B-2 Bomber Gets Boeing's New 30,000-Pound Bunker-Buster Bomb

San Francisco Chronicle ^ | November 15, 2011 | Tony Capaccio

[lbryce]

The U.S. Air Force has taken delivery of a new 30,000-pound bomb from Boeing Co. that's capable of penetrating deeply buried enemy targets.

The huge bunker buster, dubbed the Massive Ordnance Penetrator, is built to fit the B-2 stealth bomber. The Air Force Global Strike Command started receiving the bombs in September, Air Force spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Jack Miller said in a short statement to Bloomberg News.

The deliveries "will meet requirements for the current operational need," he said.

The Air Force in 2009 said Boeing might build as many as 16 of the munitions. Miller yesterday had no details on how many the Air Force plans to buy. Boeing in August received a $32 million contract that included eight of the munitions.

Command head Lieutenant General James Kowalski told the annual Air Force Association conference in September the command "completed integration" of the bunker-buster bomb with the B- 2, "giving the war-fighter increased capability against hardened and deeply buried targets."

The bomb is the U.S. military's largest conventional penetrator. It's six times bigger than the 5,000-pound bunker buster that the Air Force now uses to attack deeply buried nuclear, biological or chemical sites.

Chicago-based Boeing is manufacturing the bomb, which was successfully demonstrated in March 2007.

Iranian Bunkers

The B-2, developed by Falls Church, Virginia-based Northrop Grumman Corp., has a shape and skin capable of evading radar. It's the only U.S. bomber designed to penetrate air defenses such as those believed in use by North Korea and Iran. It's also the only aircraft currently capable of carrying the new bomb.

The B-2 has bombed targets in the Afghanistan and Iraq wars. Three in March flew round-trip, non-stop missions from Missouri to Libya in the opening hours of U.S. air strikes, dropping 45 bombs.

[lbryce]

The acquisition of a new 30,000-pound bomb from Boeing Co. by The U.S. Air Force that penetrates deeper with considerably more destructive power is not intended to send any sort of message to third-world, oil producing terrorist nations in the process of acquiring nuclear weapons bent on wreaking global havoc, in any way, shape, matter or form. Any connection to the Air Force's newest, most formidable weapon and certain Mad Mullahs of Mayhem recently sleepless in Tehran is mere coincidence. [sarcasm /off]

[Eric in the Ozarks]

The gift that keeps on giving from the Show-Me.

[PGR88]

This is merely for PR.

There is no way Obama would drop one of these on Iran.

[roaddog727]

Time to MOP up Iran.........

[Enterprise]

You load 15 tons and wadda you get
A bunker buster bomb that's the best one yet
St. Peter don't you call me cause I can't go
I gotta drop a bomb on a Mullah a..hole

[Eric in the Ozarks]

I'm trying to find a rhyme for “Massive Ordinance Penitrator.”

[roaddog727]

They’re doing testing up at Eglin. I go up there now and again.

I guess I need to schedule my next trip up there when they’re doing testing..........

Woo Hoo!

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[lbryce]

Tennessee Ernie would be downright, mighty proud of you. :-)

[stuartcr]

excellent

[pfflier]

This story was originally posted on FR yesterday and was released by TASS, the Russian news agency.

Now we know one of the primary news sources of the San Francisco Chronicle.

[ken5050]

Multiple Muslim Eliminator..

[MichaelP]

I wonder how much it will penetrate? The Iranians have put some of their nuclear facilities inside mountains, like we have at Cheyenne Mtn. It probably couldn't penetrate 1000s of feet of granite. It could probably make a mess of the entrance though!

Mike

[Enterprise]

You load 15 tons and wadda you get
A kick ass bomb that's a real incinerator
No place to run, no place to hide
Here comes the “Massive Ordinance Penitrator.”

[central_va]

The Israeli Air Force would have a hard time delivering that thing. Just sayin’.

[ken5050]

Questions:

1. Do they have to remove the rotary launcher form the bomb-bay to fit this bomb inside?

2. Can anyone give a quick explanation, or a link, as to how it can penetrate 200 FEET of hardened concrete before exploding?...that's remarkable

[Enterprise]

Thanks. Loved the song as a kid, and it's still a great one.

Reporter: So how's the MOP business going these days?

Plant manager: It's booming.

[central_va]

You have a series of small explosions the push the war head farther and farther into the ground/mountain/concrete. It is really a series of small bombs that add up to 30000 pounds. Now you know the secret you will have to be “dealt” with...

[RoadTest]

That should reach Ah’m-A-Dinner-Jug’s basement!

[Puckster]

“Mega Orifice Discumbobulator”

AKA “Rippin em a new one”

[baddog 219]

We have a winner!