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Bunker-busting behemoth: Pentagon upgrades bomb with Iranian nukes in mind
Fox News ^ | May 03, 2013

Posted on 05/03/2013 2:28:37 PM PDT by Pan_Yan

The Pentagon's biggest bunker-busting bomb has been upgraded with one task in mind: taking out suspected Iranian nuclear facilities built deep under the mountains of the Islamic Republic's northern region.

At 30,000 pounds, the Massive Ordnance Penetrator packs brute force and advanced features meant to enable it to destroy Iran's most fortified nuclear site. The bomb is nearly a third bigger than the MOAB, or so-called "Mother of all Bombs," the 22,000-pound previous generation of bunker busters first built in 2003 but never used outside of tests. Officials are confident the newest bunker-buster can dismantle even the deepest and most fortified nuclear facility.

"Hopefully we never have to use it," a senior U.S. official familiar with the development of the new version told The Wall Street Journal. "But if we had to, it would work."

The Pentagon redesigned the bomb with more advanced features intended to enable it to penetrate even deeper, giving it the ability to destroy Iran's most heavily fortified and defended nuclear site. U.S. officials see development of the weapon as critical to convincing Israel that the U.S. has the ability to prevent Iran from getting a nuclear bomb if diplomacy fails, and also that Israel's military can't do that on its own.

(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...


TOPICS: Front Page News; Israel; News/Current Events; Russia; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: bomb; bunkerbuster; iran; iraniannukes; israel; military; moab; russia; waronterror
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To: blackdog

Yea but does the IAF have them? I dunno. Also, can the 27 carry the weight? I am clueless on this subject.


21 posted on 05/03/2013 3:31:21 PM PDT by Norm Lenhart
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To: Chode

Well that ain’t gonna work ‘) Could still do it the hard way and just start hacking. I know it CAN be done. It’s basic engineering. Thing is how fast.


22 posted on 05/03/2013 3:32:51 PM PDT by Norm Lenhart
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To: Pan_Yan
"Hopefully we never have to use it,"

No worries, mate, as long as Zero is in charge.

23 posted on 05/03/2013 3:33:15 PM PDT by St_Thomas_Aquinas
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To: blackdog
long haul for a prop plane over hostile country
24 posted on 05/03/2013 3:33:21 PM PDT by Chode (Stand UP and Be Counted, or line up and be numbered - *DTOM* -ww- NO Pity for the LAZY)
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To: Norm Lenhart
oh they have the engineers do it alright, my first post simply meant they have nothing in their inventory now... but if they want to do it bad enough they have the technology to make a 747 work
25 posted on 05/03/2013 3:37:03 PM PDT by Chode (Stand UP and Be Counted, or line up and be numbered - *DTOM* -ww- NO Pity for the LAZY)
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To: Chode
yeah? and what are they gonna carry it with???

Missiles?

26 posted on 05/03/2013 3:38:17 PM PDT by luvbach1 (We are finished.)
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To: Chode

I am actually surprised. I mean we have done the stuff out the back thing for a while with bombs and cargo (airborne for a while now. The IAF is far from a 3rd world power. It seems strange they don’t.

Then again I guess they never figured on a long distance campaign when so many Muzzies come to their door to play.


27 posted on 05/03/2013 3:40:31 PM PDT by Norm Lenhart
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To: Average Al
i bet it's a hell of a kick in the pants for the crew when they do too!!!
28 posted on 05/03/2013 3:41:37 PM PDT by Chode (Stand UP and Be Counted, or line up and be numbered - *DTOM* -ww- NO Pity for the LAZY)
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To: St_Thomas_Aquinas
"Hopefully we never have to use it,"

No worries, mate, as long as Zero is in charge.

Don't be so hasty. He (or his handlers) haven't been shy about throwing our military around like political toys.

29 posted on 05/03/2013 3:43:28 PM PDT by Pan_Yan (I believe in God. All else is dubious.)
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To: luvbach1
like what? a Saturn V5??? hell the US can't loft a 30,000lb cargo anymore...
30 posted on 05/03/2013 3:45:05 PM PDT by Chode (Stand UP and Be Counted, or line up and be numbered - *DTOM* -ww- NO Pity for the LAZY)
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To: Norm Lenhart
if they had the C17 they could do it but they don't
31 posted on 05/03/2013 3:47:37 PM PDT by Chode (Stand UP and Be Counted, or line up and be numbered - *DTOM* -ww- NO Pity for the LAZY)
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To: Chode

I’m not familiar with from how high the thing needs to be dropped and guided from? Either really, really high and fast, or low and slow?


32 posted on 05/03/2013 3:51:33 PM PDT by blackdog (There is no such thing as healing, only a balance between destructive and constructive forces.)
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To: blackdog
i guess my point is that is a LOOONG way to go over hostile territory in a slow moving airplane...

they will put up everything they have as soon as they see it coming because it'll take a lot longer to get there and more chance to knock it down

no matter who tries it or how, they better bring a LOT of fighters

33 posted on 05/03/2013 4:01:57 PM PDT by Chode (Stand UP and Be Counted, or line up and be numbered - *DTOM* -ww- NO Pity for the LAZY)
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To: blackdog

The higher and faster the better, I would imagine.


34 posted on 05/03/2013 4:11:08 PM PDT by DuncanWaring (The Lord uses the good ones; the bad ones use the Lord.)
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To: Chode

If we can give/sell them the big boom we ought to be able to spare one of those. I am not really familiar with it, but it’s basically just a jet cargo plane with no real black box stuff isn’t it? Probably some arms treaty BS to deal with...


35 posted on 05/03/2013 4:12:35 PM PDT by Norm Lenhart
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To: Norm Lenhart
my guess is, they don't buy any because they don't need them... the country is so small they can drive where ever they need to go and with only the occasional need for air transport the C130 fits the bill
36 posted on 05/03/2013 4:21:04 PM PDT by Chode (Stand UP and Be Counted, or line up and be numbered - *DTOM* -ww- NO Pity for the LAZY)
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To: luvbach1

I’ll jump in... the jews solved the first nuclear bomb. Then they invented the neutron bomb. Since then, how many technological cycles for improvement have there been?

I would suggest that when the chips are down, they will be showcasing technologies yet to be seen.

You have to keep in mind the Iranians are messing with the smartest people on the planet. Most ironic thing is they are proud they have assembled some bombs, old , discarded Jewish technology.


37 posted on 05/03/2013 4:31:30 PM PDT by himno hero (hadnuff)
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To: Norm Lenhart

They repeatedly air dropped the Shuttle Enterprise from a modified 747 for approach and landing tests. A roughly 5x greater load than this bomb. Design a single use airframe around your penetrator bomb, perhaps with a propulsion package, that can be separated at an appropriate time. Might even provide a limited standoff capability. More complicated but more capable. You could have an even larger bomb, or trade size for standoff range. One problem would be how to secretly do adequate testing. I’d hate to depend on getting it right the first time. The other would be how to get your loaded 747 close enough. I doubt it would be very stealthy.


38 posted on 05/03/2013 4:35:11 PM PDT by JohnBovenmyer (Obama been Liberal. Hope Change!)
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To: blackdog
WSJ reports two “penetrators” would be used.
The first one burrows in and opens up. 2nd drills even deeper for the finishing touch.
39 posted on 05/03/2013 4:35:56 PM PDT by Eric in the Ozarks (NRA Life Member)
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To: Eric in the Ozarks

And the subsequent three thru fifteen just make me feel good!


40 posted on 05/03/2013 4:45:42 PM PDT by blackdog (There is no such thing as healing, only a balance between destructive and constructive forces.)
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