Comments on: ABC: Pentagon places “urgent” order for four massive bunker-busting bombs

By: liveslow

liveslow — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 14:48:51 +0000

There is no way they will use anything nuclear, even if it may be the best tactical option. There would be way too much political fallout.

OTOH, if they’re gonna do it they’re gonna destroy the facility. There’s no point in destroying roads or tunnels that can be easily rebuilt. If they strike it will be to put the program back years, not months.

By: Herb

Herb — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 14:25:00 +0000

There goes the Nobel Peace Prize!

By: rocketman

rocketman — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 01:14:04 +0000

***
Why would Israel try to build a 15 ton deep penetrating bomb with conventional explosives? Hard to carry on their aircraft and hard to get to the target.
***
Why not use one (or more) of their nukes as the “core” of a smaller ground penetrating bomb? Much smaller–and probably deliverable on a real high speed missile from high altitude. If it can get 100 meters underground before it goes off 20,000 tons of explosion will make the ground jump a lot more than 15 tons of explosion will. Specialty metals like titanium or depleted uranium might penetrate far enough.
***
I remember seeing a rolling “earthquake wave” 20 feet high radiating out from the underground A-bomb test site in Nevada a long time ago. I don’t think any underground facility within a quarter of a mile could survive it. And the fallout would be confined in the remains of the underground facility.
***
Think nuke. If Iran really wants them we–or the Israelis–can supply some coming in at 3000 meters per second. And GPS will put them within a few meters of “underground zero”.
***
John Bibb
***

By: AH_C

AH_C — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 00:14:34 +0000

E9RET on October 8, 2009 at 4:55 PM

Correct me if I’m wrong, but didn’t a C-130 deliver MOAB? I think there’s a gulf of difference between “nonstarter” and “unconventional”.

For now we can just amuse ourselves with the speculations and it’s all good. Just remember, in war, we don’t have to have the ultimate 100% solution, when 80% result from 20% effort can achieve objectives.

By: jonezee

jonezee — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 22:18:05 +0000

I still can’t believe that White House art. LOL. You couldn’t think up something like that.

By: E9RET

E9RET — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 20:55:29 +0000

Four were requested in February. Eight more were requested about three weeks ago. The comment about two (2) MOP in B-2 is accurate. C-130H have payload of 45,000 pounds and service ceiling of 23,000 feet. Earlier ones only a little less. Oh yes, a range just a bit over 2,000 miles. Also air refuelable for more. C-117 could also work.

As for the Russian S-300 missile; Israelis beat that in Syria two years ago. Heh.

You folks don’t read (all) the right sites. Old news on SP. And for the Federailies, I subscribe.

Flying Alaska

Caststeel

I assume you meant a C-17.

I do read the right websites and I lived for 28 yrs. with all the airborne USAF hardware and airframes available.

Guys, in the real world of combat and ADA, dropping ordnance from a cargo plane is a non-starter, along with dropping it from a 737, 747, 757, 777 or any airbus made.

The C-133 could carry a Minuteman, Atlas and Titan but that didn’t mean it could fire them!

Allahpundit’s heart’s in the right place but there is nothing in the IAF that could deliver a payload that big on Gaza much less than several thousand miles away in Iran.

In addition I suspect that western Iranian airspace is closely approaching the status of “the most deadliest airspace in the Middle East if not the world.”

Unfortunately, this kind of saber rattling is as effective as a dummy CCTV camera is for deterring crime; the thieves know it’s not real and the Iranians know we’re (Obama) not serious.

It’s starting to become embarrassing.

By: ABC: Pentagon places “urgent” order for four massive bunker-busting bombs | Legal-Sleaze.com

Thu, 08 Oct 2009 13:39:54 +0000

[...] He’s got the “speak softly” part pretty well covered. [...] Read the rest » [...]

By: MarkTheGreat

MarkTheGreat — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 12:06:00 +0000

You don’t have to destroy the lab itself to render it inoperational, just destroying the tunnels that lead to it will knock it out of action for months. Not to mention killing many, if not most of the technicians working on it.

By: csdeven

csdeven — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 10:11:19 +0000

The B2 already has a payload capacity of 40,000 pounds and with the proper modifications will be able to carry two of those bad mamma jammmas.

By: SuperCool

SuperCool — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 08:05:58 +0000

Fifteen ton conventional bomb…doubt a B2 could dump one of those. Could a B-52?

Suppose we could use a Delta IV as the delivery system.

If anyone asks “Hey, we’re just launching our moon probes! Nothing to see here!”

