Latest news with #B-52
India Today
2 days ago
- Politics
- India Today
Bunker busters, bombers, and battleships: How US is preparing for Iran
With tensions escalating between Iran and Israel, the United States has ramped up its military presence in the Middle East — a move aimed at shielding Israel from Iranian attacks and protecting American forces in the Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed the deployments, saying the movements were made to 'ensure that our people are safe.' The Pentagon has sent additional fighter jets, refueling tankers, and repositioned warships across strategic locations — signaling a potential readiness for deeper now have complete and total control of the skies over Iran,' President Donald Trump declared on social media, fueling speculation about possible US airstrikes on Iranian nuclear sites. Officials, however, stressed that no American aircraft had entered Iranian airspace as of Tuesday and that all operations remain defensive — aimed at intercepting Iranian missiles threatening AIRCRAFT MOVING TO THE MIDDLE EASTWhile numbers remain classified, a dozen F-16s have been relocated to Saudi Arabia, and US fighter jets are now patrolling the skies across the region. B-52 bombers at Diego Garcia are ready, and though B-2 stealth bombers — capable of carrying the 30,000-pound "bunker buster" bomb — are not currently deployed, they remain a powerful Massive Ordnance Penetrator, or GBU-57, could be used against Iran's Fordo nuclear site, a facility so deeply buried in the mountains that only this bomb could potentially destroy it. 'Only the US has the aircraft and the munitions needed for that kind of strike,' noted US Intel, a group that reviews open source information in real time in the Middle East, said the U.S. Air Force had put additional refueling aircraft and fighter jets in strategic locations across Europe, including England, Spain, Germany and Greece. The information was obtained from public aviation tracking websites, Associated Press warships have been intercepting Iranian missiles, with destroyers like the USS The Sullivans and USS Arleigh Burke playing a direct role in defending Israel. The USS Carl Vinson and its strike group are now positioned in the Arabian Sea, and the USS Nimitz is en route to reinforce or rotate USS Gerald R. Ford is set to deploy to the European theater of command within the next week. Although the mission was pre-planned and not prompted by the current conflict, the aircraft carrier — alongside its escorting warships — will expand the Trump's strategic FORCES ON ALERTUS troop presence in the Middle East has risen to nearly 40,000, up from the usual 30,000. Families at certain bases have been allowed to voluntarily evacuate, and installations remain on high alert. Troops number surged as high as 43,000 last October in response to tensions between Israel and Iran as well as continuous attacks on commercial and military ships in the Red Sea by the Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen.(With inputs from Associated Press)
Axios
3 days ago
- General
- Axios
U.S. Air Force offers first peek at LRSO nuclear missile
After years of secretive development, the U.S. Air Force last week provided its first look at a nuclear cruise missile expected to be wielded by B-52 bombers. Why it matters: Imagery like this is not shared carelessly.
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First Post
4 days ago
- Business
- First Post
What is bunker buster bomb that Israel needs from US to destroy Iran's nuclear sites?
