Posted on 03/29/2007 3:09:55 PM PDT by Reaganesque
Boeing's Phantom Works is leading the effort to demonstrate the Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP). The three-phase technology demonstration builds on design studies that Boeing had conducted for the laboratory. Flight testing is envisaged around 2006. The 6 m [20 feet] long MOP features short-span wings and trellis-type tails. The 13,600 kg [30,000 lb] weapon contains a 2,700 kg [6,000 lb] explosive charge. MOP is designed to go deeper than any nuclear bunker buster and take out 25 percent of the underground and deeply buried targets. It is expected to penetrate as much as 60 meters [200 feet] through 5,000 psi reinforced concrete. It will burrow 8 meters into the ground through 10,000 psi reinforced concrete. Northrop Grumman is working on with Boeing to develop this conventional bunker buster. They are under contract to Air Force Research Laboratory's Munitions Directorate at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, and Defense Threat Reduction Agency.
While complete physical destruction may be desired, for some hard and deeply buried targets this effect isn't practicable with current weapons and employment techniques. It may be possible, however, to deny or disrupt the mission or function of a facility. Functional defeat is facilitated through better data collection and intelligence preparation against the potential targets. The defeat process includes finding and identifying a facility, characterizing its function and physical layout, determining its vulnerabilities to available weapons, planning an attack, applying force, assessing damage, and, if necessary, suppressing reconstitution efforts and re-striking the facility. New more lethal defeat options for Hard and Deeply Buried Targets (HDBTs) like the Massive Ordnance Penetrator, that can overwhelm target characterization uncertainties, are being developed and demonstrated to provide a 10x increase in weapon lethality and improved penetration capability compared to inventory weapons.
(Excerpt) Read more at globalsecurity.org ...
Jeez, and I was so hoping for your approval on this. As I was preparing this post I was thinking, if I just please Eye of Unk with this post, my life will have meaning. Guess I'll just have to cry myself to sleep tonight.
I couldn't find any. The test was in an underground bunker so, I doubt there is any video.
bummer.
That .600 nitro express video was a riot!
anything like this?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F1QvyodEwg0
Brings new meaning to "Get a Grip"
That had to hurt!!
.50's kick, big time!
FYI..Discovery channel tonight, 9PM and repeated at 1AM EST..”Futureweapons” will cover the MOP....set the DVR or TIVO
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