Report: U.S. Air Force receives new 15-ton bunker buster bombs
U.S. Air Force started receiving the massive bombs in September, Bloomberg news agency reports; the bombs are capable of destroying underground targets, such as Iran's nuclear sites.
By Haaretz Tags: Iran Iran threat Iran US Iran nuclearThe U.S. Air Force has received new 30,000-pound bombs capable of destroying deep underground bunkers, the Bloomberg news agency reported.
The bombs, designed to be delivered by B-2 stealth bombers, "will meet requirements for the current operational need," U.S. Air Force spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Jack Miller said in a statement to Bloomberg.
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A U.S. Air Force B-2 stealth bomber refueling over the Pacific Ocean |
| Photo by: AP |
The U.S. Air Force reportedly started receiving the bombs in September. The bombs are six times bigger than the U.S. Air Force's current bunker-busters.
According to the Bloomberg report, the Boeing company in August received a $32 million contract for eight of the bombs.
Tensions between the U.S. and Iran rose recently after the release of an IAEA report that found that Iran has been working on developing nuclear weapons since 2003.
The U.S. and Israel have not ruled out conducting military strikes against Iran's nuclear facilities, some of which are located in fortified underground locations.
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Maybe it will escalate to nukes. Hope Iran has some, but not to worry, Russia and China can use theirs....including Pakistan and North Korea. Shipping in the Strait of Hormuz should be stopped until the radioactive clouds clear.....a long time, yes? Salaam/Shalom
although these alleged new bunker busters could annihilate the iranian nuclear program, let us not forget that iranians have massed centrifuges in the holy, populated city of Qom. Force of people will always prevail, just like Iran would never dare attack Jerusalem (Quds), United States will never dare attack Qom. Nothing more than military posturing once again.
The Iranian Regime, deathly afraid of any strike on its motherland that's nervously attempting to bring its evil child to full term, is not keen on any late term abortion to be performed by Israel or its allies. But sometimes such operations are necessary to save the foolish mother from herself.
nuclear-armed iran must be prevented by any and all means necessary
These weapons were supposed to be ready and delivered last year. Their acquisition was hidden in a routine supplemental budget request in the 2009 timeframe.
What about we all go on a nice picnic to the beach instead. I'll buy the ice creams.
US have no shame and neither got the weapons company that profit from death and destruction.
this is not good.
The US has spent Trillions on stealth tech and there already exist countermeasures for this. Iran has bought this technology from Ukraine and other unspecified countries. An F-117 nighthawk was shot down by Yugoslavian SA-3 Goa missile (70's technology) over Kosovo in 1999. It is 2011 and Iran possesses a lot more modern hardware than the former Yugoslavian army ever had. Anyone thinking that posturing,warmongering threats of bunker busters , sanctions or anything else will scare the Iranians, is day dreaming. Remember Iraq; they had been under sanctions for a very long time and yet it actually took boots on the ground for regime change. Iran is in a much better position than Iraq was and the only country that could put boots on the ground the USA won't do it under Obama. The Persians will get their nukes, the world will have to live with it and life will go on.
I wouldn't be around any nuclear sites when these are let go.
I find it odd that given the fact that the US has been actively and directly involved in massive bombing campaigns that overturned regimes and changed MIddle East realities in four or five major locations in the last decade that you would still call this sabre rattling. This is called - order to deliver -and serve it up in the face of the enemy - but give him one last chance to wave the white flag before the pancakemaking machine gets rolled out onto the stage.
Israel will never use its nuclear weapons as anything but a deterrent. You just hate Israel and will say anything that puts them in a bad light.
Israel likes to claim that they use these bombs as a deterrent, but this is certainly not the case. Only foolish people will believe words when they are the opposite of actions. This is especially true regarding Israel.
There are so many things that contribute towards it...
in 1973 Golda Meir made known to Nixon that unless arms shipments to Israel were immediately sent, she would have to resort to "extreme measures". As bad as things were, Israel didn't roll out the nukes.
Sharp as nails you are
Don't deny it. Check the names at the Pentagram, Raytheon, Adm. of the Fleet....oy vey. Salaam/Shalom
The bomb is only good if there is a delivery system. Obama controls both as the US CINC. It is nice to know that the B-2 works and we can nuke the USSR if the US wants to - the design purpose of the B-2.
Bombing Iran is a lose-lose situation for the US. It will be attacking the fourth Muslim country in the region in a decade. That is not good politics nor diplomacy. If the US attacks Iran it will be on the instigation of Israel and it's agents in the US Congress.
them towards 21st century!
Russia may ignore the issue after they sell their guns but China have $100 Billion worth contracts with Iran to import >100 million metric tons of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) and another $70 billion for importing 270 million tons of natural gas over 30 years as well as $billions spent in modernization Iranian oil and gas sector due to their heavy reliance on these sources.
to bring countries into 21st century. Btw, are there not other countries in the world USA can help bring into 21st century. I mean there is North Korea, a repressive and tyrannical leader. There is China, a communist country driven a dictator with crap load of human rights violation. Why only Muslim countries with crap load of oil and gas?
It's quite staggering the amount of wasted time and effort the US is putting into trying to scare Iran. If it put a fraction of that time and effort into telling Israel to get serious about peace, there would have been a solution to the Palestine/israel conflict many years ago.
The solution to the conflict as taught to Palestinian children:push the Israelis into the sea. If the Palestinians (or the Arab nations at that) do not even accept Israel's right to exist, there is very little the US or any other nation can do.
Hooray for the USAF. They now have the facility to create more Iranian widows and fatherless children.
No matter how flat you make teh pancake it has too sides D
I agree with you that there are always two sides to a conflict, but it doesn't mean that the one with the biggest bombs is in the right.
To all silly comments here about these bombs not doing anything against insurgency and guerilla warfare, please guys read the article! These bombs are meant for specific targets, (deep fortified underground bunkers). No one is proposing dropping million dollar 15 ton bombs on insurgents, dont be silly
she will be replaced by another power that will continue to kick your ass,be it Iran or Turkey while you will be counting your Divine victories against them hidden so your new master does not see it.
You Moshe are entitled to your opinion, although I will remind you what a wise man once said, "Opinions are like as--oles, everyone has one " Do I want the USA to police the worlds problems, no, but another Hitler is in your back yard, not mine.