USAF Next Gen Massive Penetrator Contract Awarded.

[KevinB]

Lighter, Smaller and better? I thought size mattered in a Massive Penetrator

US Air Force awards contract to prototype next-gen bunker-buster bomb

The Next Generation Penetrator will succeed the GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator, which the Air Force used to strike a key Iranian nuclear facility.

www.defensenews.com

 

[SeaKingTacco]

Lighter, Smaller and better? I thought size mattered in a Massive Penetrator

US Air Force awards contract to prototype next-gen bunker-buster bomb

The Next Generation Penetrator will succeed the GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator, which the Air Force used to strike a key Iranian nuclear facility.

www.defensenews.com

If they can make it go faster, that will make up for some loss in mass. However, when they did the “rods from gods” trials, they found out that, after a certain velocity, not much more penetration is gained, because the ground material cannot get out of the way fast enough and penetrator starts to vaporize…

 

[KevinB]

If they can make it go faster, that will make up for some loss in mass. However, when they did the “rods from gods” trials, they found out that, after a certain velocity, not much more penetration is gained, because the ground material cannot get out of the way fast enough and penetrator starts to vaporize…

I thought the multi effect option was also interesting. I guess when you have a bunch f B-2's loaded with them, and you get the first target, you want to be able to hit other targets of opportunity, that may not need the same high levels of penetration.