ABC: Pentagon places “urgent” order for four massive bunker-busting bombs
posted at 4:52 pm on October 7, 2009 by Allahpundit
He’s got the “speak softly” part pretty well covered. Looks like now it’s time for The One to start carrying the big stick. And I do mean big: It’s the largest non-nuclear explosive on earth.
First, some background: Back in October 2007, ABC News reported that the Pentagon had asked Congress for $88 million in the emergency Iraq/Afghanistan war funding request to develop a gargantuan bunker-busting bomb called the Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP). It’s a 30,000-pound bomb designed to hit targets buried 200 feet below ground. Back then, the Pentagon cited an “urgent operational need” for the new weapon.
Now the Pentagon is shifting spending from other programs to fast forward the development and procurement of the Massive Ordnance Penetrator. The Pentagon comptroller sent a request to shift the funds to the House and Senate Appropriations and Armed Services Committees over the summer.
The comptroller said the Pentagon planned to spend $19.1 million to procure four of the bombs, $28.3 million to accelerate the bomb’s “development and testing”, and $21 million to accelerate the integration of the bomb onto B-2 stealth bombers.
Why now? The notification says simply, “The Department has an Urgent Operational Need (UON) for the capability to strike hard and deeply buried targets in high threat environments. The MOP is the weapon of choice to meet the requirements of the UON.” It further states that the request is endorsed by Pacific Command (which has responsibility over North Korea) and Central Command (which has responsibility over Iran).
Iran’s enrichment site at Qom is, of course, located inside a mountain. Two thoughts. One: This is a relatively cheap form of saber-rattling. $70 million is nothing when it comes to defense outlays; probably the whole point of speeding up production is simply to be able to leak the story to an outlet like ABC so that Iran will see it. Two: They could be rushing this out not because we intend to use it ourselves (the part about outfitting it for the B-2 notwithstanding) but so that we can hand it off to Israel. Do they have anything big enough to carry it, though? I’m guessing yes, as rumors that we might sell them the MOP have surfaced before.
Exit question: Would a man with this on his wall really bomb Iran? I ask you.
Blowback
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….Hit him with a stick until he does right by our heroes in uniform!
HornetSting on October 7, 2009 at 4:54 PM
.
Maybe.
ronsfi on October 7, 2009 at 4:55 PM
And, of course, ABC just has to report this. Traitors.
JDPerren on October 7, 2009 at 4:55 PM
Beach Boys
clorensen on October 7, 2009 at 4:55 PM
Why do we report such things
tomas on October 7, 2009 at 4:55 PM
This is old news, I heard this on Michael Savage show about two weeks ago.
milemarker2020 on October 7, 2009 at 4:55 PM
I don’t see it happening.
milwife88 on October 7, 2009 at 4:56 PM
From you keyboard to God’s ear. Even if he just passes them off to Israel.
Cindy Munford on October 7, 2009 at 4:56 PM
If they bomb Iran – I might gain a smidge of respect for this administration.
A very small smidge.
gophergirl on October 7, 2009 at 4:56 PM
Obomba?
/weak
Abby Adams on October 7, 2009 at 4:57 PM
I have always subscribed to the theory that it is better to have a tool and not need it, than have the need for a tool you don’t have.
Skandia Recluse on October 7, 2009 at 4:57 PM
It could also be used for cave dwellers.
GarandFan on October 7, 2009 at 4:57 PM
No … if he didn’t hate Israel so much I’d think they were going there. If he wants to use them himself he’ll have to borrow some balls from Palin.
darwin on October 7, 2009 at 4:57 PM
I didn’t see ‘PRESENT’-obama’s favorite word.
HornetSting on October 7, 2009 at 4:57 PM
Let’s MOP up Iran’s nuclear program.
****
Get it? Because “MOP” is the acronym for “Massive Ordnance Penetrator”, the advanced weapon in question. But “mop up” is also an idiom for clearing something of the undesirable! Get it? Get it?…Never mind, you people stink.
amerpundit on October 7, 2009 at 4:58 PM
4 huh. Well that constrains things a bit but I’m sure Obama’s thought about his targets carefully.
