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The Print
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Print
What are US ‘bunker buster' bombs & stealth bombers than can strike Iran's nuclear mountain
Located deep in the mountains near the city of Qom and nearly 161 km from Tehran, Fordow remains a core part of Iran's nuclear infrastructure, enriching uranium up to 60 percent purity, far beyond what is required for civilian energy use, and edging closer to weapons-grade. Since launching 'Operation Rising Lion' last Friday, Israel has carried out a series of strikes aimed at degrading Iran's nuclear and ballistic missile capabilities. Yet, so far, the underground Fordow facility remains untouched. New Delhi: As the conflict between Israel and Iran enters its seventh day, the world's attention remains fixed on one of Iran's most fortified nuclear sites, the Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant. Furthermore, Iran could convert its current stockpile of 60 percent enriched uranium at Fordow into 233 kg of weapons-grade Uranium (WGU) in just about three weeks, according to Institute for Science and International Security. 'Around 233 kg of WGU would be enough to produce nine nuclear weapons, given that 25 kg of WGU is required to produce one nuclear weapon,' the US-based research and advocacy group's assessment reads. The plant is reportedly buried up to 300 ft into the side of a mountain, placing it well beyond the reach of Tel Aviv's existing arsenal. Israeli aircraft and munitions, no matter how precise, lack the penetrative power to destroy such a deeply fortified site. In such a situation, the focus is now on the GBU-57A/B Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP), more commonly referred to as the bunker buster bomb, a specialised weapon engineered for precision targets hidden deep underground. More importantly, the US only has this weapon in its arsenal while Israel does not have any aircraft in its inventory to deliver and launch the MOP. The American B-2 Spirit stealth bomber is said to be the only aircraft to carry out such a challenging mission As of now, the US Air Force has less than 20 B-2s. Capable of flying over 11,000 km without refueling, with aerial refueling extending its range globally, the bomber's stealth design, internal weapon bays and high-altitude cruise capabilities make it ideal for evading sophisticated air defence systems while delivering high-precision strikes. In Iran's context, the B-2 gives the US the ability to strike the hardened nuclear sites like Fordow, the kind of targets no conventional aircraft or missile can effectively neutralise. Also Read: Trump's warning for Iran after Israel's Op Rising Lion—make a deal to avoid further 'slaughter' What is GBU-57 A/B? Developed by Boeing, the GBU-57 A/B is the world's largest non-nuclear bomb. It weighs 30,000 pounds or 14,000 kg and measures 20 ft in length, packed into a hardened steel casing specifically designed to pierce through reinforced concrete and dense rock. The 'GBU' stands for Guided Bomb Unit, and the 57th design in the series. The 'A/B' in its name refers to its version or block, with alphabetic suffixes used by the U.S. military to denote design updates and modifications. Shaped like a narrow cylinder around 2.5 ft in diameter, the bomb is capable of penetrating up to 200 ft (roughly 61 m) of rock or concrete with a compressive strength of 5,000 psi, the kind used in bridge decks or heavily reinforced bunkers. After it tunnels through, its 5,300-pound (about 2,400 kg) high-explosive charge detonates, causing catastrophic internal shockwaves designed to destroy underground infrastructure. The GBU-57 A/B has not yet been used in combat, although earlier and lighter variants have been used by America. The US Air Force is reported to have a total of 20 GBU-57s which were delivered by Boeing in September 2011. It is also widely believed that a single strike is unlikely to be enough against a site like Fordow. That's where the bomb's GPS guidance system and delayed fuse come in. The munition can strike the same target multiple times with high precision, allowing follow-up bombs to burrow even deeper than the first impact. Because of the bomb's size, no Israeli fighter aircraft, including the F-15s and F-35s, are capable of carrying it. That role would fall exclusively to the B-2s. After being released from a high altitude, likely from 50,000 ft, the bomb's precision fins and onboard guidance system take over. While the exact impact velocity is classified, estimates suggest that the bunker buster travels at over Mach 1, i.e., more than 1,200 km/hr. At that speed, the bomb would generate a kinetic energy of 800 to 900 megajoules. For comparison, that's equivalent to the force of a 285-ton Boeing 747 landing at 274 km/h, concentrated into a single, narrow impact zone. (Edited by Tony Rai) Also Read: 21 Islamic nations call for nuclear-free Middle East amid Israel-Iran conflict, urge States to join NPT
Newsweek
2 days ago
- Politics
- Newsweek
Satellite Images Show Iran's Buried Nuclear Sites That Trump Could Strike
