US upgrades super bomb to deal with North Korean underground tunnels
The GBU-57 concrete-piercing bomb is expected to be upgraded to increase its ability to destroy fortified targets deep underground.
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A B-2 bomber drops a GBU-57 bomb during a test. |
"The new upgrade package will improve the ability to destroy hardened and deep underground targets of the GBU-57 MOP super bomb,"Bloombergquoted US Air Force spokeswoman Emily Grabowski speaking last week.
The GBU-57 MOP is the largest non-nuclear bomb in the US arsenal, surpassing the GBU-43 MOAB, nicknamed "The Mother of All Bombs". The MOP is optimized for penetrating hardened targets, instead of maximizing explosive power to destroy many soft targets on the ground like the MOAB.
Each GBU-576.2 m long, 0.8 m in diameter and weighing nearly 14 tons. The bomb is equipped with a satellite guidance system, can penetrate 60 m thick reinforced concrete before activating the 2.4 ton explosive, maximizing damage inside the underground bunker.
According to military experts, the power of the GBU-57 bomb makes it the top choice for the US's preemptive strike on North Korea. When war breaks out, B-2 stealth bombers can use the GBU-57 to attack North Korea's fortified underground tunnel system, neutralizing the leadership and the ability to respond with ballistic missiles. Underground weapons depots and fortified nuclear facilities can also become targets of the GBU-57 bomb.
The US Air Force currently possesses 20 GBU-57 bombs, which cost up to 3.5 million USD each. However, it is unclear whether the B-2 bombers stationed in the Pacific are equipped with this type of bomb.
