Posted on 01/15/2013 11:03:26 AM PST by blam
The Pentagon's New 30,000-lb MOP Bomb Is Ready To Go
Robert Johnson and David Cenciotti, The Aviationist
January 15, 2013, 7:20 AM
The B-2 is the only aircraft capable of delivering the 30,000 lb MOP
Boeing has successfully improved its 30,000-lb Massive Ordnance Penetrator bomb UK’s Royal Air Force to support French forces deployed to Mali with airlifters. And drones. French Rafale “omnirole” fighter jets join air strikes in Mali. With brand new weapons. U.S. spyplanes, drones already flying over Mali France escalates war in Africa: Mirage 2000D bombers hit targets in North Mali Senior Pentagon officials told Congress the nation's largest conventional bomb, the Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP), is ready for action.
The Air Force said as much back in June after rushing the MOP back to Boeing for $82 million in modifications and enhancements, but this report puts it on the books as deployable ordnance.
According to Bloomberg’s Tony Capaccio, on his annual report, the Pentagon’s director of operational testing Michael Gilmore confirmed that tests conducted with the heavy GBU-57, a 20-foot long, 30,000 pound GPS-guided bomb thought able to penetrate 200 feet of concrete before exploding, have demonstrated that the redesigned bomb is able to hit and destroy deeply buried targets.
The enhanced MOP features tail-fin modifications to fix bugs identified in testings as well as as a second fuse to destroy hardened underground targets.
Boeing - Chicago based Boeing manufactures the MOP shown here for scale
Gilmore’s report says that the modifications were tested with five bomb drops from a B-2 stealth bomber on the White Sands Missile Range, conducted between June and October, and two ground tests.
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Boeing - On a cached Boeing page was the only new MOP image to be found
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(Excerpt) Read more at businessinsider.com ...
The photo is pre-16oz soft drink ban. Should be obvious.
Ironic they are all white as well.
Anyone know how I can get a ride on a B-2 - looks awesome.
Uncomfortable Tiger Stripe Digital Airman Combat Uniforms.
The Mandatory switch was made on 1 November 2011.
...”penetration without control is less effective at accomplishing the task at hand”.....
I agree......
I think 25000 of the 30000 pounds is the steel casing; only about 5000 pounds is explosive.
Another suggestion is to drop two, a couple of seconds apart, programmed for the same target, so that the second one hits before the rubble from the first has collapsed back into the crater, for additional penetration.
I wonder if this might be involved in the Iranian Nuclear facility explosion that is being rumored?
I doubt it. I can’t seeing bozo giving permission to do anything to his muslim brotherhood friends in Iran.
Why stop there? How about 4 or 5 of them? :-)
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