the deal is to get it deep in the ground using its speed, then have it explode.
Problem is, the darned thing is fairly easy to counter, solutions were found after they were used by the US during Clinton's war against Yugoslavia in 1999. And I'm sure the Serbs, who are really pissed at us and Israel for instigating that war, are willing to sell the technology to anybody.
I'm not an expert, but,,,I think these things are a heavy metal tube, like the barrel of a cannon, packed with explosives. It's the 'long rod' shape that punches through the earth such a long way.
Excellent question and one that ocurred to me also--thanks for asking it.
Poet
Hey I know what you can do Next !!
Build a fracking death Star!! THAT will shut them bastards and evil-doers up!!
They are just a lot of fricking terrorists anyways.
"I'm so bored with the USA"
(The Clash)
Yeah -- who is the terrorist or patriot here ?????
The computer jockey in Las Vegas pulling the trigger on the drone to send the missile that kills a poor family while they sleep.
OR
The man, woman or child protesting the invasion and occupation of their country with a suicide bomb ?????????????????????????????????????????????
Good question. Keep asking it. I saw a movie on TV about the French Resistance called "Army of Shadows". It is amazing how our country now parallels the practices of the Nazi villians in the movie - the torture, the arrests without trials, calling French patriots terrorists. We used to admire those who resisted tyranny. It was painful to watch this movie and see how degraded we have become.
Joe
Look up Mk 91.
Nuclear weapons were supposed to be a deterrence to keep other countries from attacking us. All they are good for is motivating other countries to produce them. They are counterproductive and have increased the risk to Americans and must be abolished by all nations.
Boeing - can't build an airplane anymore so they turn their hand to Plunder Weapons?
I'll refuse to fly on any 7x7 again.
I have no doubt that the first shipment of this taxpayer funded terror weapon will go the terrorist state of Israel - with the understanding that it will be used on innocent muslems.
As we see the US has lost it's soul - whatever was left after the massacre of 2.7m civilians in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia in the 1970's - and then team up with the genocidal 'godless' ZioNazi Jews, I begin to feel that the 'ole catch phrases - "One nation under God,' 'America the beautiful,' and the Battle Hym of the Republic,' no longer seem to fit.
As I see the patriotic Taliban fighting to save their country from US' B-1B bombers, Predator remote killers armed with the horrendous AGM-7/11 hellfire antitank missiles with AK-47's, Russian RPG-7's and bare hands, I must say that these are the true patriots,
Let us pray that Dover AFB has to add a 3rd shift and that the AmeriKKKan people will soon see us for what we are - the evil terrorists of the new millennium.
TheAZCowBoy
Tombstone, AZ.
Pssst, I wish I could post the photos of the Iraqi, Afghan and Pakistani children's little bodies torn to shreds by America's finest (war criminals) and then maybe you would understand my words and feelings much better.
"Jerimiah Wright was right" - God damn AmeriKKKa!
Perhaps there will be the equivalent of a ribbon-cutting ceremony when the first MOP sloshes into production.
I don't suppose they smash a bottle of champagne against even an un-armed BunkerBuster™, but perhaps they'll follow the practice of another nation and allow schoolchildren to paint messages of hate on the bomb.
You know, we really don't hear enough about the FUN aspects of mega-munitions!
· Yr Obd't Servant
plow shares instead of weapons.we should have a department of commercial development instead of the dod where technology
could be put to use making this earth a true paradise.but
congress and the senate wouldn't receive any bribes excuse
me campaign contributions. sorry for that lapse in etiquette
in saying accusing them of taking bribe money. at least
prostitutes are upfront and honest in their employment
no wonder its the oldest profession on earth. maybe
a madam could start a consulting business where they teach
ethics to politicians!
Remember the Kucinich call for a Department of Peace? With the American mindset of war, aggression, greed, and Empire, I'm afraid it won't happen until we get HIM in the W.H.
The pimps would probably be received with greater enthusiasm.
Godzilla stomps on without the informed consent of the people.
I agree with Poet 3:38 p.m. The way to keep us safe is not to build bigger bombs, but to make the "enemy" our friend. It would be a lot cheaper too.
So do I. Unfortunately, it would mean less money in the pockets of the MIC who control Washington and... You know the rest.
Perpetual wars = good business
A culture of paranoia = good business
Lies and propaganda = good business
Theft and corruption = good business
Is there any chance for the American people to wake up before it's too late, or is it already too late?
