Air Force ready to deploy 30,000-pound 'super bomb' on B-2 bomber

Published: Jan 20, 2007
Source: mae.pennnet.com



EGLIN AFB, Fla., 18 Jan. 2007. U.S. Air Force researchers are pondering a project to fit the recently developed Massive Ordnance Penetrator -- a 30,000-pound bunker-busting "super bomb" -- on the B-2 stealth bomber to destroy deeply buried, concrete-reinforced targets in heavily defended areas of the world.

The Air Force Air Armament Center at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., issued a source-sought notice today to find companies able to support integrating the Massive Ordnance Penetrator bomb on the B-2 jet bomber, including flight tests, and planning for a follow-on acquisition of a limited number of assets for these huge bunker-busting bombs.

The notice comes amid heightening worldwide concern of the mounting capability to build and deploy nuclear weapons in countries such as Iran and North Korea that are openly hostile to the United States.

The conventional Massive Ordnance Penetrator, commonly known as MOP, is 20 feet long, weighs 30,000 pounds, and carries 6,000-pounds of high explosives. It is designed to go deeper than any existing nuclear bunker-busting weapon.continue..