Who Is Targeted By The Massive Ordnance Penetrator

A digital mock-up of the Massive Ordnance Penetrator in flight.
Cropped wings improve its agility. Boeing

Rush Delivery for Mother of All Bunker Busters -- The Danger Room

For several years, the U.S. military has been working on a 30,000-pound superbomb that can penetrate and destroy what the military calls “hardened targets“: Command bunkers or WMD facilities shielded by concrete and buried deep underground.

Now it looks as if the Pentagon is speeding delivery of the bomb, formally known as the Massive Ordnance Penetrator, or MOP. The Associated Press’ Anne Gearan reports today that the Defense Department awarded a contract worth around $52 million to speed up integration of the bomb aboard the B-2 Spirit stealth bomber. According to the story, the MOP could be ready for B-2 delivery as early as next summer.

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More News On The Massive Ordnance Penetrator

Meet the MOP: The Massive Ordnance Penetrator -- FOX News
A look at the MOP, 'massive ordnance penetrator' -- AP
U.S. boosts spending on bunker-buster bomb -- CBC
U.S. Iran plan is a bunker-busting bomb -- The Toronto Star
US developing new super bomb -- Defense Web
Pentagon Wants Colossal Bunker-Buster Bomb -- CBS
US wants bunker-buster fast, denies Iran is reason -- My Way/AP

My Comment: Of course Iran is targeted .... as well as North Korea and other countries that have decided to build hardened installations in mountains and/or in underground silos.

Pentagon: New Bomb That Reaches Underground Targets Will Be Available Soon

From Voice of America:

The Pentagon says a massive 13,600-kilogram bomb capable of penetrating deep underground facilities should be deployable in the coming months.

Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell has told reporters Wednesday the "Massive Ordinance Penetrator" (MOP) is designed to defeat "hardened facilities" that are used by "hostile states to protect weapons of mass destruction."

Morrell declined to say whether deployment of the new weapon is linked to International concern about Iran's nuclear program. He told reporters that any efforts to "speculate about possible targets" are unhelpful.

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More News On The Development of The "Massive Ordinance Penetrator" (MOP)

US Advances Deployment of 'Bunker Buster' Bomb -- Voice of America
US 'bunker buster' bomb to be ready soon: Pentagon -- AFP
New Bomb Has ‘Important Capability,’ DoD Official Says -- U.S. Department of Defense
New Penetrator Bomb Has 'Important Capability,' DoD Official Says -- Australia.to News
Iran threatened by U.S. buster bomb -- UPI
U.S. may be preparing to bomb Iran nuclear sites – report -- Washington TV

The Massive Ordnance Penetrator Will Be the Largest Non-Nuclear Bomb Ever

Photo: GBU-24: This GBU-24 bunker buster is tiny in comparison to the new MOP

From Popular Science:

The Pentagon is trying to speed up the deployment of an ultra-large bunker-busting bomb, which would constitute the largest non-nuclear bomb the U.S. has ever used. The Massive Ordnance Penetrator, or MOP, is a 30,000-pound bomb that would dive deeper than any previous bomb, and could be strapped to B-2 or B-52 bombers by July of 2010.

The MOP is 20 feet long and can penetrate bunkers up to 200 feet before exploding. At 15 tons, the MOP is a third heavier than the previous "mother of all bombs", the GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast bomb, which was only 10.5 tons. The MOP also packs a whopping 5,300 lbs of explosives, which is 10 times the amount its predecessor bunker-buster, the BLU-109, carried. Basically, it's massive.

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