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. In its mission to take out Tehran's nuclear program, two of Iran's major sites are likely out of reach of Israeli weapons. Israel launched what it termed a "preemptive" campaign against Iran's nuclear facilities and scientists, as well as the country's ballistic missile sites and other military assets, on Friday. Iran responded with drone and ballistic missile barrages. Strikes launched by both countries continued into Thursday. Fordow, a major facility roughly 100 miles from the capital, Tehran, is built deep under a mountain. It is widely acknowledged the only real option to take out the site are 30,000-pound bunker-busting American bombs launched from U.S. B-2 Spirit bombers. However, there is another hub, known as Mt. Kolang Gaz La, which sits on the outskirts of the Natanz nuclear site, considered Tehran's main facility for enriching uranium southeast of the capital. The Institute for Science and International Security (ISIS) published satellite imagery back in April that it said showed Iran was building a new security perimeter around the base of Mt. Kolang Gaz La. Satellite imagery and annotations published by the Institute for Science and International Security in April 2025. Satellite imagery and annotations published by the Institute for Science and International Security in April 2025. Institute for Science and International Security The United Nations' nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has not visited the site of two nuclear tunnels at Mt. Kolang Gaz La, the organization has said. "The new complex features halls more deeply buried than the Fordow uranium enrichment site," ISIS said in its April assessment. Israel cannot collapse the Fordow, nor Mt. Kolang Gaz La sites, William Alberque told Newsweek. Alberque is a visiting fellow at the Henry L. Stimson Center think tank and a former director of NATO's Arms Control, Disarmament and WMD [Weapons of Mass Destruction] Nonproliferation Center. Iran said in 2020 it had started construction on a new hall in "the heart of the mountain near Natanz," in the center of the country, to make advanced centrifuges. Israel and the U.S. have both insisted it is unacceptable for Iran to gain a nuclear weapon. While Tehran has said its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes, officials have publicly discussed the possibility of weapons. U.S. President Donald Trump has kept the world on tenterhooks by refusing to confirm whether American aircraft and munitions would launch offensive action on Iranian sites. The Republican president insists Iran wants to "make a deal," but has privately approved attack plans, according to reports on Thursday, although no final decision has been rubber-stamped. The Israeli military said on Thursday it had struck an "inactive" nuclear reactor in Arak, east of Fordow, and a "nuclear weapons development site near Natanz." "This nuclear reactor in Arak was created for one purpose: to build a nuclear bomb," the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said. Iranian state media confirmed an Israeli strike on the reactor and reported an attack on the Khondab heavy water facility. Satellite imagery and annotations published by the Institute for Science and International Security in April 2025, showing the Natanz nuclear enrichment site and construction to the south of the main complex. Satellite imagery and annotations published by the Institute for Science and International Security in April 2025, showing the Natanz nuclear enrichment site and construction to the south of the main complex. Institute for Science and International Security The IAEA said it had information indicating the half-built Khondab heavy water research reactor was hit, but said it was not operational and had no radiological impact. "With Iran, the facilities that we are most concerned about are the operating power plants, with Bushehr at the top of the list," Nickolas Roth, from the Nuclear Threat Initiative, told the Washington Post. Israel targeted Natanz in its initial strikes last week. Satellite imagery captured by Maxar, a space technology firm, on Saturday showed multiple damaged buildings at the site, while the IAEA said on Friday the aboveground part of the facility had been "destroyed," along with power infrastructure there. The watchdog then assessed on Monday that Israel had "severely damaged if not destroyed" centrifuges at the underground facility in Natanz. The belowground centrifuges were not hit directly, but strikes caused power cuts and "completely destroyed" the aboveground Natanz site, Rafael Grossi, chief of the IAEA, told the BBC. Mohammad Eslami, the head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization, described the country's facilities on Wednesday as in "good" condition, according to the semiofficial Tasnim news agency. The agency told the U.N. Security Council at the time that Iranian authorities had reported attacks on Isfahan and to Fordow, but could not provide further details. But satellite imagery has indicated no visible damage to Fordow, a site publicly revealed in 2009. Israel struck nuclear-linked sites in Isfahan, south of Fordow, and damaged four buildings at the facility, Grossi said on Sunday. Trump has warned Iran—which has cast the U.S. as already involved—that it would face "the full strength and might" of the U.S. military on "levels you've never seen before" if Iran attacked the U.S. in any way. The country's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, threatened the U.S. on Wednesday with "irreparable damage" if Washington became militarily involved. "I may do it, I may not," Trump told reporters at the White House on Wednesday, when asked if he would launch attacks.
