How does a bunker-buster missile work?
The Earthquake bombs were designed not to strike a target directly, but to impact beside it, penetrate under it, and create a ‘camouflet’ or large buried cavern at the same time as delivering a shock wave through the target’s foundations. The target then collapses into the hole, no matter how hardened it may be.
Can a drone carry a bunker-buster?
In their modern form, they date back to the 1991 Gulf War. Today’s 5,000-pound GBU-28 bunker-buster can be carried by the F-15E and by bombers. Drone controls might seem the most futuristic of the new bomber’s enhancements, but in many ways they’re the farthest along in development.
How deep can a bunker-buster penetrate?
It’s a 30,000-pound weapon, designed to strike targets too deep or too hard for the biggest bunker-buster America’s got, the 5,000-pound BLU-113. It can go through some 22 feet of concrete or over 100 feet of earth.
How much does a bunker buster bomb cost?
The massive, 30,000 pound GBU-57A/B MOP cost somewhere between US$400 million and US$500 million to develop and each bomb costs around US$3.5 million to manufacture.
What aircraft drops Jdams?
A B-1B Lancer flying out of Edwards AFB, Calif., on Feb. 11 dropped a satellite-guided joint direct attack munition, or JDAM, at China Lake test range.
How much does a JDAM cost?
Joint Direct Attack Munition
| Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAM) | |
|---|---|
| Unit cost | About US$25,000 (Depends on acquisition lot. Foreign sales have considerably higher prices.) |
| Variants | See variants |
| Specifications | |
| Length | 9.9–12.75 feet (3.02–3.89 m) |
What is a penetrator bomb?
The Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP) is a weapon system designed to accomplish a difficult, complicated mission of reaching and destroying an adversary’s weapons of mass destruction located in well-protected facilities. …
What is MOP bomb?
The GBU-57A/B Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP) is a precision-guided, 30,000-pound (14,000 kg) “bunker buster” bomb used by the United States Air Force. This is substantially larger than the deepest penetrating bunker busters previously available, the 5,000-pound (2,300 kg) GBU-28 and GBU-37.
Can the b2 carry the MOAB?
The relatively skinny shape — they stretch 20.5 feet long with a 31.5-inch diameter — is why the heavier bomb made for the B-2 can carry less than a third as much H6 explosive as the MOAB. A 2005 paper published by the Union of Concerned Scientists discussed the potential damage of bunker-busting and its limits.
How deep should a bunker be?
Packed earth insulates against radiation and blast waves, but don’t go deeper than 10 feet; if your exits (make two) become blocked in the blast, you may need to dig yourself out.