Israel Eyes US ‘Bunker-Buster’ Bombs to Target Iran’s Fordo Nuclear Site

Swift Summary

• The GBU-57/B, also known as the Massive Ordnance Penetrator, is a U.S.-developed nonnuclear bomb capable of destroying deeply buried bunkers.
• Designed to penetrate up to 300 feet of rock or reinforced concrete, it delivers devastating kinetic energy and explosive power without radioactive fallout.
• Its advanced features include precision-guiding fins, an ogive-shaped steel casing for minimized drag and shock resistance, and delayed detonation fuses calibrated to target subterranean chambers.
• Iran’s Fordo nuclear site-hidden under a mountain near qom-is widely considered one of the most secure sites globally for uranium enrichment. Reports suggest Fordo could produce enough enriched uranium for a nuclear warhead in days if desired.
• Israel has sought this bomb as part of its strategy against Iranian nuclear facilities but would also need B-2 Spirit bombers (the only aircraft capable of deploying GBU bombs), which the U.S.has not provided so far.
• Experts argue even multiple strikes wiht the GBU-57/B might potentially be required to penetrate Fordo due to its fortified nature.

Indian Opinion Analysis
The issue underscores broader geopolitical tensions that extend beyond Israel’s interests into wider narratives on proliferation risks in volatile regions such as West Asia. For India-a nation maintaining strategic ties with both Iran and Israel-the developments have multifaceted implications: concerns about regional instability affecting trade routes like Chabahar Port, potential disruption within energy markets critical to Indian imports, and broader security considerations tied to growing nuclear threats globally.

As technology evolves in precision weaponry like the GBU series while safeguarding nonnuclear principles (‘nuclear taboo’), it further highlights vulnerability gaps nations now face even when investing heavily into fortifications akin to Iran’s facility at Fordo. India’s emphasis on diplomacy over coercion reflects logical strategies within such evolving arsenals redefining warfare beneath surface layers no longer bound entirely above-ground approaches seen across past frameworks elsewhere past decade Read More: here