US shows new toy to world, page 1

Smile, you GBU-57A/B Massive Ordnance Penetrator you! Or like I like to call you: Mr. Holmes, the 30,000-pound (13.6 metric tons) precision-guided bunker buster. That's 25,000 pounds heavier than the largest bunker-buster available.

The US Air Force said yesterday that they are going to buy an arsenal of these bombs, which will be incorporated into the B-2A bomber fleet. Manufactured by Boeing, they are designed to destroy any bunker buried under ground, so you know these are designed for the Kim Jong-Ils, Bin Ladens, and Ahmadinejads of this world. If you fall into any of these three categories, mark your calendars now: The Holmes will reach operational status in June 2012.

The GPS-guided GBU-57A/B has a 2.7 metric ton high explosive warhead, and can penetrate 200 feet (60 meters) of 5,000 psi reinforced concrete, 26 feet (8 meters) of 10,000 psis reinforced concrete, or 130 feet (40 meters) of moderately hard rock. [The Dew Line and Wikipedia]

Gizmondo

Thats right boys and girls, a 30,000 pound bunker buster with a 20,000 pound warhead.

Unfortunately, it is not set to go into production/deployment until 2012.

Sorry, that makes it a bit late for uses like Iran and N.K.

This weapon differs from the MOAB in that the moab is meant to be a surface/just above surface burst weapon.

The New bigboy is meant to tunnel down through rock and reinforced concrete

[edit on 11/6/2009 by Mirthful Me]

reply to post by Destroyed

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You are right.

Also, ya, got to love that 2012 timetable, eh?

reply to post by mrmonsoon

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At this point there is no denying that 2012 is going to be one eventful year whether the world ends or not lol plenty of other things are going to happen anyway. Probably for the worst

reply to post by PrisonerOfSociety

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Well, officially, it goes into service in 2012 as part of the standard optional ordinance for b-2's

POS (ok, that is an unfortunate shorting);

I am inclined to agree with you.

For example, both the B-2 and F-117 were fully operational when they were shown for the first time.

Another possibility, never let your enemies know what you have now, make them think you have nothing new, now.

Then when you use your new toy, the enemy is taken completely by surprise.

What's the big deal with this bomb, the RAF had, and used, 5 and 10 ton bombs during WWII, fair enough they weren't going to be laser guided precision weapons back then, but given the sheer bravery of the aircrew to deliver the weapon to target and that the 5 ton bomb was described as the earthquake bomb, a near miss was usually good enough to bring down the target.

Check out these links: Grand Slam & Tallboy

How long until the US develops a bouncing bomb and claims that: Bouncing Bomb

reply to post by PrisonerOfSociety

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LOLOLOL

So the new bomb will be to the Earth like a horny dog to your leg???


Thanks for the laugh.

reply to post by mrmonsoon

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Not so much horny, but a rabid pitbull ripping your leg off.

I guess we know what Bush will be doing on June 2012...

reply to post by Rob37n

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The big deal is the sexual penetration of these monsters.

Here's a pithy GBU-39 bunker buster, that only penetrates 10foot of concrete. Now imagine the explosive force of penetrating 200 feet (60 meters) of 5,000 psi reinforced concrete.

reply to post by Popeye

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Why would the publicly display any of their weapons are they trying to inspire fear into their enemies

reply to post by Destroyed

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Well,

If you can make your enemies see you will completely destroy them, they may be less willing to go to war.

It may also mack them more cooperative in negotiations.

reply to post by mrmonsoon

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True it might also inspire the likes of China or Russia to develop such weaponry as to show the U.S they are not easily pushed around either.

reply to post by PrisonerOfSociety

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I still don't see the big deal, this was being done back in the 1940's. A more impressive weapon would be a smaller device with a more devastating impact, bigger isn't necessarily better! A one ton bomb with the same penetration that had the same explosive effect of a ten ton bomb would impress me more.

The technologies available today to a genius like Barnes Wallis would have resulted in some truly amazing weapons, what could he have achieved with today's computer aided design and simulation technologies.

reply to post by Rob37n

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Do you realise these weapons don't explode on contact? They have a latency to maximise impact where it's needed...deep underground.

I wonder if they are powerful enough to destroy the mini black holes that could form in the Earths centre from the LHC due to be powered up this September?

why was this edited ? =================

[edit on 11-6-2009 by audas]

reply to post by PrisonerOfSociety

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Neither did the Wallis bombs, they penetrated the ground before blowing up, the shock wave through the earth being far more destructive than through air, typically causing the target to wobble to pieces via an earthquake effect, hence the Tallboy (5 ton) bomb was also called the earthquake bomb, and was done back in the 1940's.

Give credit where it's due, this was worked out with pencils, slide rules, and brain power of one genius, not from a corporation and team if 100's if not 1000's of people working to develop the bomb (not that there is anything wrong with that).

My point is that this US development is nothing new, check the references, look up what 617 Squadron achieved during WWII on their bombing raids, nothing short of heroic (apologies to any German readers), but their efforts in the days before computer guided precision ordnance was startling.

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