[Marine_Uncle]

I think this ongoing development work has a lot to do with why GWB is trying to keep things cool for a year or two, figuring we have time to take out the Iranian underground facilities with a high degree of success once they perfect the MOP.
If eventual sanctions work on Iran, and they realize we have a very high probability to take out any of their facilities, with little loss or none on our side, they just might cave in on the nuclear enrichment program as well as admitting the IAEA to carefully monitor their future reactor operations to guarantee they will not be able to get any plutonium extracted from the spent fuel rods.

[Dark Skies]

I think you are correct. Here are the spec's...notice the 2007 test dates...

Weight, total 13,600 kg [30,000 lb]

Weight, explosive 2,700 kg [6,000 lb]

Length 6 m [20 feet]

Diameter ??

Control short-span wings and trellis-type tail

Penetration:

60 meters [200 feet] through 5,000 psi reinforced concrete
40 meters [125 feet] through moderately hard rock
8 meters [25 feet] through 10,000 psi reinforced concrete

Contractors Boeing, Northrop Grumman

Sponsors Air Force Research Laboratory's Munitions Directorate

Defense Threat Reduction Agency.

Platforms B-52, B-2

Guidance GPS aided INS

Schedule 2005 - Refine MOP concept and begin detailed weapon development and testing
2005 - statically emplaced Proof-of Principle test of payload effectiveness
2006 - static lethality demonstration against hard and deeply buried targets
2006 - scaled penetration and lethality testing
2007 - Conduct Massive Ordnance Penetrator Demonstration
2007 - full-scale performance demonstration against realistic hard and deeply buried targets

Source: http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/munitions/dshtw.htm

[fso301]

I think this ongoing development work has a lot to do with why GWB is trying to keep things cool for a year or two, figuring we have time to take out the Iranian underground facilities with a high degree of success once they perfect the MOP.

Possible but with Iranian uranium enrichment currently at about 3.5% which is far less than the ~90% needed for bomb making, might the current noise be nothing more than an attempt to drive oil prices up and hurt the president politically this fall? A Democratic Congress will in all probability nullify the remainder of the presidents term of office and therefore represents the best means whereby mohammedom and other anti-American interests (including MSM who seem suspiciously keen on this saber rattling) can harm the USA.