Details about the future NGP are limited, but current speculation suggests it could be roughly similar in size to the 30,000-pound “Massive Ordnance Penetrator.”
The United States Air Force used its highly touted 30,000-pound GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP) “bunker buster” bomb in its June airstrikes against Iran’s nuclear facilities, including the Fordow enrichment plant that was built inside a mountain. The enrichment center at Fordow was located deep below ground and reinforced with layers of special concrete. In spite of this, the White House claimed that the GBU-57 had successfully “obliterated” the facility.
However, independent observers have questioned whether the GPS-guided weapon was really able to completely destroy the site.
That skepticism helps to explain why the United States Air Force Life Cycle Management Center’s (AFLCMC’s) Munition Directorate at Eglin Air Force Base (AFB) has awarded Applied Research Associates (ARA) a two-year (24-month) contract to develop an even more powerful bunker-buster bomb. ARA will collaborate with Boeing on the development of the “Next Generation Penetrator” (NGP) air-to-ground weapon system, which the service has stated could destroy hardened bunkers, tunnels, and other targets buried deep underground.
As part of the contract, ARA will design, assemble, and then test a “sub-scaled and full-scaled prototype” of the future ordnance, the company announced. Both prototypes will be tested on hardened and deeply buried targets.
The New Mexico-based firm will partner with Boeing, the developer and prime contractor of the GBU-57/B, providing associated support, including development of the tail kit.
“We are honored to continue supporting AFLCMC with innovative solutions that advance their mission. The ARA-Boeing Team has unique expertise, and this award emphasizes the trust that AFLCMC EBD places in ARA’s proven capabilities and long-standing commitment to excellence,” said ARA President and CEO Rob Sues.
With Bombs, Bigger Isn’t Always Better
Details about the future NGP are limited, but current speculation suggests it could be roughly similar in size to the 30,000-pound MOP. A 2024 System for Award Management (SAM) request for information (RFI) post indicated that the Air Force has sought a warhead design that would weigh under 22,000 pounds—giving it greater adaptability than the GBU-57 and potentially allowing other aircraft to carry it—but would nonetheless be capable of providing “blast/frag/and penetration effects.” It further called for the “possible integration of embedded fuze technology,” which could allow for more accurate trigger detonation, even for a “Hard and Deeply Buried Target.”
The United States Air Force’s Northrop B-2 Spirit stealth bomber is the only aircraft currently in service capable of delivering the GBU-57 to a target, and it can carry two at a time. As the upcoming Northrop Grumman B-21 Raider is smaller, it might only be able to carry a single NGP, even if it is slightly smaller than the GBU-57. It should be noted that the GBU-57 entered service in the early 2000s, but wasn’t employed in combat until this past summer’s Operation Midnight Hammer. The NGP could serve as a similar weapon of last resort, and even if each B-21 can only carry one, the Raider fleet is on track to be significantly larger, thereby addressing the issue.
Moreover, according to DefenseScoop, lessons from the use of the GBU-57 MOP on Iran’s nuclear facilities are likely to help direct the development of the NGP.
The contract required ARA to produce around 10 sub-scale versions and as many as five-scale warheads within an 18- to 24-month timeline. Testing of the future bunker buster’s sub-scale and full-scale prototypes, including in tunnels, underground facilities, and even hardened sites, is expected to be completed in fiscal year 2026 (FY26), which begins on October 1, 2025. The Air Force had requested approximately $73.7 million in its FY26 budget to support the development of the NGP.
About the Author: Peter Suciu
Peter Suciu has contributed over 3,200 published pieces to more than four dozen magazines and websites over a 30-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a contributing writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. He is based in Michigan. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: [email protected].
Image: Wikimedia Commons.