1 for the Israeli nuke plant at Dimona
1 for the Honduran Supreme Court
1 for Olympic Committee in Copenhagen
1 for Fox News HQ
elduende on October 7, 2009 at 4:58 PM
Let’s hope he’s not planning to drop it on Israel.
Vashta.Nerada on October 7, 2009 at 4:58 PM
Maybe some pro-lifers hold meetings in a basement or something.
darwin on October 7, 2009 at 4:58 PM
If ABC knows it, Iran knows it.
The Monster on October 7, 2009 at 4:58 PM
Let me be clear…
spmat on October 7, 2009 at 4:59 PM
Luckily he has the “magic 8 ball” app on his phone for those really difficult decisions.
Guardian on October 7, 2009 at 4:59 PM
We should totally criticize ABC for reporting this, and applaud HotAir for reporting that ABC reported it, and getting this out there.
e-pirate on October 7, 2009 at 4:59 PM
A 200′ penetrator?
Seems like alot of uses for this besides Iran: N. Korea, Afghanistan caves, cleaning the rats out of New York City sewars and subway lines…
percysunshine on October 7, 2009 at 5:00 PM
“Don’t make me count to 3…..1…..2….2 and half…..2 and 3 quarters…..I’m warning you…we’ve got these really big huge bombs….1……2……2 and half…..2 and 3 quarters……I’ll get France on my side……”
BobMbx on October 7, 2009 at 5:00 PM
Yes he would…….
Maybe, it could happen…….
I don`t know……He might.
Well……….
No, probably……..There`s a chance…….
ThePrez on October 7, 2009 at 5:01 PM
Empty threats from an empty suit.
Bruno Strozek on October 7, 2009 at 5:01 PM
Try COSTCO.
tree hugging sister on October 7, 2009 at 5:02 PM
*shake*
*shake*
[Don't count on it]
Terry_Dyne on October 7, 2009 at 5:02 PM
The Labia-ed One will never fight……that’s for mean people.
omnipotent on October 7, 2009 at 5:03 PM
Who… this guy?
Seven Percent Solution on October 7, 2009 at 5:04 PM
I wonder if the “portrait of Harry S. Truman” is beside the big orange “I think I’ll…” ???
That would be something…
SnowSun on October 7, 2009 at 5:04 PM
Translation -
Hillary gave the order and Obama has just now found out about it.
I VERY HIGHLY doubt that Obama is planning on dropping these on Iran. Maybe Bin Laden… But not Iran.
Skywise on October 7, 2009 at 5:04 PM
i actually think this is for eastern afghanistan and pakistan – to get obl.
this is the real reason why – IMHO – mcchrstl met with bho.
YOU READ IT HERE FIRST. MUST CREDIT RELIAPUNDIT.
repeat: it’s not for iran; it’s for al Q and the taliban.
reliapundit on October 7, 2009 at 5:04 PM
“Hey Israel,….I’m gonna leave these bunker buster bombs here on the Tarmac,…if they disappear and end up bombing Iran….I…uh…mmm….won’t ask any questions. But I will condemn you openly when it is convenient.”- Barry O’Bama
portlandon on October 7, 2009 at 5:04 PM
Is it like an M-80? I love those M-80s.
Mr. Joe on October 7, 2009 at 5:05 PM
We already have this headed up…let’s just miss the Moon…
Chris_Balsz on October 7, 2009 at 5:05 PM
I love the 4th of July.
Mr. Joe on October 7, 2009 at 5:05 PM
Umm, nope.
Who’s says they’re meant for Iran?…..
*gulp*
ted c on October 7, 2009 at 5:05 PM
Don’t mind me…I just had to stop and say KUDOS on this:
That was f’in fantastic.
Carry on.
tickleddragon on October 7, 2009 at 5:06 PM
I don’t Israel has anything that could lug a fifteen ton bomb and could get through Iranian air defenses.
Realist on October 7, 2009 at 5:06 PM
Obama will do nothing. He is gutless and if his speech in the UN is any indication, he is anti-Israel and anti-US.
cubachi on October 7, 2009 at 5:06 PM
I can’t be the only one thinking this.
RushBaby on October 7, 2009 at 5:06 PM
This might be a message intended more for Russia or China than Tehran. I.e., support the sanctions.
