Mil Porn

Dig Deeper, It Won’t Help


Air Force’s Massive Ordnance Penetrator bomb ready to drop from B2s

Barn Army regulars will recognize this picture of the MOP bomb




But its these racks that are the real story today
(and yes, that’s masking tape. But it’s official mil-spec masking tape)

B-2 Gets The Biggest Bomb Of All
June 12, 2009: After three years of effort, the U.S. Air Force has developed a new bomb rack for the B-2 bomber, so it can drop the new, 13.6 (30,000 pound) Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP). Six years ago, MOP replaced the proposed nuclear bomb penetrator. MOP can be carried by a B-52, but a B-2 is more likely to get through an intact, modern, air defense system. The MOP is finally entering production, and a number (not announced) will be stockpiled.

The MOP is 20.5 feet long, with a 31.5-inch (80 cm) diameter. The MOP contains 2.4 tons of explosives. This is more than 10 times the explosive power of, the BLU-109 (2,000 pound bomb). The MOP can penetrate about 65 meters before exploding.

It’s a giant GPS guided exploding drill bit. Ok, sure, the G-43 MOAB is physically larger at 30 feet long and 40 1/2” in diameter, but the MOP weighs 4 tons more. The whole bomb is made out of extra dense super hardened metal, so that it can go through almost anything. Including 60 feet of reinforced concrete.

More than 24,000 pounds of the bomb’s weight is solid metal, most likely including a high-hardness, dense tip (likely made from a tungsten alloy). It carries a 5,300 pound explosive charge.  The bomb is unpowered but will have a supersonic terminal velocity, and it is expected to penetrate as much as 200 feet underground.

The bomb’s sizable wings and lattice tails (which provide high control authority and fold neatly for carriage) suggest that it will have a reasonable standoff range and agility - allowing it to change its course and present a less predictable target for defense systems. Control authority also permits precise adjustment of impact angle.

MOAB is a mere 11 ton lightweight, but has much more bang inside

Unlike the MOAB, however, this project’s goal is a GPS-guided, penetrating weapon that can be carried aboard B-52 Stratofortress or B-2 Spirit bombers to defeat “a specialized set of hard and deeply buried targets” like bunkers and tunnel facilities. Some graphics show expectations of over 60 feet of concrete destroyed, and a USAF article stated that the bomb was meant to penetrate 200 feet underground before exploding. The B-2 will be able to carry 2 MOPs: one in each bay, mounted to the existing forward and aft mounting hardware.

So ... if you a paleoswinian tunnel rat, or one of Ahmadinnerjacket’s Nuclear Nutbars, dig as deep as you want. If one of these isn’t enough to blow out your gopher tunnel, don’t worry. The Air Force can put another one on target, right through the same hole. 

Meanwhile, the Germans are hard at work on a penetrating glide bomb of their own. It’s only 3000 pounds, but it should do the job for any normal cave dwellers.

... and by amazing coincedence, this one is called the HOPE bomb. (HOchleistungs PEnetrator / High Power Penetrator). Too bad it uses switchblade wings. I’ve heard they’re illegal for American bombs to carry.

1. Oh yes! Are you watching Ahminmedinnerjacket? Want one of these Kim Jong mentally Ill? Form an orderly queue.

   Posted by LyndonB       06/15/2009  at  03:51 PM  

2. Oh and a hat tip to a great man http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barnes_Wallis

   Posted by LyndonB       06/15/2009  at  03:53 PM  

3. Kind of funny.  After only 60+ years they’ve managed to come up with a bomb that duplicates the ones Barnes-Wallace designed and built during WWII; see Tall Boy and Grand Slam.

   Posted by emdfl       06/15/2009  at  04:27 PM  

4. The Tall Boy and Grand Slam references were a given. Aside from being precision guided, this one packs quite a bit more punch, and uses modern super metals to penetrate quite a bit further.

   But yeah, it’s another gigantic “earthquake” bomb just like those two were. A bit of comparison can be made here

   http://op-for.com/2006/05/the_mother_of_all_moabs.html

   I think the US built a 40,000 pound bomb once, but I don’t think it ever saw production.

   Posted by Drew458       06/15/2009  at  06:39 PM  

5. I just read an article in Aviation Week’s Ares blog saying: “We know about the MOP, or GBU-57A/B, as it has been a technology demonstration program for a while. Now the Air Force hopes to award a quick-reaction capability contract by year-end for up to 20 bombs - five for flight tests beginning in June 2011 and up to 15 “residual assets” to be available by June 2012. The B-2 will carry one MOP in one of its internal weapon bays to attack deeply buried hardened bunkers.”

   Not very many but it might come in handy someday.  I doubt something that large could be brought back into production rapidly.

   Posted by Wes       06/16/2009  at  08:42 PM  

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