A 15-tonne mega bomb is needed to destroy Iran's last nuclear facility – here's why Israel can't deliver it
Israel needs a 15-ton 'bunker buster' bomb to destroy the last untouched nuclear facility in Iran, but only the US has one.
Such a powerful weapon – the largest non-nuclear bomb in the US arsenal – is needed because the target, Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant, is built some 300 feet inside a mountain near the city of Qom, two hours south of Tehran.
The heavyweight explosive is known as a GBU-57A/B Massive Ordnance Penetrator and was designed by Boeing for the United States Air Force.
Its huge weight means it can only be delivered with a B-2 Spirit stealth bomber – a jet Israel's air force does not possess.
'The United States controls the bomber and the bomb,' John Spencer, chair of urban warfare studies at the Modern War Institute at West Point military academy, told The Post. 'It would be an American plane and an American munition.'
The missile cost over $500 million for the US Army to develop, and was built to specifications which would allow it to penetrate deep enough into the Fordow plant to destroy the nuclear centrifuges in the complex, according to a 2013 article in the Wall Street Journal, which said at that time 20 of the bombs had been manufactured for the US military.
If the US does opt to help Israel with this extraordinarily powerful weapon, it will almost certainly turn the nuclear facility, protected by layers of granite and steel, to rubble.
'By weight and kinetic force, the GBU-57A/B Massive Ordnance Penetrator is designed to penetrate a certain amount of distance into the ground before it blows,' said Spencer.
'That's why these bunker busters are called Penetrators. They penetrate the ground before they explode. The explosion is strategically delayed.'
Although the US has sold less powerful bunker buster weapons to Israel, they have declined to share the Massive Ordnance Penetrator with any of its allies, partly to ensure it retains an upper hand, according to various reports.
As to what an explosion from a Massive Ordnance Penetrator would feel like, Spencer can only guess. 'I've seen 500 pounders, and they'll shake your teeth when they go off. It's like an earthquake. This will be much more than that.'
However, minimizing the likelihood of a nuclear explosion or leak, said Spencer, 'this [explosion] is pretty contained,' He explained that since the bunker buster explodes so far underground, under such strong armor, it is unlikely to cause a nuclear reaction. Instead of breaking through the surface, rubble would cave in. 'The risk is for leakage, not an explosion.'
US intelligence has long agreed Fordow is strategic to disabling the Iranian nuclear program.
'If you don't get Fordow, you haven't eliminated their ability to produce weapons-grade material,' Brett McGurk, who served as Middle East coordinator for several American presidents of both parties, recently told the New York Times.
In a less than ideal scenario, a state-of-the-art bunker buster is not the only solution.
It's also possible, said Spencer, that, without help from the US, Israel could do a jerry rigged attack on Fordow.
'Israel has cornered the market on what they call drilling,' said Spencer. 'They drop one bomb that reaches a certain depth, then another and another, at different angles, within seconds, to get to where they want to go. But you put multiple people and multiple aircraft at risk. The GBU is one and done.'
Considering that option, Spencer concluded, 'There are many ways to destroy the nuclear program in Iran. But this is the effective and efficient one. It gets to the objective quicker and is the perfect solution.'
Originally published as A 15-tonne mega bomb is needed to destroy Iran's last nuclear facility – here's why Israel can't deliver it
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The latest conflict erupted on June 13, when Israel fired missiles at Iran in a bid to blow up military assets, arguing it was on the cusp of developing nuclear weapons. The battle took a turn on the weekend when the US launched a bombing raid on three underground nuclear facilities in Iran. Conflict between Iran and Israel will have consequences for Australia, even if a ceasefire holds, an expert warns. While the federal government has repeatedly called for diplomacy and peace, it differed from other US allies by supporting America's decision to join Israel's offensive and strike Iran. Concerns had been raised if the action was legal, making Australia's position on the strikes "worrying", regardless of whether a ceasefire held, analyst Jessie Moritz told AAP. 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US international partners have begun to more closely examine whether American interests align with their own as President Donald Trump emerges as a foreign policy disruptor. The conflict could incentivise Arab states to pursue nuclear weapons and lead Iran to withdraw from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and rebuild its nuclear program. Dr Moritz said Iran could become more repressive and conservative because it might lose some support, using the events as an excuse to violently repress opposition groups. Anyone within the regime who supported diplomatic engagement with the West would be sidelined too. This could impact Australian-Iranian communities, many of whom hoped the conflict could help de-stabilise the Iranian autocracy and pave the way for a new, democratic government. Persian Australian Community Association member Nader Ranjbar said the regime's continuation could lead to his "worst fear". "That somehow they get away from this mess and the first thing they do is start killing Iranian people," he told AAP. Mr Trump attacked both nations for breaching the ceasefire in the early stages, saying "they don't know what the f*** they are doing" on live television. The prime minister was unperturbed by the language. "President Trump made some pretty clear statements. I don't think it needs any further reflection," Mr Albanese said on Wednesday. "We want to see peace in the region, we want to see a ceasefire, we want to see de-escalation, and that is consistent with the very clear comments of President Trump." In the early hours of the day, 119 Australians and family members left Tel Aviv on a government-assisted flight. There are still about 3000 Australians in Iran who have registered with the government for help to leave, and more than 1000 in Israel. The latest conflict erupted on June 13, when Israel fired missiles at Iran in a bid to blow up military assets, arguing it was on the cusp of developing nuclear weapons. The battle took a turn on the weekend when the US launched a bombing raid on three underground nuclear facilities in Iran.