Maybe even Israel too.
SteveMG on October 7, 2009 at 5:07 PM
What happened to the MOAB? Is this bigger?
dentalque on October 7, 2009 at 5:07 PM
Weak? Not really, when you consider it does double duty with the Tom Friedman 3 Bombs thread. Ha.
dont taze me bro on October 7, 2009 at 5:08 PM
Repost with links…
I wonder if the “portrait of Harry S. Truman” is beside the big orange “I think I’ll…” ???
That would be something…
SnowSun on October 7, 2009 at 5:09 PM
Again, I’ll say – this is just contingency planning. I don’t see Ogabe as being anywhere close to hitting Iran.
Now – if you really want to know if we are going to be hitting Iran – watch the contract for CRUISE MISSILES. Even if we execute a limited strike on Iran’s nuke sites – we’re going to have to have gobs of cruise missiles to respond to their counterattacks. I don’t think we’re going to put boots on the ground – I really, really, really don’t see Ogabe ever doing that. That means – stand off weapons only.
Watch the cruise missile contract (if you can – I have no clue where you’d find it) … but CM’s is what we always ran short on – how short? You don’t want to know – but we managed to keep them flying into their targets by doing some pretty creative logistics.
HondaV65 on October 7, 2009 at 5:09 PM
This is nothing but a bullsh*t ploy by oboobi, He does not have the gnads to make such a decision!
SHARPTOOTH on October 7, 2009 at 5:09 PM
I will bet anyone in America that the Messiah has neither the guts or gonads to use it…..he would not use it if Iran nuked New York City and it could be proven without a doubt they did it….it is just NOT in his character…
Now if he could bomb some police stations in America with his buddy Bill Ayers, that might be whole different story!
SDarchitect on October 7, 2009 at 5:10 PM
For me, this highlights the obsolescence of nuclear weapons. If we have conventional weapons like this, why do we need nukes? This is why I’m in favor of unilateral disarmament, which Obama said he favored.
C’mon Obama, keep one promise, will ya?
Enrique on October 7, 2009 at 5:11 PM
Mr. Hussein bomb a muslim holy site?
Unlikely.
“It’s a simple matter of weight ratios…”
TexasDan on October 7, 2009 at 5:11 PM
He would bomb Iran in a second…if he thought it would work and was worth it. Or if he got pissed.
But no president, who isn’t idiot, is going to go there if he doesn’t have to. It’s been eight months, it is only common sense that he or any other new leader committed our nation to another long, painful and expensive fight.
Don’t you get bored with sounding stupid?
Bleeds Blue on October 7, 2009 at 5:12 PM
If it’s an order for four only, we know it ain’t for Iran. He’s got four shots at Glenn Beck.
keep the change on October 7, 2009 at 5:12 PM
Sorry, have to go. Must. Dig. Deeper.
faraway on October 7, 2009 at 5:12 PM
I love the name!
AsianGirlInTights on October 7, 2009 at 5:13 PM
Yeah, except I think what it really highlights is the need for tactical nukes that don’t weigh 15 freaking tons each. Even if the nuke is only propellant to fire some sort of kinetic charge deep into the earth, it’s just another way to make things go bang, and an efficient one at that.
TexasDan on October 7, 2009 at 5:14 PM
Bill Ayers wants to kill 25 million Americans that won’t accept the new order. This is very fast and cheap.
faraway on October 7, 2009 at 5:14 PM
Maybe some that but probably much more so that Americans can see it and think that Obama is some kind of Rambo at heart.
If so, given what has transpired so far, it will be about the biggest head fake of all time. I don’t know if Israel even has anything big enough to carry something like that?
MB4 on October 7, 2009 at 5:15 PM
Irony so deep the fabric of the universe is strained.
TexasDan on October 7, 2009 at 5:15 PM
Massive Ordnance Penetrator?
Isn’t that what Pfizer’s got that purple pill for?
TXUS on October 7, 2009 at 5:15 PM
New meaning to war porn: a Qom shot.
