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U.S. To Sell Israel Air Force New Bunker-Buster Bombs
Haaretz ^ | September 14, 2008 | By Aluf Benn and Amos Harel

Posted on 09/14/2008 7:34:03 AM PDT by Fennie

Despite reservations in Washington regarding a possible Israeli strike on Iran, the American administration will supply Israel with sophisticated weapons for heavily fortified targets, the U.S. administration announced.

The U.S. Department of Defense announced it would sell the Israel Air Force 1,000 new smart bombs, rumored to significantly enhance the IAF's military capabilities. The deal was approved amid public and secret messages from Washington, with the Americans expressing their reservations about a possible Israeli strike against the Islamic Republic's suspected nuclear sites.

The Pentagon's announcement, which came on Friday, said the U.S. will provide Israel with 1,000 units of Guided Bomb Unit-39 (GBU-39) - a special weapon developed for penetrating fortified facilities located deep underground. The $77 million shipment, which includes launchers and appurtenances, will allow the IAF to hit many more bunkers than currently possible. Although each bomb weighs 113 kilograms, its penetration capabilities equal those of a one ton bomb, according to professional literature.

Most U.S. Air Force aircraft are able to carry a pack of four of these bombs in place of a single one-ton bomb. The bomb's small size allows a single-strike aircraft to carry more of the munitions than is possible utilizing currently available bomb units, thus increasing firepower, or, alternatively, allowing the aircraft to fly longer distances to deliver a single bomb.

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


TOPICS: Breaking News; Foreign Affairs; Israel; News/Current Events; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: armsbuildup; armstrade; bunker; bunkerbuster; bush; busters; congress; geopolitics; iran; iraq; islam; israel; mohammedanism; nuclear; pentagon; proliferation; wot
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To: DrGunsforHands
I think it was the discovery that a large amount of enriched uranium is missing from Iran’s processing plant.

That means it is in another country being fashioned into warheads.

Israel and thepro-Muslim lobby at Faggy Bottom have waited too long.

Anti-Ahmadinejad-and-enablers Sarcasm Torpedo ARMED. FIRE!!

Now the only question is where the Islamic bomb will strike:

1) Tel Aviv
2) London (how's that Sharia assimilation working for you?)

3) Truck bomb in Manhattan or D.C. (it'd be ironic if the terrorists took out Manhattan, it's their second largest base of support in the US after Hollywood).

Cheers!

21 posted on 09/14/2008 9:03:56 AM PDT by grey_whiskers (The opinions are solely those of the author and are subject to change without notice.)
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To: DrGunsforHands

However, please note the warning label on each device that indicates that if used upon the nation of Iran, the warranty shall be void and the purchase price shall be nonrefundable. However in the event that the device is used to destroy a nuclear weapons manufacturing facility UNDERNEATH the nation of Iran, unlimited amounts of replacement devices shall immediately be made available to the user at no additional cost whatsoever.


22 posted on 09/14/2008 9:12:48 AM PDT by Stayfree (***********************************************If it is left, it can't be right!!)
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To: elhombrelibre

Uh-oh...


23 posted on 09/14/2008 9:21:10 AM PDT by Allegra (Prayers up for all in Ike's path. Please be safe...my hometown.)
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To: Fennie

Gbu-39 are 250 pound weapons. While useful perhaps for things like aircraft bunkers and so on, I’m not sure they are that useful for deeply buried facilities like Natanz. We shall see.


24 posted on 09/14/2008 9:21:18 AM PDT by burster
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To: Fennie

1000 bunker busters! Some ones planning a very large underground party.

Send enough to finish the job or send none at all.


25 posted on 09/14/2008 9:22:38 AM PDT by Bailee
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To: nw_arizona_granny

ping


26 posted on 09/14/2008 9:23:23 AM PDT by DAVEY CROCKETT
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To: Allegra
Hey, Allegra, nice to hear from you. This recent development could ratchet things up a bit, but to get rid of Iran's development of nuclear weapons, I believe, it will be necessary to conduct a sustained campaign. Bluffing or trying to scare them won't work.
27 posted on 09/14/2008 9:36:32 AM PDT by elhombrelibre (Obama: metro-sexual who wants to wear lipstick while mocking hockey moms.)
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To: Fennie

This doesn’t really mean that much, What Israel wants and NEEDS is the GBU-28, a 5000# deep penetrating weapon that can go though 20 ft of concrete, or 150 feet of earth. THIS is the only weapon that can take out the deeply buried Nuclear sites.


28 posted on 09/14/2008 9:44:53 AM PDT by Vinnie_Vidi_Vici
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To: omega4179
Russia would do it

Russia would do what?

Build the Iranian air defense system to defend the reactor?

