Boeing to Supply US Air Force With “Bunker Buster” Bombs

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The United States Air Force has awarded Boeing with a $21.6 million contract to supply and maintain the GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP). Also known as the “Bunker Buster,” the massive bomb is designed to penetrate and destroy underground tunnels and bunkers.

The recent contract extends the period for the GBU-57 by an additional four years. Up until July, 2023 the work specified within the contract will be performed at Boeing’s plant in St. Louis. Back in 2004, the U.S. Air Force initially awarded Boeing a $30 million contract for the MOP.

Over the years the MOP has gone through a few upgrades, increasing its lethality and penetration. After its fourth upgrade in early 2018, the U.S. Air Force purchased an unspecified amount of GBU-57 bombs worth $20.9 million dollars.

The precision guided Massive Ordnance Penetrator is truly massive. Weighing in at 30,000 pounds, the only U.S. Air Force aircraft capable of operationally dropping the bomb is the B-2 Spirit stealth bomber. The bomber is capable of only carrying two of these bombs at a time, for extremely fortified targets.

The bombs are capable of penetrating 200 feet into the ground. They are 20.5 feet long and 31.5 inches in diameter and they carry 5,300 pounds of explosive material.

Spacedaily.com reports that the bombs predecessor, the Bomb Live Unit 109, had merely a tenth of the explosive power of the Bunker Buster.