J.J. Sefton on October 7, 2009 at 5:15 PM
The question always remained: some of the Iranian sites are supposedly too deep for the current bunker busters Israel has. But would they be too deep for ten of them hitting the same hole in quick succession?
michaelo on October 7, 2009 at 5:15 PM
Not Obama.
nyx on October 7, 2009 at 5:15 PM
I’ll bet Sarah is lickin her chops to get those MOPS to mop up on those sites as she sends arms to Iranian ethnic minorities and watches the Iranians toss Dinnerjacket into the Strait of Hormuz.
Or, we can sell them with generous credit terms to Israel.
Hmmmmmm.
I still think O-man is a pussy.
Sapwolf on October 7, 2009 at 5:17 PM
Now you just sound dirty…
nyx on October 7, 2009 at 5:17 PM
No.
ddrintn on October 7, 2009 at 5:17 PM
Nukes made conventional explosives obsolete. Only political concerns keep us from using them. This MOP can’t even begin to compare to nukes for penetration. And it’s extremely heavy. As for blast radius a nuke can be thousands of times more powerful as well.
keep the change on October 7, 2009 at 5:17 PM
The IAF has no strategic bombers. Not sure but I don’t think F-15i Strike Eagles can carry anything close to this big a payload.
The IAF does have C-130s, which are cargo planes. While cargo planes don’t seem useful as bombers at first glance, The US used C-130s to drop huge 15,000 lb “daisy cutters” in Vietnam. They just rolled them out off the back ramp on pallets over the target. Since the C-130 has both the range and the payload for the mission, the same approach might work for the MOP.
Cicero43 on October 7, 2009 at 5:18 PM
Ask the Israelis how “stupid” they think that is.
ddrintn on October 7, 2009 at 5:18 PM
In the practical art of war, you must be prepared to fight at any time in the future. In the impractical art of war, you should have been prepared quite some time ago, and it’s probably already too late. You’re screwed.
- Sun Tzu’s Nephew
All warfare is based on deception. Hey, what’s that behind you?
- Sun Tzu’s Great Nephew
MB4 on October 7, 2009 at 5:19 PM
Cool new weapons aside, I thought the issue with bombing was not so much that we couldn’t find a way to do it, but that the only effective way to stop Iran from going nuclear involves an inevitable ground war, and dealing with their oil allies like Russia and China?
TexasDan on October 7, 2009 at 5:19 PM
Try not to be a tool.
This was leaked.
Anders on October 7, 2009 at 5:19 PM
If Dear Liar does decide to bomb the Iranian nuclear facilities, I will support Him — on that issue.
Outlook hazy. Ask again later.
rbj on October 7, 2009 at 5:19 PM
Odumbass doesn’t have the courage to do anything remotely close to bombing Iran. However, if he does, I’m sure Bill Aryes can provide some tips.
txag92 on October 7, 2009 at 5:20 PM
Somebody’s probably mentioned this already, but “bomb bomb bomb, bomb bomb Iran”…
McCain took so much flak for that. And look where we are now. Great job chump.
Black Yoshi on October 7, 2009 at 5:20 PM
AND HE’S GOING TO LEAVE THE EIB NETWORK?
I wonder how much Congress will appropriate for the “I Apologize” neon lights for the nose of these bombs?
Cybergeezer on October 7, 2009 at 5:20 PM
Carry a big stick… and twirl it around like a majorette running for Prom Queen!
alliebobbitt on October 7, 2009 at 5:20 PM
I think a small nuke with a penetrator casing would be the ideal weapon here. No fallout, just an underground explosion. Smoke ‘em if you’ve got ‘em, I say.
neuromancer on October 7, 2009 at 5:20 PM
Don’t we suspect that Iran has Russian missile defenses? I don’t thing Vegas would give that pokey old C-130 very good odds.
TexasDan on October 7, 2009 at 5:21 PM
well, you know if Iran gets banged, Qom will get quite messy.
keep the change on October 7, 2009 at 5:21 PM
laying the ground work? This leak does not trouble me.
rob verdi on October 7, 2009 at 5:21 PM
Here is a valuable, two-fold lesson.
Lesson 1.) People with no experience in running a business have no concept of logistics or supply.
Lesson 2.) Everything liberals know about the military they learned from other liberals in Hollywood.