Yes they did.

Sell Iran nuclear fuel rods to power the reactor?

Yes they did.

Design and build the stinking nuclear reactor in the first place?

Yes they did.

And you are laminating that we won't sell the Russians B-52's and F-111?

Pardon but are you feeling well?

29 posted on 09/14/2008 9:52:44 AM PDT by Harmless Teddy Bear (Just say No to Lawyers! Palin '08! (oh and McWhatshisname too. I guess))
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To: Fennie

How long until these things are up and ready to drop on Iran?


30 posted on 09/14/2008 9:55:08 AM PDT by counterpunch (Country First)
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To: elhombrelibre
Of course they are not designed for deep penetration into bed rock. The new series of Air Force developed MOABs are. And we are not going to sell anyone the ordnance required to destroy the Iranian deep underground nuclear facilities that is at the heart of their nuclear weapon development program.

31 posted on 09/14/2008 9:55:41 AM PDT by Marine_Uncle (Duncan Hunter was our best choice.)
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To: Eric in the Ozarks

Israel has 25 F-15I’s, which are basically the same thing as the F-15E Strike Eagle. Coincidentally, the GBU-39 was developed for the Strike Eagle.

The combat radius for the Strike Eagle is 1000nm (1150 miles), while the radius for the F-111 is 900nm (1035 miles). Tehran is about 1000 miles from Israel, so roughly half of Iran is too far for either aircraft to fly to and back without refueling.

However, the Natanz nuclear enrichment plant http://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/world/iran/natanz-imagery2.htm appears to be just within range if Israel doesn’t mind flying over neighboring countries’ air space.


32 posted on 09/14/2008 9:58:11 AM PDT by OA5599
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To: Fennie
Sung to the tune of 100 bottles of Beer on the Wall:

1000 GBU-39's on the Wall, 1000 GBU-39's....

and if one of those GBU-39's should happen to fall,

999 pieces of Iran on the Wall!

999 GBU-39's on the Wall, 999 GBU-39's...

33 posted on 09/14/2008 10:01:43 AM PDT by C210N (The television has mounted the most serious assault on Republicanism since Das Kapital.)
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To: TFMcGuire
Good Choice President W. God’s great blessing upon you. Thank you for leading us for 8 years. You are not a coward.

Nice. I have had my complaints about GWB (open borders, etc) but he has done as good as job as anyone could have done with what he's had to face: an attack on American soil, dictators trying to get nukes, a totally hostile media (national and foreign) and other factors.

Once the MSM loses control of re-writing history, future generations will see just what a courageous and effective President George Bush has been. I have no regrets voting for him ... twice.

34 posted on 09/14/2008 10:13:43 AM PDT by softwarecreator
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To: patton

Thats one of the big ones. I think they are about 8k lbs. These are the new small diameter bombs that really pack a punch.


35 posted on 09/14/2008 10:13:43 AM PDT by Always Independent
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To: Fennie

Sounds good to me... God bless Israel!


36 posted on 09/14/2008 10:17:00 AM PDT by LibertyRocks ( http://LibertyRocks.wordpress.com ~ Pro-Palin & NObama Gear : http://cafepress.com/NO_ObamaBiden08)
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To: LibertyRocks
Hey AHMADINEJAD good buddy- Here come’s Israel, Your nuke sites are going to be lit up. Just giving ya a heads up.
37 posted on 09/14/2008 10:27:56 AM PDT by reefdiver (He voted to Kill the infants - Because the intended Abortion was unsuccessful. You think your safe)
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To: Fennie

This is good news.

The real irony is that all the ‘peace’ types think electing Obama would make a war between Iran and the West less likely. Actually the opposite is true: an Obama victory would make an Israeli strike, probably with full U.S. backing, sometime between Nov. 5 and Jan. 19 a virtual certainty.

Only a McCain presidency has any chance of averting full-out military action to prevent the nuclearization of Iran. As Frederick the Great put it, “Diplomacy with arms is like a musical score without instruments.”


38 posted on 09/14/2008 10:38:35 AM PDT by The_Reader_David (For real change stop electing lawyers: Fighter-Pilot/Hockey-Mom '08.)
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To: Marine_Uncle
Of course they are not designed for deep penetration into bed rock. The new series of Air Force developed MOABs are.

MOABs? Nope. This sale increases the target/sortie ratio for the IAF

39 posted on 09/14/2008 10:44:14 AM PDT by xone
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To: PapaBear3625

Sorry if I’m thinking of the wrong kind of bunker buster, but no; they’re supossed to create a small but deep hole, and then explode only after reaching depth.


40 posted on 09/14/2008 10:44:39 AM PDT by Moose Burger
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