U.S. Air Force receives new 15-ton bunker buster bombs (perfect for Iran)

They were supposed to be ready in July 2010... Well it seems it's just ready now.

From 2009 :
30.000 pound bunker buster bomb to be ready for deployment within 2 weeks

The Pentagon has requested Congress to provide the necessary funding to ensure that the Massive Ordnance Penetrator, a next-generation bomb known as MOP and built by Boeing, would be ready by July 2010, spokesman Bryan Whitman said on Aug. 3.

One of the original reports from 2009 :
Bomb Iran? U.S. Requests Bunker-Buster Bombs

The MOP is the the military's largest conventional bomb, a super "bunker-buster" capable of destroying hardened targets deep underground. The one-line explanation for the request said it is in response to "an urgent operational need from theater commanders."

What urgent need? The Pentagon referred questions on this to Central Command.

ABC News called CENTCOM to ask what the "urgent operational need" is. CENTCOM spokesman Maj. Todd White said he would look into it, but, so far, no answer.

So where would the military use a stealth bomber armed with a 30,000-pound bomb like this? Defense analysts say the most likely target for this bomb would be Iran's flagship nuclear facility in Natanz, which is both heavily fortified and deeply buried.

"You'd use it on Natanz," said John Pike of GlobalSecurity.org. "And you'd use it on a stealth bomber because you want it to be a surprise. And you put in an emergency funding request because you want to bomb quickly."

Of course at first they said it was aimed at Iran... but later they denied it... doesn't matter that the only people it's aimed at are Iran or North Korea... could be used against China and Russia too, but I think we're not at WW3 yet.

Report that it is now ready :
Report: U.S. Air Force receives new 15-ton bunker buster bombs

U.S. Air Force started receiving the massive bombs in September, Bloomberg news agency reports; the bombs are capable of destroying underground targets, such as Iran's nuclear sites.

The U.S. Air Force reportedly started receiving the bombs in September. The bombs are six times bigger than the U.S. Air Force's current bunker-busters.

According to the Bloomberg report, the Boeing company in August received a $32 million contract for eight of the bombs.

So it's against Iran. And it's now ready to put on B-2s. So if there's a war with Iran, it will be the US doing strikes, not Israel. Israel cannot destroy Iran' deep underground facilities, unless they use nukes, and they don't want to do that. And the US really cannot be sure of the effects of a strike with conventional bombs either... unless they do a long bombing campaign... which apparently they don't want to do.

So I think the plan is a coordinated Israel-US strike against Iranian nuclear sites. One time. The US taking out the hardened targets, Israel taking out the smaller ones. Then see what Iran does. Apparently they think Iran won't do much.

Are these similar to the "earthquake" bombs created by Barns Wallis in WW2? if so I do wonder what 70 years of development has created.. scary thoughts..

Vid of the smaller 12,000lbs "Tall boy" earthquake bomb

Ready to spread democracy all over Iran and the middle east

Dang the video of the older 22,600lb "moab" looked like a small nuke going off.. Why something even bigger. Seems pretty obvious ww3 is around the corner or they wouldn't be wasting money we don't have on more weapons.

Mother of all bombs- Test drop www.youtube.com...


U

Nice to see the American Tax Payers dollars getting put to good use

They should sell a few of those bombs to help feed the hungry.

KICK THE TIRES AND LIGHT THE FIRES! Can't wait to see this big boy in action

reply to post by muse7
I don't think it has anything to do with spreading democracy to Iran. Personally Persia needs to be wiped off the face of the earth before they use a nuclear weapon on our soldiers in Iraq or against Israel. Remember were "the Great Satan" and Israel is the little Satan"..LOL...they should look in a mirror.

Originally posted by kingdxm
reply to post by muse7

 

I don't think it has anything to do with spreading democracy to Iran. Personally Persia needs to be wiped off the face of the earth before they use a nuclear weapon on our soldiers in Iraq or against Israel. Remember were "the Great Satan" and Israel is the little Satan"..LOL...they should look in a mirror.

isn't it funny how Iran is now talking big since they got their hands on an intermediate range warhead... Man.... Id love to see that vs a titan 2

Originally posted by USarmyFL
Dang the video of the older 22,600lb "moab" looked like a small nuke going off.. Why something even bigger. Seems pretty obvious ww3 is around the corner or they wouldn't be wasting money we don't have on more weapons.

Mother of all bombs- Test drop www.youtube.com...


U

edit on 16-11-2011 by USarmyFL because: (no reason given)

Bigger than the MOAB

Originally posted by Truth4Thought
Nice to see the American Tax Payers dollars getting put to good use

They should sell a few of those bombs to help feed the hungry.

Yup, nice to know that.

reply to post by Vitchilo


Sure the B-2 would need to get through the russian air defence for that. Secondly,its cheaper to build underground bunkers than to build B-2's. Attacking Iran is a very bad idea and attacking Russia is tantamount to destruction of the entire western civilisation and possibly majority of humanity too.

reply to post by muse7


So like are you are going to pay for the entire middle eastern wars? Please we americans need a break from this corporate warmongering.You go and pay and fight for the wars.

Folks this forum is NON political.

Let's discuss the bomb and the tactics.

Forum Rules

reply to post by Vitchilo


They most likely think Iran won't do much because Iran simply can't do much.

Originally posted by OccamsRazor04
reply to post by Vitchilo

 

They most likely think Iran won't do much because Iran simply can't do much.

Yeah, because Iran is such a pushover like Iraq and Afghanistan, right?

The very fact that Iran has a functioning airforce puts it well ahead of what previous PNAC invasions have encountered in the last decade. Iran also has a functioning navy with one of the largest naval mine stockpiles in the world, various fortified military complexes, and an elite fighting force 130,000+ strong very capable in asymetrical warfare. Oh, and they do have friendship with other major international players who will help them.

Originally posted by Vitchilo
And it's now ready to put on B-2s.

Its worth mentioning that this puts the B-2 near it's maximum payload of a little over 38,000.

The bomber has a crew of two and can drop up to 80 500 lb (230 kg)-class JDAM GPS-guided bombs, or 16 2,400 lb (1,100 kg) B83 nuclear bombs.
Wikipedia's B-2 Article