The President: “Gee whiz! We need a BIG BOMB! Have the Pentagon call Bombs R Us, and tell ‘em to send some Big Bombs over on the next delivery truck!”
oldleprechaun on October 7, 2009 at 5:21 PM
If we had been busy drilling for oil in America the last decade we could have a strategy of destroying Iranian oil production and destroy their financial resources. This would also have the benefit of focusing China at least, and maybe Russia.
WashJeff on October 7, 2009 at 5:23 PM
One MOP for a well may fix everything.
faraway on October 7, 2009 at 5:23 PM
Here’s a 2003 study on the use of earth penetrator nuclear weapons for just this purpose. Now using this weapon would take some real stones:
http://www.fas.org/spp/starwars/crs/RS20834.pdf
neuromancer on October 7, 2009 at 5:23 PM
The Israelis have spent the last 40 years doing whatever won votes for hawkish politicians, regardless of whether it moved the region any closer to peace, confident that we would bail their butts out in the end, no matter what they did. For that arrogance, for the billions we’ve poured into their economy and for taking out Saddam for them, they can listen to us for a change.
Note that eight years of Bush being an honorary Knesset member did nothing for Israel’s security.
Bleeds Blue on October 7, 2009 at 5:24 PM
This is in the public record. No leak; just some good reporting by ABC.
SteveMG on October 7, 2009 at 5:24 PM
These sorts of non-nuclear devices are valuable if you are a Western country wanting to minimize civilian casualties. If you are a non-Western country indifferent to or wanting to maximize civilian casualties, nukes are the way to go.
Realist on October 7, 2009 at 5:25 PM
Biden does a Slim Pickens and rides one down shouting “YEEHAW!”
Christien on October 7, 2009 at 5:25 PM
And now the usual lefty (and far righty) Israel bashing.
Because we all know the problem with Mid East peace has been the Israelis.
Not those wanting to wipe it off the face of the earth.
SteveMG on October 7, 2009 at 5:25 PM
I’m sorry – this is an idiotic statement – please say you’re joking.
Do you realize what kind of platform it takes to deploy a bomb of this magnitude? My God – it’s huge dude. You cannot put one of these on top of an intercontenental ballistic missile.
Nuclear Ballistic Missiles carry MULTIPLE WARHEADS (plus decoys) and each armed warhead carries much more punch than ONE of these massive conventional bombs. Additionally, since they are fired from Submarines and land stations – they can reach their targets anywhere in the world in minutes.
I mean seriously … “nukes are obsolete”?? GET A CLUE dude.
HondaV65 on October 7, 2009 at 5:26 PM
From an administration that refuses to press for the death penalty for terrorist kingpins?
Pfft!
jjshaka on October 7, 2009 at 5:26 PM
don’t Israel has anything that could lug a fifteen ton bomb and could get through Iranian air defenses.
Realist on October 7, 2009 at 5:06 PM
Could just paint stars of David on a couple B-2s.
False flag op.
1921 C DRUM on October 7, 2009 at 5:26 PM
You mean like relinquishing Gaza so it could become a Hamas rocket-launching pad?
Like I said, the comment wasn’t at all stupid. You proved it.
ddrintn on October 7, 2009 at 5:26 PM
Zing.
the_nile on October 7, 2009 at 5:27 PM
ABC late to the party as usual. This is old news from a couple weeks ago. Youtube, Debka etc. etc.
dddave on October 7, 2009 at 5:27 PM
I believe C-130′s are used to deliver weapons this big. The GPS is on the bomb so it’s drop and forget. Or more like drop and scoot.
darwin on October 7, 2009 at 5:28 PM
No lines to read between when Ogabe speaks, he is the apex of gutless, always more worried about his poll numbers than anything else.
Bishop on October 7, 2009 at 5:28 PM
The C-130 could lift it, but I would imagine the Iranian AAA around the targets and the approaches to them would resemble something like the Haiphong/Hanoi defenses during the Vietnam War. I don’t think C-130′s could survive that.
Then again, any raid would probably be preceded by special ops going in and taking out the radar and communications sites like we did on the eve of the air campaign during Desert Storm.
Last desperate option would be for Israel to airburst some sort of EMP weapon and fry Iran’s entire electrical grid.
J.J. Sefton on October 7, 2009 at 5:28 PM
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