Pentagon Seeks Mightier Bomb vs. Iran

[think]

Pentagon Seeks Mightier Bomb vs. Iran
By ADAM ENTOUS And JULIAN E. BARNES

WASHINGTON—Pentagon war planners have concluded that their largest conventional bomb isn't yet capable of destroying Iran's most heavily fortified underground facilities, and are stepping up efforts to make it more powerful, according to U.S. officials briefed on the plan.
....

....The Defense Department has spent about $330 million so far to develop about 20 of the bombs, which are built by Boeing Co. The Pentagon is seeking about $82 million more to make the bomb more effective, according to government officials briefed on the plan.

Some experts question if any kind of conventional explosives are capable of reaching facilities such as those built deep underground in Iran. But U.S. defense officials say they believe the MOP could already do damage sufficient to set back the program.

Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, in an interview with The Wall Street Journal Thursday, acknowledged the bomb's shortcomings against some of Iran's deepest bunkers. He said more development work would be done and that he expected the bomb to be ready to take on the deepest bunkers soon....

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203363504577187420287098692.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

This is the same bomb that earned these accolades last week:

The 30,000-lb Massive Ordnance Penetrator Bomb Works So Well It Earned A Rare Honor
....The group's recognition with the William J. Perry award was delivered by the Precision Strike Association to honor "one of the Secretary of Defense's number one weapons programs." ...

Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/this-30000-massive-ordnance-penetrator-bomb-works-so-well-its-design-team-just-won-a-rare-honor-2012-1

Mentioned here on DU:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/117852

[tabatha]

1. As an environmentalist, and a soil preservationist

I cannot stand the idea of these things being used.

[marasinghe]

2. obligatory musical accompaniment

[bemildred]

3. More tax money thrown down a rathole to enrich the Defense Bidness. nt