The Pentagon is trying to speed up the deployment of an ultra-large bunker-busting bomb, which would constitute the largest non-nuclear bomb the U.S. has ever used. The Massive Ordnance Penetrator, or MOP, is a 30,000-pound bomb that would dive deeper than any previous bomb, and could be strapped to B-2 or B-52 bombers by July of 2010.
The push for accelerated deployment is due to the increased perceived nuclear threats from Iran and North Korea. It's believed that many of their nuclear programs could be in development underground, below levels of current bunker-busting bombs' range. The Pentagon intends the rapid deployment to send a message that the United States is tweaking strategies to address new threats. And nothing is more American than advertising the sheer size and tonnage of the bombs hanging below our jets.
[via Reuters]
There are other ways of dealing with threats apart from stating that you have developed a big ass bomb that can do a lot of damage. I wonder how much further in debt the US will be because of this development? Seems a lot of their budget is going to defence rather than trying to stimulate the economy...
I just think this kind of development is a waste of the taxpayers money! Sure, national security is a priority for any country, but doesn't the US already possess around 150+ nuclear warheads in their underground silos? How many more weapons does one country possibly require to defend itself or state to other countries that it is capable of nuking half the world if provoked?
I know that before stepping into a street fight an aggressor likes to show off his muscles or how great he is with the hope his opponent will be quite terrified. If he manages this, he is certain of a win. He can see the fear in his victim and attacks. However, if the intended victim instead, partially shows off some fighting skills or a weapon, the aggressor, if commonsense prevails, rethinks the situation and the fight never happens.
I believe this style of tactic used by the defense department saves untold lives on both sides, by stopping the fight (or war) before it starts. America in this case is NOT the aggressor. Think about it, isn't that what we're trying to achieve?
I'm an Australian, and know that without America's military might in WWII, my ancestors and me would probably be slaves & fed on RICE. We don't forget what we owe !!!
There's enough guns and bombs in the world to kill everyone on the planet, so how many more do you need? I'm an Australian as well. The whole point of the alliance with America is that we will be covered by their nuclear umbrella so to speak, in the event of any hostile actions against us. If the array of nuclear weapons that America possesses already isn't enough to deter an enemy from attacking, I doubt another missile will do anything more.
And just remember, there is at least two sides to any story...