Massive Ordnance Penetrator

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MOP during test release

The GBU-57A / B Massive Ordnance Penetrator ( MOP , English for heavy bomb penetrator ) is a precision-guided bunker-breaking bomb with very high penetrating power developed by the American companies Boeing and Northrop Grumman .

development

A MOP in the weapon bay of a B-2 (both dummies )

The MOP was designed after the Iraq war in order to be able to destroy even deeply buried, massive and hardened bunker systems, so-called “Hard and Deep Buried Targets” (HDBTs), with a single hit. So even the most powerful bunker-breaking bombs, BLU-109 and BLU-116 , could not shut down some Iraqi bunkers right away, so that one was forced to fly multiple attacks on the same target.

The program, whose existence was denied in 2006, was funded by the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA). The program was disclosed in October 2007 when official budget plans called for US $ 300 million to develop the MOP. This request also included the integration of the weapon into the Northrop B-2 , for which around 88 million US dollars were estimated.

All work was done by Boeing's Phantom Works department. Northrop Grumman received a US $ 2.5 million contract in September 2007 to modify an undisclosed number of B-2 bombers for use with the MOP. In October 2009, Boeing received an order from the Pentagon to convert B-2 bombers so that they could transport the bomb. The contract volume amounted to 50 million US dollars. An order to manufacture eight MOP bombs in August 2011 marked the start of production and commissioning, with a unit price of $ 3.5 million.

technology

The MOP derives its penetration potential mainly from its extremely high weight of 13.6 tons and the resulting kinetic energy on impact. It is said to have up to ten times greater penetration than other currently available weapons.

Due to their high weight, the choice of carrier aircraft is very limited, so that only heavy bombers such as the Rockwell B-1B , Northrop B-2 and Boeing B-52 can use the bomb. Currently, however, only the B-2 is intended to be the carrier. A coupled and interference-resistant GPS / INS system is used for control. The steering and stabilization is done with four fold-out grid fins at the rear.

Technical specifications

  • Weight: 13,600 kg
  • Warhead: 2,700 kg High Explosive (HE)
  • Length: 6 m
  • Diameter: 0.8 m
  • Control: GPS, INS

Strategic importance

Most recently, since the crisis surrounding the Iranian nuclear program came to a head and the associated possibility of an attack on Iran's nuclear facilities, particularly potent bunker-breaking weapons have gained great importance in the arsenal of the US armed forces. Many of the uranium enrichment facilities are several meters underground, protected by massive layers of rock or reinforced concrete. The system in Fordo near Qom can only be destroyed with the MOP.

See also

Web links

Commons : Massive Ordnance Penetrator  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ strategypage.com - Biggest Bunker Buster Ever Is In Production
  2. ↑ Iran: Israel can do little without the US Air Force ZEIT ONLINE, accessed on August 13, 2012