Massive Ordnance Penetrator

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MOP being offloaded in preparation for its first explosive test
MOP being offloaded in preparation for its first explosive test
MOP in tunnel at White Sands Missile Range before its first explosive test
MOP in tunnel at White Sands Missile Range before its first explosive test

The Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP) project is a proposal by the US Air Force to develop a massive, precision-guided, 30,000 lb (13,600 kg) 'bunker buster' bomb. This is substantially larger than the deepest penetrating bunker buster presently available, the 5000 lb (2,270 kg) GBU-28.

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[edit] Development

In 2002, Northrop Grumman and Lockheed Martin were working on the development of a 30,000 lb earth penetrating weapon, said to be known as "Big BLU", although funding and technical difficulties resulted in the development work being abandoned. Following the 2003 invasion of Iraq, analysis of sites which had been targeted with bunker buster bombs revealed that the then currently available penetrating weapons were incapable of completely destroying some deep underground structures. This reignited interest in the development of a super-large bunker buster, and the MOP project was initiated.

The US Air Force has no specific military requirement for an ultra-large bomb, but it does have a concept for a collection of massively sized penetrator and blast weapons, the so-called 'Big BLU' collection, which includes the MOAB (Massive Ordnance Air Burst) bomb. Development of the MOP is now underway at the Air Force Research Laboratory, Munitions Directorate, Eglin Air Force Base, Florida. Design and testing work is also being performed by Boeing. It is intended that the bomb will be deployed on B-2[1] or B-1 bombers, and will be guided by the use of GPS.

Northrop Grumman have announced the $2.5 million stealth-bomber refit contract on September 19th, 2007. An undisclosed number of the US Air Force's 20 B-2's will each be able to carry two 15 metric ton MOPs.[2]

[edit] Specifications

[edit] Program status

The initial explosive test of MOP took place on March 14, 2007 in a tunnel belonging to the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) at the White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico. The exact location of the tunnel was not announced, but comparison of a photograph of the site with aerial photography suggests it was at the DTRA Capitol Peak Tunnel Complex in the vicinity of 33°26′24″N 106°27′18″W / 33.44, -106.455 .

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Military & Aerospace Electronics - Air Force ready to deploy 30,000-pound 'super bomb' on stealthy B-2 jet
  2. ^ Feature - 30,000-pound bomb reaches milestone
  3. ^ Kennedy-Feinstein Amendment to the Defense Authorization Bill on the Robust Nuclear Earth Penetrator (RNEP)

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