By: wuesteblitz

wuesteblitz — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 07:40:57 +0000

I wonder if the C-130 can attain the altitude necessary to drop a MOP? From what I understand the MOP needs as much free fall time as you can give it to attain the necessary velocity required to slice through 200 feet of rock. I could see the B-2 attaining sufficient altitude with ease, but not a C-130.

Though I doubt the MOP will ever be used on Iran, outside of a full scale war that is.

By: BDU-33

BDU-33 — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 07:25:21 +0000

It’s the largest non-nuclear explosive on earth.

Minor Scale was bigger

By: BDU-33

BDU-33 — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 07:03:22 +0000

OMFG were going to bomb Iran!!! Oh the carbon footprint it will leave! It’s really not big news; they are just accelerating the program by 3 years. I would assume at the funding expense of the SDB. The MOP program was started in 2004 a Boeing, Northrop project. The only airframes slated to carry the MOP is the B-52 and the B-2. Here’s a picture of the MOP, and another.

By: AH_C

AH_C — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 05:29:08 +0000

Why does it have to be a B2 or C-130 delivery platform? A simple mod to a jumbo gets you speed & altitude and disguise. Heck, forget launching an attack from Israel. Just lease a jumbo and fly it out of anywhere but Israel to make the drop.

I hear Antovs out of Russia can be leased on the cheap — no questions asked. Heh!

By: LegendHasIt

LegendHasIt — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 04:43:05 +0000

Don’t joke about that. It’s too possible to be funny.
Dark-Star on October 7, 2009 at 8:33 PM

Who was joking? I’d have used a smiley if that were the case.

By: Ghostbuster

Ghostbuster — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 04:07:35 +0000

I was born under a 49 star USA flag, so that should zero in the age for you a tad better…

Khun Joe on October 7, 2009 at 6:57 PM

.
Gee, does that mean you have 12 years experience …. let’s see, four times …. that should be about right.

By: OldEnglish

OldEnglish — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 03:57:08 +0000

Tora Bora seems more likely. That would solve the question of increasing troop numbers – if successful.

By: CPL 310

CPL 310 — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 03:35:00 +0000

Archimedes on October 7, 2009 at 8:59 PM

Suppose they don’t use conventional delivery means?

I’m sure a 737 could carry one, or something with the IFF tag of a 737 from Libya Air or some such could fly right on through, especially with a decoy or two distracting their air defense network. Speaking of which, didn’t Iran lose their only AWACS last week?

And Israel always could deliver it by ground as well.

By: huckelberry

huckelberry — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 02:12:30 +0000

Don’t you get bored with sounding stupid?

Bleeds Blue on October 7, 2009 at 5:12 PM

Irony so deep the fabric of the universe is strained.

TexasDan on October 7, 2009 at 5:15 PM

bleeds poo , I do get bored with your stoopidity.

By: dhunter

dhunter — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 01:37:14 +0000

Do you suppose that we have some interesting info from these guys that might give reason for such big bombs?

Shiny_Tiara on October 7, 2009 at 8:58 PM

I’d sooner think Hussein would have a couple of SEIU thugs waterboard them to death before thay have a chance to give up Muslim Jihadi secrets

By: crosspatch

crosspatch — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 01:21:16 +0000

We need to have them paid a visit by General Newcomb Goode.

By: FontanaConservative

FontanaConservative — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 01:14:30 +0000

Khun Joe on October 7, 2009 at 6:57 PM

Then act your age!!!

By: TugboatPhil

TugboatPhil — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 01:01:30 +0000

Joe Biden says, “Hey Iran! Obama’s got the answer for you. It’s a 3 letter word; B-O-M-B!”

By: Archimedes

Archimedes — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 00:59:24 +0000

Part of the reason is that the B-2’s speed was actually needed to provide guidance momentum for the bomb. A C-130 can’t fly fast enough to do that, even if it could lift the weight.

If I remember my loading specs correctly, A C-130 tops out at about 24K lbs, or two Sheridan light “tanks” (appx same weight as M 1113 APC) plus crews, equip & ammo.

Still a little shy of the 30K needed.

By: Shiny_Tiara

Shiny_Tiara — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 00:58:06 +0000

The plot thickens. Gird your loins, ladies and gents.

Where did two Iran nuclear scientists disappear to? Two Iranian nuclear scientists disappeared over the past weeks and allegedly defected to the West, the London-based pan-Arabic daily Asharq al-Awsat reported. According to the report, the first defector is Sharam Amiri, a scientist in Iran's nuclear program who was likely tied to the recently discovered secret uranium enrichment plant near the holy city of Qom.

Do you suppose that we have some interesting info from these guys that might give reason for such big bombs?