20 December 2011

NO Place Safe to Hide Anymore:
Introducing the USAF's GBU-57A/B
'Massive Ordinance Penetrator' (MOP)

10x more powerful than it's predecessor, 
the 30,000 pound bomb can penetrate 200 ft 
of hardened concrete before it goes BOOM

GBU-57A/B 

Military technology has indeed created some fearsome weapons over the last few decades, from the 5,000 lb GBU-28 Deep Throat bunker buster, to the 3x larger (15,000 lb) BLU-82 Daisycutter, roughly equivalent to the Russians' 15,650 lb ATBIP (Aviation Thermobaric Bomb of Increased Power). Then there's the USAF's 22,000 lb Grand Slam 'earthquake bomb' and the 22,600 lb GBU-43 MOAB (Massive Ordnance Air Blast), which approximates the effect of a small nuclear weapon.

But provided you were able to find shelter under -say- 150 ft. of hardened concrete, none of them were going to bother you too much. Alas, a new Boeing-produced mega-bomb has as of now altered that equation dramatically...

Just last month the USAF took delivery of the first precision-guided GBU-57A/B (Massive Ordnance Penetrator). 
The freaking thing weighs fifteen tons and will penetrate 200 ft of hardened concrete before exploding deep underground- 
right on top of the target.


Perhaps the first impression of the Massive Ordnance Penetrator is really how simple it looks...  it's just BIG and accurate, with a real hard point made of a special high performance steel alloy:


This weapon is intended for just one specific purpose: to destroy the type of hardened concrete bunkers which house central command facilities, enemy leadership rat-holes, and weapons of mass destruction... and to do so without resorting to any sort of nuclear weaponry.

Understandably, the MOP development program has been accelerated in recent years as concern regarding Iran's nuclear ambitions has grown- now it's ready, and just in time.

The MOP is deployed from high altitude and allows gravity to add momentum to its 30,000 pound weight so that it hits with enormous kinetic energy. The explosive power delivered is indeed 10x more powerful than it's predecessor, the BL-109.

Put simply, the MOP hits exactly where it is intended to hit with sufficient force to bury itself 200+ feet into hardened concrete... where it explodes its 5,300 pound warhead.


The MOP is designed to be carried aboard B-2s and 
B-52 bombers- but the most likely platform to be employed in delivering the MOP is the B-2 Spirit stealth bomber, some of which have already been modified to carry two of the 14-metric-ton bombs...


The stealth bomber's features find plenty of synergies with the new weapon, too: the mostly composite B-2 has dramatically reduced infrared, acoustic, electromagnetic, visual and radar signatures, extraordinary aerodynamic efficiency, a long range (6000 miles) without refueling ... and a massive payload. It is hence a potent delivery system for the new MOP, as it is very difficult for defensive systems to detect, track and engage. 
And when it gets there with a couple of these suckers... oh, man.

Considering America's unlimited global aerial refueling capabilities, there is truly nowhere to hide anymore- all we need is leadership with the will and just cause.

GBU-57A/B    bunker buster MOP stealth Massive Ordinance Penetrator