U.S. plans to build (30,000 lb) experimental bomb

[UpInArms]

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2001982082_ndig17.html

The United States plans to develop an experimental 30,000-pound bomb, the biggest in its inventory, aimed at destroying deeply buried targets beyond the reach of existing bombs, the Air Force said yesterday.

The Massive Ordnance Penetrator, or MOP, would be about one-third heavier than the 21,000-pound Massive Ordnance Air Blast, MOAB, dropped twice last year in tests at a range in Florida.

...a bit more...

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/nation/2685813

U.S. to create huge bomb for buried targets

excerpt:

The Air Force's Air Armaments Center at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., said it planned to award a contract for the "technology demonstration" work as early as mid-September, based on a perceived need for such a weapon.

"We think a bomb like this could be important in the future for targets that we can't destroy with what we now have," said Jake Swinson of the armaments center, which develops, tests, evaluates and acquires non- nuclear, air-dropped munitions.

Among companies that have built ground-penetrating bombs are three of the top U.S. defense contractors: Lockheed Martin Corp., Boeing Co. and Raytheon Co. Proposals are due by Aug. 16, the armaments center said.

...more...

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/781166.cms

US working on a 13,600 kg bomb

excerpt:

The plan to develop the bomb was reported first by Jane's Defense Weekly. The project's demonstration phase would cost about $11.5 million through the end of fiscal 2007, it said.

Flight testing is projected in about 2006, Swinson said.

Penetrators are made of special alloys designed to stay intact on impact to improve the effectiveness of conventional weapons against deep tunnels and other underground facilities.

...most detailed article...

[sunny5555]

1. Well this was posted before.

Many of our potential enemies have bunkers. Why wouldn't they address the problem?

[rooboy]

6. Oh, the terraists are addressing the problem...

by declaring 'peace' with the United States and sending their children off to school to learn English, Math, Chemistry, Physics, Biology, Nuclear Physics, Biochemistry and whatever other classes they need to master in order to deliver the knockout blow in a vial.

What kind of government is filled with morons that think a terrorist organization with hundreds of millions of dollars is going to hide out in bunkers for the next 20 years?? LOL!!!!

But I shouldn't laugh. It's the same government that thought a missile defence system would be a wonderful thing in preventing commercial planes from being hijacked by guys with valid visas, boxcutters and a few flying lessons...

[RC]

7. Intellect is to bu$h&co as

What intellect? bu$h&co operate on the cave man mentalitly. Brute force being the answer to all their questions.

[glitch]

10. Mama always said never laugh at stupid people - they get all resentful

and then they take over the world.

[oneighty]

2. Will super penetrator

really penetrate solid rock? Reinforced concrete? Sand and clay soils? Seems unlikely as two solids cannot occupy the same space. I recall in my bombing range clearance days frequently the unexploded bomb would be no where near the entrance hole, it might even have turned sideways when entering the earth and traveled some distance parallel to the surface. But ordnance engineers are clever people, no telling what they might come up with that does not work.

180

[Ready4Change]

5. I would guess ...

It's substituting a huge surface blast and shock wave for the smaller penetrating type bunker busters. Since they're seeing resistance to using smaller nukes for that purpose, they're looking at more conventional options.

I've no idea re: rock/concrete/soils. I'd guess it would be ideal against solid rock, as that would transfer the shockwave best. I'd also guess it would be worst against layers of different soils and rock, as those would damp out the waves?

[maddezmom]

3. 11.5 million???? n/t

[stevedeshazer]

11. That seems like a ridiculously low dollar figure

I'm sure we'll discover that it will be many times the cost that is postulated here.

The current government ALWAYS lowballs the cost of any proposed project. Then later, OOPSIE!

[bushisanidiot]

4. Gee, do you think any other countries will Pre-emptively Strike the U.S.

because of this?

[ozymandius]

8. Question is: who will the U.S. experiment on? n/t

[donsu]

9. obscene - any american who works on building it is a traitor to humanity

and our home the earth

[quaoar]

12. If MOP is similar to MOAB

It would be a fuel-air explosive -- a bomb that sprays a mist of highly flammable material that is then ignited by high explosives.

[AbbeyRoad]

13. Why is it our job to disarm the world...

while at the same time finding new and creative ways to arm ourselves? I don't understand why we get to keep all the marbles.

And why should other countries of the world trust us with these incredibly destructive weapons? Our leadership has proven itself to be a bit impulsive and ill-advised.

[Zhade]

14. I think this illustrates (pardon the pun) the US position on bombs nicely.

[daleo]

15. The term MOP doesn't seem to have any weird religious symbolism

Well, maybe something to do with witches. Perhaps they will be the target of the next crusade. Someone in the naming department slipped up.

On edit - there is a Christian group called MOP (Messangers of Peace), but that connections seems a stretch.

[mbperrin]

16. Why not 60,000? Or hell, why not,

120,000!? Small thinkers, eh?

Just what we need! More ways to kill brown people in foreign countries!