Mint
2 days ago
- Politics
- Mint
Can Israel Disable Iran's Fordow Without US Help? Some Say Yes.
As the world awaits US President Donald Trump's decision on whether to join Israel in attacking Iran's nuclear program, many experts argue that Israel simply can't do the job alone. Its military lacks the heavy bombs and B-2 stealth jets needed to penetrate the uranium enrichment hall at the Fordow site hidden deep under a mountain near the holy city of Qom, whose destruction is viewed as key. But there is a competing view and it was expressed by a top Israeli official, speaking on condition of anonymity: There are many options still on the table, this official replied, when asked how the mission could be achieved without the bunker busters in the US arsenal. Yaakov Amidror, a former Israeli national security adviser to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, said the same on Wednesday — without providing details — that without the US, Israel will find a creative solution to taking out Fordow. A more official version of this was uttered by Israeli National Security Adviser Tzachi Hanegbi in a radio interview this week. He said Israel can and will do it alone. Some outside experts agree. One is David Albright, founder and president of the Institute for Science and International Security in Washington. Asked by Tablet Magazine this week whether Israel could do the job alone, he replied: 'Yeah, I think so. They could mine it during a commando raid. They could potentially crack the ceiling or undermine the support structure of the halls. They can make it very difficult to get into. Effectively that's destroying it, if you can't get in without months and months of work. Then when you get in, it's more than likely most of the centrifuges are going to be broken.' His reference to a commando raid is something others have focused on, including Kenneth Pollack of the Middle East Institute. They point to an operation Israeli troops carried out last September in Syria before former President Bashar al-Assad was driven from power. What Bloomberg Analysts Say... 'If the US won't enter the conflict, Israel could still choose to pursue a high-risk ground operation to breach and destroy Fordow from within. Any such operation would face enormous challenges — logistical complexity, long-distance travel deep into Iranian territory, and the risk of engagement with well-armed Iranian forces.' — By Adam Farrar and Jennifer Welch — to read more click here The raid wasn't publicly revealed till four months later. Then, the Israeli military offered details along with video taken during the raid. According to military spokesmen, 120 special forces were accompanied by dozens of aircraft striking deep in Syria. The raid eliminated what they said was an Iranian missile-production site deep in a mountainside. The footage showed Israeli troops moving through a concrete-lined tunnel while being overseen by military officials inside an Israeli command center. The raid has been widely praised for its daring in Israel, including by Netanyahu, and has been suggested as a model for a Fordow hit. Another possibility: if Israel eliminates Iran's air defense system around Fordow, as it says it's doing, its own F-35s and F-15s, carrying not 30,000-pound but 2,000- and 4,000-lb bombs, could carry out repeated strikes over the site, eventually penetrating it. All options involve risks, including US aircraft with their massive loads. But Israel argues that the greatest risk is leaving Iran's nuclear facilities intact and in the hands of the current government. And it says no matter what the US decides, its own operation won't stop until it achieves its goal. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
Scientific American
3 days ago
- Politics
- Scientific American
Why This Is the Only Bomb That Could Destroy Iran's Nuclear Bunker—Under 300 Feet of Rock
