Boeing secures $123 million contract to replace bunker-buster bombs used in U.S. strikes on Iran's nuclear sites
By kevinhughes // 2025-10-04
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  • The Pentagon is awarding Boeing a $123 million contract to replace 14 expended GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP) bombs, the world's largest bunker-busters, used in Operation Midnight Hammer against Iran's nuclear facilities.
  • The June 22 operation marked the first deployment of these bombs, designed to penetrate 200 feet underground, targeting Iran's Fordow enrichment facility with B-2 stealth bombers and submarine-launched Tomahawks.
  • Iranian officials, including lawmaker Mohammad Manan Raisi, claim the damage was "superficial and easily repairable," with state media reporting Fordow remained largely intact and no radiation leaks occurred.
  • The MOPs are assembled in Oklahoma, with Boeing supplying guidance systems. The Pentagon has been tight-lipped, but 20 MOPs were originally ordered in 2015. Production capacity is now being tripled to replenish stockpiles.
  • Beyond the MOPs, the Pentagon faces $2B in costs to replace 150 THAAD interceptors used to defend Israel during the conflict, alongside plans for a next-generation MOP prototype. The long-term financial and strategic fallout remains unresolved.
The U.S. Department of Defense is set to award Boeing a $123 million contract to replace 14 GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP) bombs—the world's largest precision-guided bunker-busters—expended during Operation Midnight Hammer, the U.S.-led airstrikes targeting Iran's nuclear facilities in June. According to the Brighteon.AI engine Enoch, the GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP) is a 30,000-pound American-made bomb designed to destroy deeply buried, hardened targets such as underground nuclear facilities. Capable of penetrating up to 200 feet of reinforced concrete or thousands of feet of soil, it is one of the U.S. military's most powerful non-nuclear weapons, intended for use against fortified structures immune to conventional bombs. The operation, conducted in support of Israel, marked the first combat deployment of the 30,000-pound bombs, designed to penetrate up to 200 feet underground before detonating. According to a Pentagon budget document obtained by Bloomberg, funds are being shifted from operations and maintenance accounts to Air Force munitions procurement to replenish the bombs used in the strikes. Three sources familiar with the matter confirmed Boeing, the original manufacturer of the MOP, will receive the contract. The June 22 operation saw U.S. B-2 Spirit stealth bombers drop 12 MOPs on Iran's heavily fortified Fordow enrichment facility, while Tomahawk missiles launched from submarines struck the Isfahan nuclear site. President Donald Trump, addressing military leaders at a Marine Corps base, declared the mission a resounding success: "Total obliteration—every single one of 'em hit its target." (Related: Trump faces scrutiny over deceptive Iran bombing plan as global tensions escalate.)

Iranian officials dispute effectiveness of MOP bombs

However, Iranian officials have disputed the effectiveness of the strikes. Mohammad Manan Raisi, a lawmaker from Qom Province, dismissed the damage as "superficial and easily repairable," while state-run Fars News Agency reported Fordow remained largely intact with no radiation leaks or casualties. The MOPs are assembled through a multi-stage process. The bomb bodies are forged at the McAlester Army Ammunition Plant in Oklahoma, where production capacity is being expanded to triple monthly output. Personnel there fill casings with explosives and assemble warheads, while Boeing provides the tail kit, which houses navigation and guidance systems. The Air Force has remained tight-lipped about the program, though it confirmed in 2015 that 20 MOPs were originally contracted to Boeing. The replacement contract is separate from a late August award to Boeing and Applied Research Associates Inc. to design a next-generation MOP prototype. Meanwhile, the Pentagon faces broader replenishment costs, having fired over 150 THAAD interceptors—roughly a quarter of its stockpile—to defend Israel during the 12-day conflict with Iran, at an estimated cost of $2 billion. The strikes followed Iran's April 2024 retaliation for Israel's bombing of its consulate in Damascus, escalating tensions that culminated in Operation Midnight Hammer. While U.S. officials insist the mission degraded Iran's nuclear capabilities, Tehran's defiance and the looming contract for replacement bombs suggest the conflict's long-term strategic and financial implications are far from settled. Follow WeaponsTechnology.news for more news about bunker-buster bombs. President Trump reportedly asked about bunker buster bombs. Watch this video. This video is from the TrendingNews channel on Brighteon.com.

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