Pentagon building new 15 ton bomb.

[F-15 Eagle]

Production of 15-ton bunker buster sped up - Military News, News From Iraq & Afghanistan - Military Times (http://militarytimes.com/news/2009/10/ap_massive_ordnance_penetrator_101309/)

Looks like they are speeding up the production and development of a new bunker busting non-nuclear bomb. 10 times more powerful than the "MOAB" its designed to replace. Check it out.

[SpudmanWP]

The MOP is NOT designed to replace the MOAB.

The MOAB is designed to blow stuff up at the surface and the MOP is designed to penetrate deep underground before detonating.

They cannot do each other's job.

[Crusader2000]

I am sure Israel is already twisting arms.......;)

[F-15 Eagle]

The MOP is NOT designed to replace the MOAB.

The MOAB is designed to blow stuff up at the surface and the MOP is designed to penetrate deep underground before detonating.

They cannot do each other's job.

Oh ok I thought the article hinted at the MOB replacing something but I guess not. Maybe they can build a MOB for surface missions?

I am sure Israel is already twisting arms.......;)

Maybe they will buy a few?:D

[SpudmanWP]

They many buy it but they have no way to drop it... unless they want to roll it out the back of a C-130.

[Crusader2000]

I am sure Israel could find a way!;)

[turin]

There is no way for Israel to use it, simple as that. This thing weights 15 tons and the Israelis do not have any platform to use it from. They cannot just buy a B-2. If the MOP sees any use, it also means that the US would have to directly participate in a strike against Iran.

Maybe they can build a MOB for surface missions?

Why would they do that? Thats exactly what the MOAB is intended for, which in itself is a very recent weapons system.

The MOP does not directly replace anything, its an entirely new system, as far as scale is concerned. Of course operationally it would "replace" any penetrator in the current inventory deemed insufficient for a specific mission (which in most cases would be the GBU-28).

[kato]

Actually, with the size of that thing, even the USAF would have to clean every protuding part out of the bomb bay of a B-2.

FAS speculated a couple years ago that MOP / DSHTW / Big Blue could be used as a penetrating case for a low-yield neutron weapon, although i find that unlikely. The penetration that MOP offers is quite seriously not enough to take out any really deep embedded bunkers, even if they saturate the ground to a depth twice as deep with gamma rays for a bit.

[GimpGump]

Production of 15-ton bunker buster sped up - Military News, News From Iraq & Afghanistan - Military Times (http://militarytimes.com/news/2009/10/ap_massive_ordnance_penetrator_101309/)

Looks like they are speeding up the production and development of a new bunker busting non-nuclear bomb. 10 times more powerful than the "MOAB" its designed to replace. Check it out.

Hehe, it might just be a 'revenge', as the Russians recently dropped the FOAB (Father Of All Bombs) and pushed the MOAB off the throne for the most damage done by a non-nuclear bomb..

But by simply looking at the word 'MOP' it would be more suitable to swipe clean the surface:crazy