The challenge sounds unreal: How do you blast a hole through a mountain of concrete and granite and then blow up what hides beneath it―all without crossing the nuclear line? The solution is a bomb that weighs 30,000 pounds, about as much as a city bus, but that is compressed into a cylinder roughly 20 feet long and 2.5 feet thick. Since the Israel-Iran conflict broke out last week, much speculation has centered on this weapon: the GBU-57/B, the most powerful nonnuclear bomb that is capable of destroying targets deep below the earth. The question many are asking is whether the U.S.—the only country possessing the bomb—will supply it to Israel. To understand what the GBU-57/B is and why Israel might want the weapon, it is important to understand the presumed target: Fordo, Iran's most advanced nuclear enrichment facility, which lies 18 miles northeast of the central city of Qom. According to an Institute for Science and International Security report, the site has the ability to produce enough highly enriched uranium to make a nuclear warhead in the span of mere days. It is also ensconced deep beneath a mountain, under 260 to 300 feet of rock that is reinforced with concrete, and surrounded by a ring of air-defense batteries. After Israel bombed Iraq's nuclear reactor in 1981 and Syria's in 2007, Iran decided to spread its nuclear program out over multiple sites, with its crucial elements hidden so deep beneath the earth that not even Israel's 5,000-pound bunker busters could reach them. Intelligence reports suggest Iran began construction in 2002, while Iran has said that work began in 2007. Tehran acknowledged the site's existence only in September 2009. The first three letters in GBU-57/B stand for 'guided bomb unit' (a precision bomb that can home in on its target), and it's the 57th design in the series of such bombs. The second B refers to the bomb's iteration (designations such as A/B, B/B, C/B, and so on are used for each adjustment made by military engineers). After the U.S.'s 2003 invasion of Iraq, engineers studied bunker strikes with smaller and older GBU models and found that they hadn't penetrated deeply enough and had done limited damage. The military required a more powerful weapon that would respect the ' nuclear taboo,' a widely accepted international consensus that the use of nuclear weapons is morally abhorrent and dangerous because it creates radioactive fallout, invites escalation, and risks driving allies and neutral states into diplomatic revolt. GBU-57/B—also known as a Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP)—was a solution. Its Air Force fact sheet sums it up as 'a weapon system designed to accomplish a difficult, complicated mission of reaching and destroying our adversaries' weapons of mass destruction located in well protected facilities.' On supporting science journalism If you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today. When dropped from 50,000 feet, the cruising ceiling for the B-2 Spirit bomber, the GBU-57/B uses sophisticated fins to guide it to its target. While the exact impact velocity is classified, it is estimated to exceed Mach 1—the speed of sound (767 mph). This strike delivers 800 to 900 megajoules (about 758,000 to 853,000 British thermal units) of kinetic energy—comparable to a 285-ton Boeing 747-400 touching down at 170 mph or a 565-ton Amtrak Acela train moving at 120 mph. With the bomb, however, all that energy is concentrated into a tiny area. According to a 2012 Congressional Research Service briefing, the GBU-57/B has been reported to burrow through 200 feet of concrete or bedrock with a density of 5,000 pounds per square inch (comparable to the strength of bridge decks or parking-garage slabs). Then its 5,300-pound explosive charge detonates. The GBU-57/B is designed to enhance this ability to pierce deep below the surface. Its nose has an ogive shape, like that of a Gothic arch. Just as such arches are known for distributing weight effectively, the bomb's nose has no sharp corners that cause air drag. Then, upon impact, the rounded shape spreads the initial crushing load gradually through the bomb's steel casing instead of concentrating it at one brittle point. This allows the casing to remain intact as it bores into the earth. The casing also has high sectional density. In this context, sectional density refers to the ratio of an object's mass to the size of the face that first meets whatever surface the object is moving through. A hammer striking a board has high sectional density because it concentrates its mass in a small area; a pillow does not. In the case of the bomb, a great deal of mass and momentum is packed behind a small point. Whereas the ogive nose minimizes drag and structural shock, the high sectional