Mr. President, we must not allow... a mine shaft gap!"
- General Buck Turgidson
Dr. Strangelove
"OR - How I learned to stop worrying and love the bomb"
Let's hope this doesn't prove to be an indirect doomsday device causing a sequence of nuclear fallouts or responses. We may have to worry about more than just our precious bodily fluids if that is the case.
I trust that the U.S. military and/or its AIPAC spy affiliates are keeping their Middle East "ally" fully informed on all of the MOP's design and construction parameters. We wouldn't want all those Israeli Air Force practice runs to be wasted. They may also need a few billions more in U.S. aid to beef up the bomb handling capacity of their aircraft.
Of course, if it works as well as some other "advanced" military designs, it may stir up more hornets nests than it eliminates and the response could be rather interesting to say the least.
Well I guess this is one way to create good paying manufacturing jobs in the US.
I wish they were working on potable water systems, hospital ships providing needed medical, optical, and dental screening and treatment, and maybe municiple waste water treatment systems.
Personaly, I think these would promote world peace more than "bunker busters".
Poet
You are a dreamer - but you're not the only one.
Joe
This mother of all bombs is not about freedom but instead about world economic domination. We stop the hell hounds by starving them of cash. Our political vote has been stolen from us by moneyed interests. Our economic vote, our spending, is still in our hands. Stop consuming from national corporations now! We don't have to be a majority to starve the beast.
Everybody knows that size does not matter.
Yeah, but it sure compensates for little dicks.
ppeters: The hell it don't! The bigger the bomb, the more tax dollars get spent on it, the more jobs, jobs, jobs it makes in the economy and ESPECIALLY the more dollars earned by Boeing and Northrup Gruman.
More billion$ for the MIC and its masters, to make even more horrendous killing machines! I guess the brag is that these monsters are not nuclear. What do you think the result is going to be if you hit a reactor complex with one of those things?
Our own military intelligence has been able to find no evidence of a nuclear weapons program in Iran. The UN inspects regularly as, unlike Israel, they are members of the NPT. They have found no evidence of any nuclear weapons program, only research and development of nuclear power generation. Iran (Persia) has not waged aggressive war for over two hundred years, though it does defend itself well.
Israel, on the other hand, with its estimated 200-400 nukes, with delivery systems, and signatory to no treaty, permitting no inspections, tells its satellite, the United States, that Iran must be destroyed as a threat to world peace.
So, as the tail wags the dog, the Obamanation can find more billion$ in a strapped, disintegrating economy, for more weapons programs, at the expense of We the People. As the wealthy Oligarchy that runs much of the world fattens on yet more contracts, more horror, we are told that we must practice austerity in the US, get rid of any health, education, or welfare programs. And the plans are laid and refined to destroy yet another unoffending nation for its oil supply. Iran has a beautiful culture which would be left alone, were it not for the oil beneath its sands.
What a great day for Amerikan deathmongers!
By continuously developing bigger and better Weapons of Mass Destruction, the US is finally capable of ridding the world of dangerous Weapons of Mass Destruction!
Hooray for our side!
· Yr Obd't Servant
...while pols talk of eliminating nuke weapons through the other side of their mouth.
A new bomb one-third heavier than the Mother of All Bombs! Gee whiz! Kind of makes the old American adrenalin flow, don't it? Kind of re-assures you that those wimpy arms control types in the White House and Pentagon, who said that phasing out F22 fighters was "as serious as a headache," are equally serious about putting some new forms of macho firepower into the hands of our brave flyer boys and girls---when they're not protecting the safety of our kids by putting them behind the consoles of computers to control drones, where the only hazard they will be facing will be sores on their butts. Can't wait for the next 4th of July to celebrate this latest manifestation of U.S. military might.
The 109 isn't the Mother Of All Bombs (MOAB). The 109 is a bunker buster, meant to penetrate deep into the ground before it explodes. The MOAB is just a big fat bomb they drop via a heavy lifter rear hatch.
The Air Force can dream up all sorts of gizmos, but there are ways to counter their penetrators, so this technology is already becoming obsolete. This is a good example of the military industrial complex coming up with useless crap and then convincing Congress to pay for said crap. Now that I think of it, the ones who will probably end up using it are the Israelis when they go bomb the dickens out of their next victim.
Hell, I got a woody just reading this article on bigger and better ways to kill while the D.C. and Zombie-like citizen "flag-wavers" point fingers all over the globe at others. Hypocrisy? Nah, not America.