The war is currently in the air, as Iran has responded to Israeli airstrikes by launching a barrage of missiles at the Jewish state, whose overloaded missile interceptor system – the Iron Dome – has not always intercepted incoming missiles. Iranian nuclear facilities, including the uranium enrichment plant in Fordow and Natanz, have been heavily targeted by Israeli fighter jets, but it is not known how much damage has been done.

The world only learned about the super-secret Fordó facility in 2009. And this plant – learning from the previous Israeli airstrikes against Iranian nuclear facilities in 1981 and 2007 – is no longer hidden on the surface of the earth, but under 80 meters of rock, presumably embedded in a thick-walled concrete bunker. The depth figures will still be important.

Israel has tried in vain to persuade the United States to join the operation against Iran. President Donald Trump is reluctant, and according to the latest news, he has asked for two weeks to decide whether to enter the war on Israel's side. For Tel Aviv, a quick decision would be important because it would then be able to ask its American ally to drop bunker-busting smart bombs against its Fordow facility. Only the United States has such weapons, especially since they can only be delivered by a special super-machine.

Bunker Buster, the bunker destroyer

As raketa.hu wrote, the primary function of this type of explosive device is to be able to destroy even the most hidden, underground facilities by penetrating underground. The bunker buster does not cover a single bomb, but a family of bombs – the devices belonging to this special type of bomb are extremely heavy, and a particularly thick outer shell protects them from the force of impact, thanks to which they can penetrate even thick concrete structures.

Israel is most interested in the GBU-57A/B Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP) model, which could be effective at Fordó. Or not? An expert recently spoke to CNN about the details of the super bomb. He said that the bomb weighs more than 13,000 kilograms, of which 2,700 kilograms are explosives. The six-meter-long bomb can penetrate the ground to a depth of about 60 meters. It is equipped with GPS guidance.

Its thick, resistant outer casing ensures that the bomb fulfills its task, that is, it breaks through the concrete, but the explosive stored inside does not"activate" prematurely. The structure requires very complex design in order to function effectively, the expert reminded.

And this is where the problems could start for Fordó. If  the GBU-57A/B MOP were used against it, it would have to drop several bombs one after the other, which would be able to penetrate somewhat deeper when they reach the same area. The GBU-57A/B MOP has a maximum impact of 60 meters underground, but the exact depth also depends on the type of concrete or rock it has to pass through. Below is a thorough video on how Bunker Buster bombs work.

Only one type of aircraft can deliver

The problems with the bomb can also be seen in its transportation. Conventional bombers cannot carry it, so they have to be loaded two by two onto B-2 stealth bombers. The first examples were originally introduced in the second half of the 1980s, and the Pentagon then ordered more than a hundred aircraft, but in the meantime the Cold War era had ended. Since a single aircraft costs more than two billion dollars, only 21 of them have been built to date.

They can travel 11,000 kilometers without refueling, and if they refuel in the air, they can easily reach 18,000 kilometers, so they can easily reach anywhere on the ground, as proven by their deployment from Missouri against Libya and Afghanistan. They can carry more than 18,000 kilograms of payload, including conventional and nuclear weapons.

This is the only aircraft type capable of carrying and launching the  GBU-57A/B MOP smart bomb, and if necessary, two of them at once. In the case of conventional weapons, it can carry JDAMs, or GPS-guided glide bombs, which were designed and manufactured after the Gulf War by converting existing conventional, unguided bombs in the USA. They can only be used against fixed targets.

They can also carry JSOW glide bombs, which, when launched from the right altitude, can reach targets within a range of up to 110 kilometers and are also suitable against moving targets. Of course, these modern glide bombs were also developed and manufactured in the United States.

Of course, this heavy bomber is designed to carry up to 16 B83 strategic nuclear bombs, which it can deliver with great precision thanks to its stealth mode.