The heaviest non -ducal bombs in the US arsenal, weighing 13.6 tonnes, which recently hit Iran's nuclear installations, have been designed especially for this type of goals. This was confirmed by the head of the college of combined bosses of General Dan Caine. The American army spent almost 15 years on the study of the best protected Tehran nuclear facility.
During the meeting with journalists in the Pentagon, Caine told about the backstage of the development of a heavy GBU-57 bomb, also known as Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP; in a literal Polish translation, this means a powerful armament penetrator), which is the largest non-conservative load in the US arsenal.
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During the “Midnight Hammer” surgery, the American Stealth B-2 Spirit bombers dropped a total of 14 MOP bombs. 12 on Ford, and two on the object in Natanz. The impact, which was an element of a top secret and complex mission, was the result of many years of preparation.
GBU-57 can only be transferred by B-2 bombers
| US Air Force National Guard
15 years of analysis
Already in 2009, officers of the Defense Red Reduction Agency (DTRA), specializing in neutralizing deeply hidden underground goals, were informed about a large construction investment in Iran and it was about Ford. As Caine reports, this object was a “key element” of the secret tehran nuclear program.
Experts from DTRA for years analyzed Fordo, located inside the mountain. Over time, they came to the conclusion that the United States did not have a weapon capable of destroying it. As a result, cooperation with Boeing and Northrop Grumman began to refine the MOP construction.
Until 2010, the bomb was part of the DTRA demonstration program. Then she entered the Air Force quick response program.
Hundreds of tests were carried out, and many full -size bombs were dropped for realistic goalsto create a weapon that could be used against Fordo at the time chosen by the US.
Such a moment came in June 2025, when President Donald Trump issued an order.
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How does GBU-57 work?
The powerful bomb is about 6.2 mi diameter 80 cm. The head itself weighs 2.7 tons. The bomb can even break through to a depth of 60 m. Only the B-2 bomber is able to carry it, being able to take two such bombs inside the hull, which allows you to maintain undetectability.
Caine explained that the mop is built It is made of steel, explosives and a special igniter, which was programmed so that the bomb explodes at the right time After breaking inside Fordo. Each of the charges had different settings: impact angle, the direction of the intake and explosion time.
A longer delay time allows the bomb to break deeper before the explosion.
The GBU-57 bunker can break through hardened bunkers
| US Department of Defense
Three holes were visible on the Fordo surface: the main ventilation shaft and two additional ones. As Caine says, Iran tried to pour concrete a few days before the attack.
One of the places was hit with six bombs. The first of them broke the concrete cover, revealing the glass. The next four fell inside, speeding at a speed exceeding 300 m/s SI, exploding in a sensitive place. The sixth bomb was to perform a reserve function in case of failure.
– Unlike ordinary bombs, you won't see the crater here. They are to work after breaking inside – the general pointed out. Satellite photos confirmed the places of hits, but did not show extensive damage on the surface.
Holes and craters visible on the back of the Ford on June 22, 2025.
| Maxar Technologies
According to Caine, all six bombs hit the target. The main firepower resulted from a shock wave, which spread through open tunnels, destroying the key infrastructure.
What is the impact effect?
The American army does not carry out direct assessments of the effects of such attacks. – As a rule, we do not check our own results. The interview does it – the general explained.
He noted, however, that the bombs were properly prepared, loaded, dropped and worked as the project predicted. – We know this based on our intelligence sources. We saw it – he added.
The Trump administration presented attacks on Ford, Natanz and Isfahan as a great success. According to officials, Iran's ability to build a nuclear bomb has been withdrawn for years. The Israeli Atomic Energy Commission expressed a similar opinion.
The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Grossi, confirmed that Iranian nuclear objects suffered serious damage, although in his opinion it would be an exaggeration to talk about their total annihilation. He also emphasized that It is not known where there is currently a high -enriched uranium, which Iran had, and everything indicates that he was hidden from the attack.
Preliminary reports of American intelligence suggest that the Iranian nuclear program could be withdrawn by only a few months. Some analysts question the effectiveness of surgery, suggesting that Tehran can quickly rebuild the damaged infrastructure and resume enrichment of uranium to the level of weapon production.
The above text is a translation with American Business Insider edition
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