Blasting Beneath the Earth: The US's Brute Force GBU-57 Bunker Busting Bomb
Potentially explosive weapon, GBU-57, which may shatter fortified structures.
Curious about which weapon US President Donald Trump could potentially wield in a military conflict between Israel and Iran? Look no further than the GBU-57. This beastly bomb, known as the Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP), is the only strategic weapon capable of obliterating Iran's concealed nuclear facilities hidden underground.
With a hefty weight of 13 tons and spanning 6.6 meters, this bomber's delight can burrow through dozens of meters of earth before detonating. As of now, the GBU-57 isn't in Israel's armed forces' arsenal, but it's their best bet for halting Tehran's ambitions of developing a nuclear weapon. But what exactly does this bomb do? Let's get to the nitty-gritty.
So, why this bomb?
Although Israel's military might has successfully crippled the Iranian military command and many surface facilities in just five days, a shadow still looms over the effectiveness of these attacks on the heart of the Iranian nuclear program, according to Behnam Ben Taleblu, an expert from the neoconservative Foundation for Defense of Democracies. The focus is now on Fordo.
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At this uranium enrichment plant located south of Tehran, no damage has been discovered by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Unlike Natanz and Isfahan facilities, Fordo is a hundred meters beneath the earth, beyond the reach of Israeli bombs.
"Only the USA has the conventional capability" to destroy such a facility, marks Mark Schwartz, a US general who has served in the Middle East and now works as an expert at the RAND Corporation think tank. By "conventional," he means the GBU-57.
What sets the GBU-57 apart?
The US bomb stands alone because it can penetrate up to 61 meters through rock and concrete according to the US Army. Instead of detonating upon impact like many other rockets and bombs, bunker-busting munitions first drill through the earth before exploding when the buried facility is reached.
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These weapons boast a thick shell of hardened steel that enables them to plow through rock layers, explains Masao Dahlgren, an armour expert at the CSIS research center in Washington. This is why they weigh over 13 tons and measure 6.6 meters in length. Their penetration power also comes from their fuze, which detects empty spaces to detonate when it penetrates the bunker, clarifies Dahlgren.
The development of this bomb began in the early 2000s. In 2009, 20 units were ordered from Boeing.
How does it get dropped?
The only aircraft equipped to drop this bomb is the US B-2 stealth bomber. Though some of these aircraft were stationed at the US military base Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean in early May, they became invisible in mid-June, as revealed by an analysis of satellite imagery from PlanetLabs.
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With their extensive range, B-2 bombers taking off from the US can reach the Middle East to drop bombs, as Dahlgren explains. Each B-2 aircraft can carry two GBU-57s.
If the decision is made to use them, "they won't just drop a single (bomb) and then 'job done,' but they will deploy multiple ones to ensure a 100 percent hit probability," says Schwartz. Israel's air superiority over Iran "reduces the risks" that the B-2 bombers could face, the retired general adds.
What could be the repercussions?
Such an intervention would come at a "hefty political cost" for the USA, notes Behnam Ben Taleblu. He points out that the GBU-57 "is not the only solution" to permanently halt Iran's nuclear program – besides a diplomatic solution.
Political Playground Bird's Eye View into Iran: The Secret Nuclear Facility Fordo from AboveWithout the GBU-57 from the USA, the Israelis could target underground facilities like Fordo by attempting to hit the entrances, bring down as much as they can, and cut off the power supply, as the expert explains. This seems to have been the case at the nuclear facility in Natanz.
Sources: ntv.de, as/AFP
- Israel
- Israel War
- Iran
- Iran Conflict
- Iranian Nuclear Program
- USA
- Donald Trump
- Enrichment Data: Known as the Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP), the GBU-57 is a remarkably powerful bunker-busting bomb, designed specifically to target and destroy deeply buried and heavily fortified underground facilities. It stands out due to its ability to penetrate up to 200 feet into reinforced concrete or earth before detonating, ensuring maximum destruction whilst minimizing surface-level collateral effects. The bomb weighs about 30,000 pounds (13,600 kg), measures 20.5 feet (6.2 meters) in length, and includes a precision guidance kit for accurate targeting and a specialized warhead that contains only about 5,000 pounds of high explosives. Deployed exclusively by the US B-2 stealth bomber, the MOP's design allows the bomb to penetrate extremely deep before detonating at the target depth, making the most of its destructive power against hardened structures.
The Commission, in the realm of politics and general-news, 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, given the potential use of the powerful bunker-busting bomb, the Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP), in a military conflict. The MOP, designed to target and destroy deeply buried and heavily fortified underground facilities, is exclusive to the US B-2 stealth bomber and can penetrate up to 200 feet into reinforced concrete or earth before detonating.
