Dubai: As tensions escalate with Iran over its nuclear program, the US military this month launched a missile designed to penetrate deep into the Earth and destroy underground facilities that could be used to enrich uranium. Posted pictures of the powerful bomb. The US Air Force on May 2 released rare photos of the GBU-57 weapon, better known as the “Massive Ordnance Penetrator”. It then took down the photos – apparently because the photos revealed sensitive details about the weapon’s structure and punch.
The photos were published as the Associated Press reported that Iran is making steady progress in building a nuclear facility that is likely beyond the range of the GBU-57, which is believed to be the US military’s ultimate weapon for taking out underground bunkers. .
What do we know about America’s giant ordnance penetrator?
The US developed the Massive Ordnance Penetrator in the 2000s as concerns grew over Iran hardening its nuclear sites underground. The Air Force posted pictures of the bombs on the Facebook page of Whitman Air Force Base in Missouri. The base is home to a fleet of B-2 stealth bombers, the only aircraft that can deploy bombs. In a caption, the base said it had received two large ordnance penetrator bombs so a battle squadron there could “test their performance.”
It is not the first time the air force has published pictures and videos of the bomb, which coincides with growing intransigence over Tehran’s nuclear program. In 2019, the US military released a video of a B-2 bomber dropping two bombs. The Air Force did not respond to requests for comment on why it posted — and removed — the most recent set of photos.
What did we learn from the pictures?
The latest photographs revealed stenciling on the bombs, giving their weight as 12,300 kg (27,125 lb). It also described the bomb as a mixture of AFX-757 – a standard explosive – and PBXN-114, a relatively new explosive compound, said Rahul Udoshi, a senior weapons analyst at open-source intelligence firm Jens.
The stenciling reveals the bomb’s weight, indicating that much of it came from its thick steel frame, which allowed it to chew through concrete and soil before detonating. However, it is unclear what the exact effectiveness of the weapon would be.
Internet news site Warzone first reported the publication of the photos. The AP contacted Whiteman Air Force Base and the Air Force’s Global Strike Command with questions about the images. Within a day, the Facebook post disappeared. Udoshi said that the Air Force probably turned him down because he had revealed too much data about the bombs. “Comment (or) immediate removal from the internet without justification means that there is a potential omission,” Udoshi said.
What role would this bomb play in potentially targeting Iran’s nuclear program?
The AP reported Monday that satellite imagery from Planet Labs PBC shows Tehran digging tunnels into a mountain near the Natanz nuclear site in central Iran. Excavations at the site suggest the facility could be between 80 meters (260 feet) and 100 meters (328 feet) below ground, according to experts and the AP’s analysis.
Experts say the size of the construction project indicates Iran will be able to use the underground facility to enrich uranium — not just to make centrifuges. Those tube-shaped centrifuges, arranged in large cascades of dozens of machines, spin uranium gas rapidly to enrich it. The additional machines would allow Iran to quickly enrich uranium under the protection of the mountain.
This could be a problem for the GBU-57: first describing the bomb’s capabilities, the Air Force stated that it could tear up 60 meters (200 ft) of ground and cement before detonating.
Can the United States still try to drop the bomb?
US officials have discussed using two such bombs in succession to destroy a site. But even so, the new depth of the Natanz tunnels potentially presents a serious challenge. Further complicating any potential US military strike is that the B-2 had been grounded for months since December when it caught fire after an emergency landing. On Monday, the commander of the Air Force’s Global Strike Command, Gen. Thomas A. Bussier announces that the B-2 grounding has been lifted.
“While the security moratorium on the B-2 fleet is officially over, our ability to deliver nuclear deterrence and provide long-range strike was never in doubt,” he said in a statement.