US tested biggest ‘bunker-buster’ bomb in its arsenal

News, US April 4, 2015 , by IRIA No Comments

The US military has tested the biggest “bunker-buster” bomb in its arsenal, a weapon designed to penetrate targets buried deep underground, a report says.

The Wall Street Journal reported on Friday that the 30,000-pound (15 tons or 13,608 kilograms) device, known as the Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP), was tested in mid-January.

A B-2 Spirit Stealth Bomber, which took off from Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri, dropped the upgraded precision-guided bomb at a testing site at an undisclosed location in the United States, unnamed military officials told theJournal.

According to officials, the Pentagon was largely satisfied with the results of the January test, but work on improving the weapon still continues.

The US military declined to comment on any improvements to the Massive Ordnance Penetrator.

“The United States military prepares for a broad range of potential threats to include developing munitions designed to address deeply buried and hardened facilities,” Pentagon spokesman Col. Steve Warren said.

The Journal report said that work to improve the design, guidance systems and anti-jamming capabilities on the world’s largest conventional bomb began last year.

GJH/RT/PTV