Air Force. Still, the bomb is expected to cause significantly more damage against hardened, deeply buried targets compared to the GBU, which the GBU will replace, Program Manager James Culliton said in the release. GBU is a 4,pound penetration bomb that was created for destroying underground Iraqi command centers in the s, according to the Federation of American Scientists.
Rather than going after terror groups in Southwest Asia, the weapon joins a stockpile that can also be wielded against countries whose political and military ambitions are kept under close watch. Air Force solicitations have indicated the service could eventually purchase as many as 2, of the bombs. By Rachel S. Cite this Item. Read and download Log in through your school or library. In parallel with this was an increasing interest in powerful weapons that could burrow deep underground.
The US Air Force put considerable effort into devising weapons of a broadly similar size to the MOAB, but with the explosive charge contained inside an extremely hard metal case. The MOP weighs in at around 15 tons, more than six times as much as its laser-guided predecessor the GBU , with more than half its weight made up of the casing. It is 20 feet long, and is designed to be able to penetrate 60 feet of reinforced concrete. While it can be delivered by the old B strategic bomber, the plan now is to use the B-2 — one of the most advanced war planes.
The U. It's a 30,pound weapon, designed to strike targets too deep or too hard for the biggest bunker-buster America's got, the 5,pound BLU It can go through some 22 feet of concrete or over feet of earth. MOP will go a lot deeper - feet of 5, psi concrete.
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