US armed forces request new bunker-buster...

Last night was flicking through CNN, BBC and Fox (bored huh!) while waiting for an interview show and saw a really quick news-piece on Fox. The CIA have requested finds to produce four units of a new super-sized bunker-busting bomb. It is based on the existing model but basically triple the size - capable of penetrating x thickness of concrete and up to 10 levels underground etc.

The next segment on the news was about Iran's underground bunker where their nuclear development goes on and the IAEA inspections... posing the question of will military action be needed?...

I was like:.. I can see what's happening here..

I read that the new US bomb is based on the British "Tallboy" 12,000lb (5.44 tonnes) bomb of WW2. This weapon could penetrate around 5m of reinforced concrete or up to 50m of earth when dropped from 20,000 feet.

Even if the US "Bunker buster" was dropped from (as per the original Tallboy design) altitude of 40,000 feet these figures would alter much, given the bomb achieves terminal velocity from 20,000 feet.

Destroying a target dug out of a mountain made of granite is a different order of magnitude to knocking out a U-Boat pen.

Being Americans, I am surprised they didn't bypass the Tallboy and go straight for the grand Slam bomb - 10 tonnes. Maybe they didn't want to have to ask the British if they could borrow a Lancaster.

anyone experiencing deja vu?

Similar stories and threats of war for the past few years....

Tom, the only other detail I could remember from it was that the bomb was so large they could only carry one on the largest capacity aircraft they had and nothing else... So dunno how big that makes it (weight or dimensions) but is surely it'd be way bigger than 5.5 tonnes.

I just thought it funny that they wanted finding to make just four of them. (1 test unit, 2 ones to drop and maybe one spare? ha ha)

awaits imminent announcement of Iranian explosion of nuclear device

plus

they'll just dig deeper

stratfor is saying there are major developments in the US/Iran relationship with there being leaks recently suggesting that Iran is much closer to producing a nuclear bomb than was understood.

Its heating up guys... Obama will be forced to decide soon.

As the old saying goes, "the bigger the gun, the deeper the hole."

this is gonna make it a bit awkward when he needs to bomb the fuck out of Iran

Obama awarded 2009 Nobel Peace Prize

http://edition.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/europe/10/09/nobel.peace.prize/index.html

even if the bunker if a mile underground they have to get to the surface somehow, eventually.

oh so that's the reason they awarded it to him

yeh could be ... its not like hes actually done a lot apart from a few friendly speeches.

WTF Obama, the leader of a nation at war...

PC gone MAD

Interesting questions.

Version with guitar and excessive sound effects..

US speeds up work on bunker buster bomb...

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10603141

Jeez, this is really developing isn't it?

Oh, god, yet more "new" technology that isn't new at all.

What next, revolutionary F-22 Raptor world's most advanced plane? When a prototype flew 20 years ago?

It's more like a supersized Durandal.