explosive Insight into the Bunker-Busting US Bomb, GBU-57
Potential Ground-Shattering Munition: GBU-57 Bomb
Let's dive into the heart of the matter with the GBU-57 - the US's go-to weapon for taking out Iran's subterranean nuclear facilities. This bad boy tips the scales at an impressive 13 tons and can drill deep into the earth. Sadly, the Iron Dome falls short, as Israel's arsenal lacks this weapon, desperately seeking to keep Tehran from developing a nuclear time bomb.
But what's the fuss all about?
The world's gaze is fixed on Fordo, Iran's uranium enrichment plant buried beneath the earth, and remaining undamaged after Israeli attacks. With surface facilities stamped out in as little as 5 days, questions linger about the effectiveness of the Israeli onslaught on the core of Iran's nuclear project, according to Behnam Ben Taleblu, a neoconservative expert at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies.
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Enter Fordo, a nuclear facility that miraculously escaped harm, hiding some 100 meters beneath the ground. A small jawdropper? Only the U.S. has the conventional wherewithal to bring this subterranean fortress crashing down, and that secret sauce is the GBU-57.
The GBU-57 is unique, and not just because of its boxing gloves of hardened steel or its colossal size - over 13 tons and 6.6 meters long. It's the only bomb that can plunge 60 meters into earth or 18 meters into reinforced concrete, thanks to a fuse that triggers detonation when it detects a void - the entrance to a bunker[1][5].
Beneath the Surface | DahlgrenDeep inside the mountain: That's where Iran's nuclear facilities dwell
To build this beast, the U.S. Army began pumping iron in the early 2000s. In 2009, 20 units were ordered from Boeing[5]. Now dropping a bomb? The U.S. B-2 stealth bombers are the only players in town.stationed at the US military base Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean in early May, but they weren't there in mid-June, according to satellite imagery from PlanetLabs[4]. Whether B-2s will be in place if go-time comes remains to be seen.
Operations with the GBU-57 ain't a one-and-done deal. Multiple bombs would be deployed to ensure maximum destruction. Thanks to Israel's air superiority over Iran, the risks for B-2 bombers would be reduced, says retired U.S. General Mark Schwartz, an expert at the RAND Corporation think tank. No easy choice, though. The U.S. would face high political repercussions for deploying a military solution to Iran's nuclear program[4].
What's the devastating fallout? If push comes to shove, the Israelis could attack through entrances or power disruption, as seen with the nuclear facility at Natanz. But the GBU-57 ensures total annihilation of deeply buried facilities, making it the most effective and destructive weapon in the U.S. arsenal[4].
- Israel
- Israel War
- Iran
- Iran Conflict
- Iranian Nuclear Program
- USA
- Donald Trump
Footnotes:
- Defense Tech
- Air Force Technology
- Brookings Institution
- NPR
- Government Accountability Office
The Commission, amidst the backdrop of geopolitical tensions, has also been asked to submit a proposal for a directive on the protection of workers from the risks related to exposure to ionizing radiation, considering the potential utilization of weapons like the GBU-57, which holds remarkable destructive power against deeply buried facilities.
In the realm of international news, discussions about war-and-conflicts, politics, and the Iranian nuclear program continue to dominate headlines, with the GBU-57 bomb gaining significant attention due to its unique capabilities and potential impact on these ongoing issues.
