USAF To Arm B-2A With Massive Bunker-Buster Bomb

To: flowerplough

B-1s and B-52s can deliver bombs cheaper, and just as reliably.

How cheap is it to lose a B-52? During Operation Linebacker II, we lost about 15 of them to low tech SA-2 surface to air missiles.

A B-2 can go in without air superiority before hand. A B-52 can not.

21 posted on 06/17/2009 5:13:40 AM PDT by OA5599

Massive Ordnance Penetrater....

Sounds vulgar.

22 posted on 06/17/2009 5:14:44 AM PDT by Islander7 (If you want to anger conservatives, lie to them. If you want to anger liberals, tell them the truth.)

Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP)

The MOP is a technology demonstration program funded by the Defense Threat Reduction Agency [DTRA] to develop a 30,000-pound conventional penetrating weapon that will defeat a specialized set of hard and deeply buried targets. The MOP is designed specifically to attack hardened concrete bunkers and tunnel facilities. Designed to be carried aboard B-2 and B-52 bombers and deployed at high altitudes, the MOP's innovative design features include a Global Positioning System navigation system. 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 [some sources report "more than 5,300 pounds" of explosives]. MOP is designed to go deeper than any nuclear bunker buster and take out 25 percent of the underground and deeply buried targets worldwide. By some reports, it was expected to penetrate as much as 60 meters [200 feet through 5,000 psi reinforced concrete, and 8 meters [25 feet] into 10,000 psi reinforced concrete.

On 31 March 2006 Dr. James A. Tegnelia, the director of the Defense Threat Reduction Agency told American Forces Press Service [AFPS] that the MOP is a test article meant to understand the design principles on which a country might build a weapon to counter hard targets. "We are not in the process to convince anybody to field a large earth penetrator," he said. But the FY 2008 Global War on Terror Amendment of October 2007 stated [page 44-45] that "The Department requests $5.3 billion to procure equipment to replenish that consumed during combat and support operations in the theater. ... The Replenishment category also includes $0.3 billion for the development of specific technologies to improve the survivability of U.S. personnel and equipment. This includes funding for the Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP) for use on the B-2 bomber... " On 23 October 2007, John M. Donnelly reported in Congressional Quarterly that the request includes "$88 million to modify B-2 bombers so they can drop a Massive Ordnance Penetrator" and that White House stated the request for money to modify bombers was in response to "an urgent operational need from theater commanders."

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Weight, total 13,600 kg [slightly less than 30,000 pounds]
Weight, explosive 2,700 kg [6,000 lb] "over 5,300 pounds"
Length 6 m / 20.5 feet long
Diameter 31.5-inch diameter
Control short-span wings and trellis-type tail
Penetration 60 meters [200 feet] through 5,000 psi reinforced concrete
40 meters [125 feet] through moderately hard rock
8 meters [25 feet] through 10,000 psi reinforced concrete

Contractors Boeing, Northrop Grumman
Sponsors Air Force Research Laboratory's Munitions Directorate
Defense Threat Reduction Agency.

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