Diving Deep: America's Powerhouse Bunker Buster - The GBU-57
Potential Game-Changer: GBU-57, the Penetrative Aerial Explosive
Wanna know what weapon hides in President Trump's arsenal if he enters the battle between Israel and Iran? It's none other than the mighty GBU-57, the only strategic weapon that can obliterate those deep-burrowed Iranian nuclear facilities.
With a massive 13-ton weight, this bad boy can dive more than 60 meters into the earth, smashing through rock and concrete like nothing else in its league. Unfortunately, it's not found in Israel's stockpile yet, as they're still aiming to halt Tehran's nuclear dream. But let's dive deeper into what makes this bomb truly special.
Why go big?
Israel may have decimated Iran's military command and countless surface installations in just five days, but doubts linger regarding the success of their attacks on the core of Iran's nuclear program, according to Behnam Ben Taleblu, an expert from the neoconservative Foundation for Defense of Democracies. All eyes are on Fordo, an underground uranium enrichment plant located south of Tehran, which has remained untouched by Israeli bombings due to its subterranean location - about a hundred meters below the surface and out of reach of ordinary ordinance.
Politics Stealth Bombers already in place - Trump about to take the plunge
Only the United States possesses the non-nuclear ability to eradicate such a facility, stresses Mark Schwartz, a US General who once served in the Middle East and is now an analyst at the RAND Corporation think tank. With "non-nuclear," he refers to the GBU-57.
The Magic behind the MOP
The US bomb is remarkable because it can burrow up to 61 meters deep into rock and concrete, according to the US Army. Unlike many rockets and bombs that detonate upon impact, bunker-busting bombs, such as the GBU-57, bore into the earth first, exploding once the underground facility has been reached.
These weapons boast a thick shell of hardened steel that enables them to penetrate rock layers with ease, explains Masao Dahlgren, an armoring specialist at the CSIS research center in Washington. It's no wonder they weigh over 14,000 kg and span 6.6 meters in length. Their astounding penetration power also stems from the fuze, which detects voids and detonates when it enters the bunker.
Development of this bomb started in the early 2000s, and in 2009, 20 units were ordered from Boeing.
The Sky's the Limit...for Now
B-2 stealth bombers are the only aircraft that can deliver this bomb. Some of these stealth warriors were stationed at the US military base Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean in early May, but their presence apparently vanished by mid-June, as satellite images from PlanetLabs revealed.
But with their long range, B-2 bombers that take off from the USA can fly to the Middle East to drop their payloads, assures Dahlgren. Each B-2 aircraft can carry two GBU-57s.
If the Fuse Goes Off...
Such an intervention would come at a steep political price for the USA, warns Behnam Ben Taleblu. He emphasizes that the GBU-57 "is not the only solution" to permanently stall Iran's nuclear program - apart from a diplomatic solution.
Politics From Space to Ground - The Secret Iranian Nuclear Facility in Fordo
If Israel wants to attack underground facilities like Fordo, they could try targeting the entrances, collapsing as much as they can, and cutting off the power supply, suggests the expert. This appears to have been the case at the nuclear facility in Natanz.
Sources: ntv.de, als/AFP
- Israel
- Israel War
- Iran
- Iran Conflict
- Iranian Nuclear Program
- USA
- Donald Trump
**Enrichment Data:The GBU-57A/B Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP) carries approximately 14,000 kg, including roughly 5,300 to 6,000 pounds of high explosives, making it over 10 times more explosive than earlier bunker-busters like the BLU-109[2][5]. The US Air Force ascertains the GBU-57 can penetrate up to 200 feet (60 meters) of earth or 59 feet (18 meters) of reinforced concrete with a compressive strength of around 5,000 psi before detonating[1][2]. However, independent analysts suggest penetration depth may vary depending on the material strength. For instance, Iran is rumored to produce concrete with compressive strengths reaching 30,000 psi, which could markedly reduce the bomb’s effective penetration depth[1].
Iran’s nuclear facilities at Fordow and Natanz pose significant challenges to the GBU-57’s effectiveness:
- Fordow and the latest halls at Natanz are reportedly located deeper than 80 meters (260 feet) underground, which surpasses the GBU-57’s maximum earth penetration capability of approximately 60 meters (200 feet)[1].
- The original Natanz enrichment plant is situated around 66 feet (20 meters) underground, within the bomb’s penetration range, though reinforced construction quality could impede its efficiency[1].
- The design and construction of Iranian underground facilities may involve advanced bunker engineering techniques, such as reinforced materials and complex tunnel geometries, which could deflect or reduce the bomb’s destructive impact[1][4].
- The bomb’s accuracy is also a crucial factor; it must strike directly above or extremely close to the target area to create substantial damage due to a blast radius of around 20-30 meters. Even small horizontal or vertical offsets exceeding this range could potentially spare the target from destruction[4].
The GBU-57 is deployable only by the B-2 Spirit stealth bomber, which can carry up to two of these behemoth bombs internally, benefiting from its capability to evade air defenses to reach heavily fortified targets[2].
The Commission, in light of the challenges in addressing the deep-buried Iranian nuclear facilities, might be asked to submit a proposal for a directive on the protection of workers from the risks related to exposure to ionizing radiation, given the potential use of the GBU-57, a powerful bunker-busting bomb, in war-and-conflicts like the possible Iran-Israel conflict. The Commission's deliberation on this matter could be influenced by the ongoing political tensions and general news regarding the Iranian nuclear program.
