Posted on 07/04/2015 2:37:22 AM PDT by Brad from Tennessee
As diplomats rush to reach an agreement to curb Iran's nuclear program, the U.S. military is stockpiling conventional bombs so powerful that strategists say they could cripple Tehran's most heavily fortified nuclear complexes, including one deep underground.
The bunker-busting bombs are America's most destructive munitions short of atomic weapons. At 15 tons, each is 5 tons heavier than any other bomb in the U.S. arsenal.
In development for more than a decade, the latest iteration of the MOP — massive ordnance penetrator — was successfully tested on a deeply buried target this year at the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico. The test followed upgrades to the bomb's guidance system and electronics to stop jammers from sending it off course.
U.S. officials say the huge bombs, which have never been used in combat, are a crucial element in the White House deterrent strategy and contingency planning should diplomacy go awry and Iran seek to develop a nuclear bomb.
Obama has made it clear that he has no desire to order an attack, warning that U.S. airstrikes on Iran's air defense network and nuclear facilities would spark a destabilizing new war in the Middle East, and would only delay Iran by several years should it choose to build a bomb.
"A military solution will not fix it," Obama told Israeli TV on June 1. An attack "would temporarily slow down an Iranian nuclear program, but it will not eliminate it."
(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...
Me neither. . .
Tell a friend. Please.
Done.
"It doesn't work" implies that it had no effect.
"producing war materiel two days after" - In what quantities and of what quality?
Do you seriously believe that the solution to this (The bombed-out Fieseler Aircraft Factory)
is "Work Harder!"?
"Ja wohl, mein herr! Ve vill haff ze aeroplanes flying tomorrow...or ze next day!"
Take out Iranian air defense (necessary in order to use the B-52 as a delivery vehicle) and there are loads of aircraft that can carry it.
15 tons.
C-130, C-17, C-5. Hang the CH-53E and the CH-47 can" carry it", albeit it, slowly (less than 200 mph)
Re-read my Post 27, then please move on to Post 64 and, finally, Post 79.
Cheers.
FOTFL! Does someone think Barry the secret _pieceful_ time would use them on Iran. He may be planning to use them on Israel if Israel should actually take action against Iran.
You have to wonder who the idiot who thought leaking this would help the negotiations is...
We post our budgets on-line and our friends and enemies all access them and read for themselves what we are getting and paying and such. Browsing our documents will show how many we are buying and when they are to be delivered: http://www.saffm.hq.af.mil/budget/pbfy15.asp From personnel to platforms to weapons/munitions, RTD&E, etc. . .it is all there (except for classified programs).
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.