Posted on 09/14/2008 7:34:03 AM PDT by Fennie
Despite reservations in Washington regarding a possible Israeli strike on Iran, the American administration will supply Israel with sophisticated weapons for heavily fortified targets, the U.S. administration announced.
The U.S. Department of Defense announced it would sell the Israel Air Force 1,000 new smart bombs, rumored to significantly enhance the IAF's military capabilities. The deal was approved amid public and secret messages from Washington, with the Americans expressing their reservations about a possible Israeli strike against the Islamic Republic's suspected nuclear sites.
The Pentagon's announcement, which came on Friday, said the U.S. will provide Israel with 1,000 units of Guided Bomb Unit-39 (GBU-39) - a special weapon developed for penetrating fortified facilities located deep underground. The $77 million shipment, which includes launchers and appurtenances, will allow the IAF to hit many more bunkers than currently possible. Although each bomb weighs 113 kilograms, its penetration capabilities equal those of a one ton bomb, according to professional literature.
Most U.S. Air Force aircraft are able to carry a pack of four of these bombs in place of a single one-ton bomb. The bomb's small size allows a single-strike aircraft to carry more of the munitions than is possible utilizing currently available bomb units, thus increasing firepower, or, alternatively, allowing the aircraft to fly longer distances to deliver a single bomb.
(Excerpt) Read more at haaretz.com ...
More good news!
One thousand of these things can put a dent in something, f’sure.
I think it was the discovery that a large amount of enriched uranium is missing from Iran’s processing plant.
I thought these bunker-busters were NOT going to be sold to Israel.
But I still the Tallboy or Grand Slam would be more fun to drop.
Israel to buy buster bunker bombs ping.
Which one is the 155 tube packed with C4 and a JADAM kit bolted on?
I forget. Clever as all heck, though.
“Now don’t go and do what I wouldn’t do!”, *wink* *wink*
I would think that a series of these hitting the same spot one after the other would make a pretty deep hole.
Good!! Use them in good health, Israel.
It’s about damn time.
Shalom!
Good Choice President W. God’s great blessing upon you. Thank you for leading us for 8 years. You are not a coward.
“Shalom!”
“Good Choice President W. Gods great blessing upon you. Thank you for leading us for 8 years. You are not a coward.”
Thank you for this comment, I agree with you 100%.
Use them within a year and there will be no charge. ;)
I wish b-52s and f-111s where for sale. Russia would do it
These “smart bombs” are the wrong tool for the job...
One fights fire with fire, nuclear with nuclear.....
Iran’s fascination with nuclear weapons can be resolved by delivering a few........before they do..
I’m sure there’s a reason this debate was played out in public, and perhaps it has something to do with new leadership coming in D.C. and Israel, but at any rate, the more arms Israel has the better. As long as they’re willing to use them if necessary.
That means it is in another country being fashioned into warheads.
Israel and thepro-Muslim lobby at Faggy Bottom have waited too long.
Anti-Ahmadinejad-and-enablers Sarcasm Torpedo ARMED. FIRE!!
Now the only question is where the Islamic bomb will strike:
1) Tel Aviv
2) London (how's that Sharia assimilation working for you?)
3) Truck bomb in Manhattan or D.C. (it'd be ironic if the terrorists took out Manhattan, it's their second largest base of support in the US after Hollywood).
Cheers!
However, please note the warning label on each device that indicates that if used upon the nation of Iran, the warranty shall be void and the purchase price shall be nonrefundable. However in the event that the device is used to destroy a nuclear weapons manufacturing facility UNDERNEATH the nation of Iran, unlimited amounts of replacement devices shall immediately be made available to the user at no additional cost whatsoever.
Uh-oh...
Gbu-39 are 250 pound weapons. While useful perhaps for things like aircraft bunkers and so on, I’m not sure they are that useful for deeply buried facilities like Natanz. We shall see.
1000 bunker busters! Some ones planning a very large underground party.
Send enough to finish the job or send none at all.
ping
This doesn’t really mean that much, What Israel wants and NEEDS is the GBU-28, a 5000# deep penetrating weapon that can go though 20 ft of concrete, or 150 feet of earth. THIS is the only weapon that can take out the deeply buried Nuclear sites.
Russia would do what?
Build the Iranian air defense system to defend the reactor?
Yes they did.
Sell Iran nuclear fuel rods to power the reactor?
Yes they did.
Design and build the stinking nuclear reactor in the first place?
Yes they did.
And you are laminating that we won't sell the Russians B-52's and F-111?
Pardon but are you feeling well?
How long until these things are up and ready to drop on Iran?
Israel has 25 F-15I’s, which are basically the same thing as the F-15E Strike Eagle. Coincidentally, the GBU-39 was developed for the Strike Eagle.
The combat radius for the Strike Eagle is 1000nm (1150 miles), while the radius for the F-111 is 900nm (1035 miles). Tehran is about 1000 miles from Israel, so roughly half of Iran is too far for either aircraft to fly to and back without refueling.
However, the Natanz nuclear enrichment plant http://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/world/iran/natanz-imagery2.htm appears to be just within range if Israel doesn’t mind flying over neighboring countries’ air space.
1000 GBU-39's on the Wall, 1000 GBU-39's....
and if one of those GBU-39's should happen to fall,
999 pieces of Iran on the Wall!
999 GBU-39's on the Wall, 999 GBU-39's...
Nice. I have had my complaints about GWB (open borders, etc) but he has done as good as job as anyone could have done with what he's had to face: an attack on American soil, dictators trying to get nukes, a totally hostile media (national and foreign) and other factors.
Once the MSM loses control of re-writing history, future generations will see just what a courageous and effective President George Bush has been. I have no regrets voting for him ... twice.
Thats one of the big ones. I think they are about 8k lbs. These are the new small diameter bombs that really pack a punch.
Sounds good to me... God bless Israel!
This is good news.
The real irony is that all the ‘peace’ types think electing Obama would make a war between Iran and the West less likely. Actually the opposite is true: an Obama victory would make an Israeli strike, probably with full U.S. backing, sometime between Nov. 5 and Jan. 19 a virtual certainty.
Only a McCain presidency has any chance of averting full-out military action to prevent the nuclearization of Iran. As Frederick the Great put it, “Diplomacy with arms is like a musical score without instruments.”
MOABs? Nope. This sale increases the target/sortie ratio for the IAF
Sorry if I’m thinking of the wrong kind of bunker buster, but no; they’re supossed to create a small but deep hole, and then explode only after reaching depth.
Cool deal and long overdue!
each bomb weighs 113 kilograms, its penetration capabilities equal those of a one ton bomb.
woooohoooooo! yah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Diplomacy without arms is like a musical score without instruments.
There.
Thanks. This is great news. I was beginning to lose faith in Bush, but with this...........I wonder if he is listening to us?
"Oh dear, there's going to be cockroaches all over the place. Go bring him home and cleaned up for dinner, Lassie!"
Well, one thing I’m not is a good proofreader. Thanks for the correction.
Sheesh! Two cups of coffee, early afternoon, and I’m still not awake!
LOL!
GBU-28
My guess would be around Thanksgiving.
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