In the conflict with Iran, Israel's top goal is to destroy Iran's nuclear facilities. But that is no easy task. The Jewish nation might need the GBU-57A/B Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP) bunker buster bomb to damage these underground sites. But what do we know about the Boeing and US Air Force-made bomb? How effective is it? read more A B-52 releases a test version of the Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP) during a test of the weapon over White Sands Missile Range, Image courtesy: US Department of Defence The Israel-Iran conflict is now in its fifth day. On Tuesday, Tehran launched strikes across central Israel. This came in the backdrop of Israel continuing to target sites in Iran including its military infrastructure. But even this isn't enough for Tel Aviv. Israel now wants to use the GBU-57A/B Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP) bunker buster bomb against Iran's nuclear sites. But what do we know about the American-made bomb? How effective is it? Let's take a closer look STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Origins The GBU-57A/B Massive Ordnance Penetrator is designed by Boeing and manufactured by the US Air Force. It is said to be the most powerful non-nuclear bomb in the US Air Force's possession. Guided by GPS, it is designed to hit enemy bunkers deep beneath the earth. Work on designing the bomb began in the early 2000s – a joint venture of Northrop Grumman and Lockheed Martin. However, the project was abandoned after financial and technical difficulties. Interest in the project picked up again after the US invasion of Iraq in 2003. The GBU-57A/B Massive Ordnance Penetrator is designed by Boeing and manufactured by the US Air Force. Image courtesy: WIkimedia Commons This is after the us military discovered that that their bunker busting bombs were not performing up to par. The project kicked off again under the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA). Initial testing began in 2004 after the DTRA joined hands with the Air Force Research Laboratory. The GBU/57B's first static detonation tests were done in 2007. The bomb was tested at the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico. In the meantime, Boeing had won the contract to integrate the bomb into aircrafts. From 2008 to 2010, the bomb was repeatedly dropped from B-52 and B-2 bombers. In 2011, the project was handed over to the US Air Force. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Technical Specifications The GBU-57A/B Massive Ordnance Penetrator weighs around 14,000 kilos – around two African elephants combined. It is around 20.5 feet long and has a diameter of 31.5 inches. Its warhead, a blend of AFX-757 and PBXN-114 explosives, weighs around 2,500 kilos. It is made of a special high-performance steel alloy. Estimates about the bomb's penetration capabilities vary. Some reports say that the MOP can reportedly pierce 200 feet of concrete. Others say it can penetrate around 60 meters of reinforced concrete with a strength of 5,000 PSIm as well as 40 meters of relatively hard rock and eight meters of reinforced concrete with a strength of 10,000 PSI. Estimates about the bomb's penetration efficacy range from about 60 metres to to 200 metres of concrete. Wikimedia Commons The MOP comes with a delayed-action smart fuse. This means the warhead does not detonate on impact, but rather does so only when it reaches a halt underground. The US is said to be working on a new smart fuse for the bomb, though details remain scarce. It uses the Global Positioning System/Inertial Navigation System (GPS/INS) system to find and lock on to its targets. It is said to be accurate to within a few meters STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The MOP can be launched only by the B-2 bombers. According to experts, this is because of the bomb's weight – It is considered too heavy to carry by the other aircraft. This is a problem because the US Air Force has just 19 B-2 bombers currently in service. The B-2 can carry two MOPs at once. The MOP itself has five variants including the GBU-57F/B, which is the latest version of the bomb. Details about the variants remain scarce and hard to confirm. Stockpile and efficacy The US is said to have a relatively small stockpile of these bombs. Till, 2015 Boeing had delivered just 20 of these bombs. However, there are reports that the us authorities are trying to scale up the MOP's production. The MOP uses the Global Positioning System/Inertial Navigation System (GPS/INS) system to find and lock on to its targets. Wikimedia Commons The bomb and its continued development is important to America because the US' adversaries including Russia, China, and Iran continue to build new facilities deep underground. However, it seems that America's enemies are already one step ahead of it. A report in 2023 noted that Iran's Natanz nuclear facility – which suffered damage only to its over ground enrichment building and none to its underground commercial Fuel Enrichment Plant (FEP) – may already be out of reach of the MOP after Iran made new additions to it. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Even if Israel can get its hands on the MOP, it remains to be seen if it can hurt Iran with it. With inputs from agencies
