US Air Force to Speed Purchase of MOP

US Air Force said on Thursday that it was speeding the purchase of 10 to 12 precision-guided 30,000-pound Massive Ordnance Penetrators (MOP), a.k.a bunker buster bombs.

Suspected Iranian and North Korean underground nuclear sites have been stated as the justification to acquire MOPs, built by Boeing, and to integrate them aboard long-range bombers. The MOP is designed to destroy deeply-buried targets beyond the reach of existing bombs.

Radar-evading B-2 bombers could be capable of the carrying the MOPs by July 2010, an Air Force spokesman told the reporters today [Reuters, 27 August].

More on MOP Development

Is Iran the target?

Boeing is manufacturing Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP) weapons. The 30,000-lb conventional bomb is designed to penetrate and destroy deep and hardened bunkers. The US Air Force is modifying its B2 Spirit stealth bombers to carry two MOP weapons each.

MOP is equipped with GPS navigation system. It is more than 20 ft long and has more than 10 times the explosive power of the largest bunker buster already in service.

It is expected that by Spring 2008, MOP weapons would be ready to be carried by the B2 bombers.

MOP will be used in any bombing campaign of nuclear and missile sites in Iran if the administration exercises the military option.