GBU-57

• The US Air Force recently released rare images of the weapon, the GBU-57, known as the “Massive Ordnance Penetrator”.

ABOUT GBU-57

• It is a GPS-guided, earth-penetrating strike weapon for use against hard and deeply buried targets.
• Manufactured by-Boeing.
• It is used to destroy deeply entrenched enemy bunkers such as those concealing a supply of weapons of mass destruction (WMD).
• Dimensions
  • 5 feet long with a diameter of 31.5 inches.
  • Weight: 14,000 kg
• The warhead case is made from a special high-performance steel alloy that can reportedly penetrate up to 200 feet of concrete.
• The bomb is probably carrying a mix of AFX-757 — a standard explosive — and PBXN-114, a relatively new explosive compound.
• B-2 stealth bomber is the only aircraft that can deploy the bomb.
  • It can carry two of the bombs at a time.
• The bomb is equipped with a delayed-action fuse, allowing the warhead to survive the impact, not detonating until the bomb has stopped traveling underground.