Pentagon Redesigns Its 'Bunker Buster' To Combat Iran

Pentagon Redesigns Its 'Bunker Buster' Massive Ordnance Penetrator To Combat Iran -- The Telegraph

US defence planners have rebuilt the country's biggest bomb, the bunker buster, to ensure the country can still destroy Iran's fortified underground nuclear plant.

Pentagon officials have reportedly shown Israeli officials details of the extensive upgrade in recent weeks to convince their allies that time to attack Iran has not run out, according to the Wall Street Journal.

The newspaper reported that engineers had installed cyber warfare capabilities and new explosive targetting designs on the 30,000 lbs device, the Massive Ordnance Penetrator.

Videos of the secret tests of a previous version of the device have been shown to Israels as Americans attempt to explain the changes.

The new bunker buster has a fusing system that intensifies its burrowing power as well as sophisticated new stealth and electronic guidance technology to overcome recent advances in Iran's air defences and electronic warfare systems, the newspaper said.

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More News On The U.S. Military "Upgrading" Their "Bunker Buster" Weapons

Pentagon Bulks Up 'Bunker Buster' Bomb to Combat Iran -- Wall Street Journal
US upgrades bomb to thwart Israel strike on Iran -- Jerusalem Post
Bunker-busting behemoth: Pentagon upgrades bomb with Iranian nukes in mind -- FOX News
America's Biggest Bomb Gets Another Upgrade To Target Iran's Nuclear Fortress -- Business Insider
MOP up: US 'upgrades' biggest bunker buster to calm Israel over Iran -- RT
Why the Pentagon is beefing up its 'bunker buster' bombs -- Keith Wagstaff, The Week

My Comment: This type of news will always get the attention of Iran's defense specialists.

US Air Force Moves Ahead On Bunker-Buster For F-35

Graphics: US Air Force

AFRL Moves Ahead On Bunker-Buster For F-35 -- Ares/Aviation Week

The US Air Force Research Laboratory has awarded two more contracts under the High Velocity Penetrating Weapon (HVPW) program to develop technology for a rocket-boosted bunker-buster that can fit inside an F-35.

Lockheed Martin has been awarded $1.7 million and MBDA $1.3 million, but what they will do for the money has not been revealed. In January, Raytheon received an $11 million contract to develop GPS-degraded guidance technology for the HVPW, including anti-jam GPS, angle-of-attack sensing and RF seeker.

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Update: Air Force to brief industry 4 Oct. on initiative to build 2,000-pound rocket-propelled bunker-busting weapon -- Avionics Intelligence

My Comment: They need to arm the F-35 with something.

US Bunker-Buster Bomb 'Ready To Be Deployed'

This US Air Force photo shows weapon specialistsas they look on as a mock up of the Massive Ordnance Penetrator sits in bomb bay of the B-2 weapons load trainer (AFP Photo)

US Bunker-Buster Bomb 'Ready To Go' -- The Telegraph

The US Air Force's massive 30,000lb bunker-buster bomb critical for striking heavily fortified Iranian nuclear facilities is "ready to go".

Michael Donley, the US Air Force Secretary, said that the bomb "if it need to go today", would be available.

"We continue to do testing on the bomb to refine its capabilities, and that is ongoing," he said "We also have the capability to go with existing configuration today."

The endorsement of the Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP) – the world's largest conventional bomb – comes after concerns were raised that the weapon still needed refining if was to be effective against Iran's deepest installations.

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More News On The US Air Force's Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP)

Air Force’s Mega-Bunker-Buster Bomb Is Finally Ready -- Danger Room
The Air Force's 30,000 Pound Bunker-Busting Bomb Is Ready For Action -- Business Insider
Pentagon’s 30,000-pound bunker-buster ‘superbomb’ ready for use -- RT
After delays, massive US bunker-buster available -- Jerusalem Post
US Air Force: Bunker buster ready for use -- YNet News
The Air Force’s 30,000-Pound Super Duper Bomb Is Ready to Rock Iran -- Gizmodo
Pentagon: 30,000-Pound 'Bunker Buster' Bomb Ready for Use -- Newsroom
Amid Threats to Iran, US Air Force Says Bunker-Busters Ready To Go -- Antiwar.com

U.S. Air Force's 30,000 Pound Bunker Busting Bomb Ready For Deployment

Boeing’s mega-bunker-buster bomb during its first explosive test at White Sands Missile Range, 2007. Photo: Wikimedia

Air Force’s Mega-Bunker-Buster Bomb Is Finally Ready -- Danger Room

Just as the U.S. returns its attention to concealed weapons of mass destruction programs in Syria and (possibly) Iran, the Air Force is saying its mega-weapon for blowing up hidden factories of death is finally ready.

That would be the Massive Ordnance Penetrator — all 30,000 destructive pounds of it. It’s an absolutely ginormous bomb designed to convince rogue regimes that there is no redoubt for the manufacture of chemical, biological or nuclear weapons buried deep enough to escape the U.S. Air Force.

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More News On The Air Force's Massive Ordnance Penetrator Bomb Ready For Deployment

The Air Force's 30,000 Pound Bunker-Busting Bomb Is Ready For Action -- Business Insider
Pentagon’s 30,000-pound bunker-buster ‘superbomb’ ready for use -- RT
After delays, massive US bunker-buster available -- Jerusalem Post
US Air Force: Bunker buster ready for use -- YNet News
The Air Force’s 30,000-Pound Super Duper Bomb Is Ready to Rock Iran -- Gizmodo

Israel Secretly Receives 55 Bunker Busting Bombs From The U.S.

U.S. Quietly Supplies Israel With Bunker-Busting Bombs -- New York Times

WASHINGTON — The Obama administration has quietly supplied Israel with bombs capable of destroying buried targets, like terrorists’ arms caches or perhaps sites in Iran suspected of being part of that nation’s nuclear weapons program, American officials said Friday.

The administration’s transfer of bunker-busting bombs, first reported in an online article by Newsweek, began in 2009. American officials who confirmed the shipments spoke on the condition of anonymity, because they were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly. They declined to comment on the number of bombs that had been supplied to Israel or on their capabilities.

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More News On Israel Receiving Bunker Busting Bombs From The U.S.

Obama Sold Israel Bunker-Buster Bombs -- Daily Beast
Report: Obama gave 'bunker-busters' to Israel -- Politico
US 'sold bunker-busting bombs to Israel' -- SKY News
Iran: Obama Sold 55 Anti-Bunker Bombs To Israel -- AGI News
Obama Weak on Israel? Unprecedented Sale of Bunker-Busting Bombs Suggests Otherwise -- IBTimes
The Bunker Busters and the Measure of Support for Israel -- Jonathan S. Tobin, Commentary

My Comment: Apparently this is not as big of a story as others are saying.