The 15-ton “Bunkerbuster” bomb is likely essential for targeting Iran’s last undamaged nuclear site, and only the United States possesses it.
These potent weapons, noted as the largest non-nuclear bombs in the U.S. arsenal, are required for the mission. The Fordow fuel enrichment facility, located approximately 300 feet within a mountain near Qom—around two hours south of Tehran—poses a significant challenge.
Dubbed the GBU-57A/B, this massive explosive was developed by Boeing specifically for the U.S. Air Force.
Due to its considerable weight, it can only be delivered by a B-2 Spirit Stealth Bomber, a type of aircraft the Israeli Air Force does not operate.
“The United States has control over both the bombers and the bombs,” stated John Spencer, who leads urban warfare studies at West Point’s Modern Warfare Institute, in a recent interview.
These missiles cost over $500 million to develop, and a 2013 report from the Wall Street Journal indicated that they were designed to penetrate deeply enough to damage nuclear centrifuges.
Another variant of the “Bunker Buster” is the 5,000-pound GBU-37.
Latest updates on U.S. actions regarding Iran’s nuclear facilities.
“Thanks to its mass and powerful delivery system, the GBU-57A/B is engineered to penetrate the ground for a specific distance before detonating,” Spencer explained.
“These bunker busters are therefore referred to as intruders. They penetrate before exploding, with a strategically timed delay,” he added.
The U.S. does provide powerful bunker buster munitions to Israel, but has chosen not to share large intruder bombs with its allies.
Spencer noted, “I’ve dealt with 500-pound bombs, and when they’re deployed, the ground shakes—it’s like experiencing an earthquake. This will surpass that.”