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
The B-52's, Devo to Embark on Co-Headlining Cosmic De-Evolution Tour
Two titans of New Wave, the B-52's and Devo, will team up this fall for the co-headlining Cosmic De-Evolution Tour. Although the B-52's embarked on a farewell tour three years ago — they've since confined themselves to a Las Vegas residency — the idea of joining the 'Whip It' troupe on the road proved too enticing to ignore. The two bands recently linked up (alongside Fred Armisen) at the all-star SNL 50 concert and discussed the venture. More from Rolling Stone Clave Especial Will Celebrate the 'Power of Corridos' During First-Ever Tour Marina Plots Regal 'Princess of Power' Fall Tour Marco Antonio Solis Unveils Más Cerca De Ti Tour Dates 'In 2022, I swore I'd never get on a tour bus again, but we were careful to say to our fans that we would still perform in special situations that don't require all of the awful tour travel,' the B-52's Fred Schneider said in a statement. 'Our Vegas residency is going great, and when we were offered the chance to do a small run of shows with Devo, we all said this is an extraordinary opportunity we couldn't say no to.' The B-52's Cindy Wilson added, 'When both of our bands performed at the recent SNL 50 concert at Radio City, we started talking and agreed we had to do these shows. Believe or not, we've never done more than a festival or two together in all this time. This will be amazing and I can't wait for The B-52s to share these stages with Devo!' The 11-date Cosmic De-Evolution Tour kicks off September 24 in Toronto and runs through November 2 in Houston. Fellow New Waver Lene Lovich will serve as the trek's opening act before the two headliners take the stage. Tickets for the tour go on sale to the public on June 20 at Live Nation, with pre-sales beginning June 16. As both bands said in statements, the two acts have long shared a mutual admiration for each other's music. 'The B-52s had one of the best sounds of any of the bands out there in the late seventies and early eighties – 'Rock Lobster' is one of my favorite songs – Devo used to sing it to Booji Boy after Devo shows,' Devo's Mark Mothersbaugh said in a statement. 'It was either fate or luck or the SNL anniversary that brought us all together to create this amazing chance to go out on tour. All I can say is Cosmic Devolution is REAL!' The B-52's Kate Pierson added, 'When we first came from Athens to New York City to perform, punk was in full force…and New Wave was right on its tail! We loved all the New Wave groups, including Patti Smith, Talking Heads, Blondie and the Ramones. We also really dug the far-out weirdness of Devo, which seemed very in tuned to our sensibilities. We remember one of our first shows — amazed that David Bowie, Brian Eno, Frank Zappa, Allen Ginsberg, Talking Heads and Blondie all came to see us! When we opened the Mudd Club, we partied with Devo and really hit it off on the dance floor. Later, Brian Eno went onto to produce Devo's incredible first album…and now we will align again! So put on your wig hats and Devo bonnets and get ready to party! This is going to be wild.' The B-52's and Devo's Cosmic De-Evolution Tour Dates September 24 – Toronto, ONT @ Budweiser StageSeptember 25 – Clarkston, MI @ Pine Knob Music TheatreOctober 2 – Mansfield, MA @ Xfinity CenterOctober 4 – Holmdel, NJ @ PNC Bank Arts CenterOctober 5 – Wantagh, NY @ Northwell at Jones Beach TheaterOctober 16 – Mountain View, CA @ Shoreline AmphitheatreOctober 18 – Los Angeles, CA @ Hollywood BowlOctober 24 – Charlotte, NC @ PNC Music PavilionOctober 25 – Alpharetta, GA @ Ameris Bank AmphitheatreNovember 1 – Austin, TX @ Germania Insurance AmphitheaterNovember 2 – Houston, TX @ The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion Best of Rolling Stone Sly and the Family Stone: 20 Essential Songs The 50 Greatest Eminem Songs All 274 of Taylor Swift's Songs, Ranked
Scottish Sun
5 days ago
- Politics
- Scottish Sun
Trump's B-52s will flatten Mullahs' terror regime if Iran doesn't stop race to nuclear armageddon, ex-Mossad chief warns
It comes as US aircraft carrier USS Nimitz heads towards the Middle East SEND IN THE BOMBERS Trump's B-52s will flatten Mullahs' terror regime if Iran doesn't stop race to nuclear armageddon, ex-Mossad chief warns AMERICA will unleash its B-52 bombers on Iran if it accelerates its nuclear scheme to create an atomic weapon, an ex-Mossad chief has warned. It comes amid growing fears Tehran's furious regime leaders could rush to develop a nuke bomb after vowing bloody revenge on Israel. Advertisement 4 A US B-52 Stratofortress heavy bomber drops bombs. Stock picture Credit: Getty 4 The Israeli Iron Dome air defense system fires to intercept Iranian missiles over Tel Aviv Credit: AP 4 Smoke rises from an oil refinery, northwest of Tehran, Iran Credit: Getty Iran was pummeled with an unprecedented blitz on its nuclear bases on Friday by Israel - which wiped out top commanders. Israel