Massive Ordnance Penetrator

MOP being offloaded in preparation for its first explosive test

MOP in tunnel at White Sands Missile Range before its first explosive test

The Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP) project is a proposal by the US Air Force to develop a massive, precision-guided, 30,000 lb (13,600 kg) 'bunker buster' bomb. This is substantially larger than the deepest penetrating bunker buster presently available, the 5000 lb (2,270 kg) GBU-28.

Development

In 2002, Northrop Grumman and Lockheed Martin were working on the development of a 30,000 lb earth penetrating weapon, said to be known as "Big BLU", although funding and technical difficulties resulted in the development work being abandoned. Following the 2003 invasion of Iraq, analysis of sites which had been targeted with bunker buster bombs revealed that the then currently available penetrating weapons were incapable of completely destroying some deep underground structures. This reignited interest in the development of a super-large bunker buster, and the MOP project was initiated. The US Air Force has no specific military requirement for an ultra-large bomb, but it does have a concept for a collection of massively sized penetrator and blast weapons, the so-called 'Big BLU' collection, which includes the MOAB (Massive Ordnance Air Burst) bomb. Development of the MOP is now underway at the Air Force Research Laboratory, Munitions Directorate, Eglin Air Force Base, Florida. Design and testing work is also being performed by Boeing. It is intended that the bomb will be deployed on B-2^[1] or B-1 bombers, and will be guided by the use of GPS. American stealth bombers will soon be equipped to drop the Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP) Northrop Grumman have announced the $2.5 million stealth-bomber refit contract on September 19th, 2007. An undisclosed number of the US Air Force's 22 B-2's will each be able to carry two 15 metric ton MOPs.^[2]

Specifications

• Length: 20 ft (6 m) ^[3]
• Weight: 30,000 lb (13.6 metric tons)
• Warhead: 6,000 lb (2.7 metric tons) high explosive
• Penetration:
  • 200 feet (60 m) of 5,000 psi (35 MPa) reinforced concrete
  • 26 ft (8 m) of 10,000 psi (69 MPa) reinforced concrete
  • 130 feet (40 m) of moderately hard rock

Program status

The initial explosive test of MOP took place on March 14, 2007 in a tunnel belonging to the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) at the White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico. The exact location of the tunnel was not announced, but comparison of a photograph of the site with aerial photography suggests it was at the DTRA Capitol Peak Tunnel Complex in the vicinity of 33°26′24″N 106°27′18″W / 33.44, -106.455 (broken link).

Notes

See also

• GBU-43 Massive Ordnance Air Blast bomb

External links

• Massive Ordnance Penetrator Fact Sheet - dtra.mil
• First Massive Ordnance Penetrator Explosive Test Successful - dtra.mil
• Boeing-Developed Massive Ordnance Penetrator Successfully Completes Static Lethality Test - Boeing
• 'Bunker busters' may grow to 30,000 pounds - CNN
• Massive bomb to MOP up deeply buried targets - Jane's Defence Weekly
• A different kind of smart: weapons becoming autonomous and precise - Jane's
• Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP) - Global Security
• U.S. Outfitting B-2's with Monster Bunker Buster Bombs - Iran May Be Target - NewsMax