density concentrates velocity and force, allowing the bomb to punch deep into stone. About one fifth of the warhead's 5,342-pound total weight is made up of two explosives: 4,590 pounds of AFX-757 plus 752 pounds of PBXN-114. Both create a larger blast than earlier bombs while being sufficiently insensitive to survive the shock of the initial strike. The detonation itself is timed by a specialized fuse that can be programmed from within the bomber cockpit. The fuse 'counts' layers of rock or concrete, 'hears' the hollow of a tunnel or chamber and then fires a detonator into the smaller PBXN-114 charge so that the main charge explodes only after the bomb has bored well inside the target. The released energy is roughly equivalent to about three to four tons of TNT. But because so much of the bomb's 30,000 pounds is hardened steel, much of its destructive effect comes from its kinetic punch, delivered at sonic speed. Though suspected of having nuclear weapons, Israel has so far respected the nuclear taboo. To destroy Fordo without them, it would need both the GBU-57/B and a B-2 Spirit bomber, the only aircraft designed to drop the bomb (it's capable of releasing two, one from each bay). Otherwise Israel could, in theory, only chip at Fordo's periphery—by destroying power sources, collapsing entrances or sending saboteurs—while uranium continues to be enriched below. Fordo is so well protected that a Royal United Services Institute op-ed states that 'even the GBU-57/B would likely require multiple impacts at the same aiming point to have a good chance of penetrating the facility.' Despite media claims that GBU-57/B bombs were used to strike Houthi targets in Yemen, the U.S. Air Force states that these weapons have never been used in combat and that only a few dozen are stockpiled. So far, the U.S. has refused to hand Israel any of them—or the B-2 Spirit bomber required to drop them and collapse a mountain.
Hans India
3 days ago
- Politics
- Hans India
Inside Iran's impenetrable fordow nuclear site: Buried deep and built for war
Nestled within the mountains near the holy city of Qom, Iran's Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant is one of the most fortified and secretive nuclear facilities in the world. Recent satellite imagery reveals only five visible tunnels, a major support structure, and a sweeping security perimeter—clues to a facility that has sparked global concern for over a decade. Fordow came to international attention in 2009, when then-U.S. President Barack Obama, joined by France's Nicolas Sarkozy and Britain's Gordon Brown, revealed the existence of the site to the world. Its vast underground chambers—estimated to be 80 to 90 meters (262 to 295 feet) below ground—place it beyond the reach of conventional aerial bombs, including those in Israel's arsenal. While Iran insists its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes, experts and global leaders remain skeptical. The sheer scale and secrecy of Fordow have fueled fears that it could be used to rapidly convert enriched uranium into weapons-grade material. The facility, analysts say, may play a crucial role should Iran accelerate towards building a nuclear weapon, especially amid recent Israeli airstrikes that have rattled Iran's leadership but reportedly left Fordow unscathed. Construction of Fordow began in the early 2000s, during what experts call Iran's 'crash nuclear weapons program.' Satellite images as far back as 2004 show the early development of tunnel entrances and ventilation systems. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has even deeper archival images dating to 2002. According to David Albright, head of the Institute for Science and International Security, 'The idea was they [Iran] would make weapon-grade uranium in that plant and obtain low-enriched uranium from the civil nuclear program.' Iran told the IAEA in a 2009 letter that Fordow was built underground due to 'threats of military attacks' and was intended as a backup to its Natanz facility—another key uranium enrichment site. Today, the facility is believed to be capable of housing up to 3,000 centrifuges. Though its true scale and status remain closely guarded secrets, Fordow stands as a symbol of Iran's determination—and defiance—in the face of mounting international scrutiny and pressure.
