The MOP was developed in the early 2000s as part of a DARPA-led effort created in response to the emergence of Iranian and North Korean fortified nuclear facilities.
President Donald Trump unilaterally authorized airstrikes against Iranian nuclear facilities this weekend, after intensive Israeli lobbying efforts. The motivation behind Israel’s intensive lobbying is that the United States is the only nation with the weaponry capable of penetrating Iran’s fortified, 300-foot underground nuclear facilities. The United States used the GBU-57A/B Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP) bomb, which only the B-2 Spirit stealth bomber can carry, to target Iran’s nuclear facilities.
The MOP and the B-2 are tightly linked in US strategic doctrine; they are used in combination against hard targets, such as the nuclear bunkers that comprise much of Iran’s and North Korea’s nuclear programs.
Introducing the “Massive Ordnance Penetrator” Bomb
The MOP is a 30,000-pound bomb measuring 20.5 feet in length. Its defining feature is its ability to penetrate through hard structures before detonating. The MOP is capable of penetrating through more than 200 feet of concrete, or more than 60 feet of reinforced earth, before detonating.
The key to the MOP’s penetrating ability is its hardened steel design, with a dense nose built to survive impact at high speed. The MOP gains kinetic energy during descent after deployment. The velocity and mass of the ordnance combine for a devastating punch.
On the way down, the MOP relies upon GPS-aided inertial navigation for targeting. Its Circular Error Probable (CEP) radius is within a few meters, which is exceptionally accurate for a weapon of this scale. The accuracy of the MOP is vital because the bomb is often used to attack difficult-to-hit targets like shafts and tunnels. Once on target, the MOP only detonates after penetrating to maximum depth, relying upon a programmable fuze for target-specific timing, i.e., detonation after penetration of X feet.
DARPA Built the MOP Bomb With Iran in Mind
The MOP was developed in the early 2000s as part of a DARPA-led effort created in response to the emergence of Iranian and North Korean fortified nuclear facilities. Accordingly, the MOP is designed to target deep underground facilities such as nuclear installations, command bunkers hardened against EMP or nuclear blasts, and tunnel networks.
Due to the bomb’s size, the B-2 can only carry two MOPs at a time. Moreover, given the B-2’s stealth profile, the aircraft can evade radar and air defenses long enough to get in range for MOP deployment against fortified targets deep within enemy airspace. The MOP/B-2 combination gives the United States a unique conventional first-strike option against sites and bunkers that would otherwise require nuclear weapons to neutralize. The result is a conventional tool that can serve as a nuclear deterrence and counter-proliferation tool.
About the Author: Harrison Kass
Harrison Kass is a defense and national security writer with over 1,000 total pieces on issues involving global affairs. An attorney, pilot, guitarist, and minor pro hockey player, Harrison joined the US Air Force as a Pilot Trainee but was medically discharged. Harrison holds a BA from Lake Forest College, a JD from the University of Oregon, and an MA from New York University. Harrison listens to Dokken.
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