has so far acted alone in its mission to severely deplete Iran's nuclear ambitions after the US stepped back from plans to blitz the rogue state. The arch-enemy nations have continued to trade blows as the deadly conflict enters its fourth day amid international pleas for de-escalation. But a former top staffer of Mossad - Israel's intelligence agency - said the US will no doubt join Israel's campaign should Iran succeed in its bid to develop a nuclear bomb. Advertisement The insider warned Donald Trump could even deploy America's nuclear-capable Stratofortress B-52 bombers if Iran creates a nuke weapon. He insisted "no US president will allow Iran to have a nuclear bomb while he's serving in the White House" and that Tehran would "pay the price". It comes after the US military stationed several B-2 Spirit stealth bombers on the highly strategic island of Diego Garcia. Meanwhile today the $4.5billion US aircraft carrier USS Nimitz is heading towards the Middle East as Iran and Israel's deadly conflict risks dragging in other nations. Advertisement Data from ship tracking website Marine Traffic shows the 1,092ft long carrier left the South China Sea this morning and is heading west towards the war-torn region. A formal reception in Danang City later this week has been called off due to "an emergent operational requirement", a source told Reuters. Spiralling tensions in the region come as Trump issued a stark warning to Iran's bloodthirsty leaders - avoid striking US targets or face the 'full strength and might' of America's military. Iran-Israel conflict could spiral into 'forever war' | Major General Chip Chapman The US president wrote on Truth Social: "If we are attacked in any way, shape or form by Iran, the full strength and might of the US Armed Forces will come down on you at levels never seen before. Advertisement "However, we can easily get a deal done between Iran and Israel, and end this bloody conflict." Trump has insisted Iran thrash out a deal aimed at downgrading its nuke programme - but talks, that were supposed to resume on June 15, have so far stalled. But the Middle East risks exploding into all-out war as Israel and Iran pummel each other with missiles. The ex-Mossad top brass, however, urged European nations to 'seize the moment' to draw a red line under Iran's nuke programme. Advertisement Sun's trip onboard USS Nimitz by Ryan Parry, Senior Reporter AS America sends the flagship USS Nimitz supercarrier to the Middle East amid rising tensions, the Sun reveals what life is like onboard. The Sun spent two days on board the Nimitz, nicknamed Old Salt, a $4.5billion nuclear-powered supercarrier weighing almost 100,000 tons. The warship is 1,092ft long and 252ft wide and has a four and a half acre flight deck. The massive 117,000 sq ft warship boasts four aircraft catapults and jets are brought up to the deck using four giant elevators from the hangar deep below the 4.5 acre flight deck. The supercarrier, the flagship of Carrier Strike Group 11, holds F/A-18 Super Hornets, EA-18G Growlers and F-35C stealth strike fighters. Inside the ten floor, 3,000 room hull underneath the flight deck life is one slick operation. There are several cafeterias, gyms, a Starbucks coffee shop and 'luxury' state rooms for 'Distinguished Visitors'. Since it is nuclear-powered, the Nimitz – call sign NMTZ - can operate for up to 20 years without refueling. The Nimitz is the world's second largest supercarrier, only behind the Gerald R Ford. Fears have been growing internationally that Iran is on the verge of creating a nuclear bomb, despite the regime's insistence its scheme is for civilian purposes to generate energy. Last week, the UN's watchdog confirmed Iran is not complying with its nuclear obligations for the first time in two decades. The former intelligence agent has appealed for Western countries to take advantage of the situation for fundamental change while Iran is "completely exposed". They said: "I think that the Europeans should stand with the Americans and tell Iran enough is enough. Advertisement "Tell the Iranian guys, knock it off. 'Let's do it. Let's take it. Let's seize this moment to do something positive. 'It seems to me that this is an opportunity to have a red line to the Iranians." 4 Advertisement At least eight people were killed when Iranian missiles blitzed Tel Aviv and port city Haifa this morning. Israel's military meanwhile said it had killed four senior intelligence officials -including the head of the Revolutionary Guards' intelligence unit. A military spokesman also claimed Israel had achieved aerial superiority over Iran and had destroyed more than a third of Iran's surface-to-surface missile launchers. At least 100 people were wounded in Israel in the overnight blitz, part of a wave of attacks by Tehran in retaliation for Israel's strikes. Advertisement Israel's defence minister Israel Katz warned that Iran would "pay the price and soon". He said: "The arrogant dictator of Tehran has become a cowardly murderer who targets the civilian home front in Israel to deter the IDF from continuing the attack that is collapsing his capabilities."
