The B-2 Spirit stealth bomber is one of the most advanced weapons in the United States’ arsenal, uniquely capable of executing deep-penetration strikes against heavily fortified underground targets. At the center of this capability is its ability to deploy the GBU-57A/B Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP), a 13,600 kg (30,000 lb) bunker-buster bomb designed specifically to destroy hardened and deeply buried facilities.
Each MOP carries a 2,400 kg high-explosive warhead and is engineered to pierce through up to 60 meters of reinforced concrete or rock before detonation. This makes it the most powerful non-nuclear conventional bomb in the U.S. inventory. The weapon is a key asset in missions aimed at neutralizing high-value, subterranean threats, including nuclear enrichment sites like Iran’s Fordow facility, which is buried under a mountain and reinforced to withstand traditional airstrikes.
What makes the B-2 such a crucial platform for delivering the MOP is its radar-evading stealth technology. The bomber’s sleek design, low-observable coating, and heat-dispersing systems allow it to fly into hostile, heavily defended airspace without detection. This stealth capability gives the B-2 a strategic edge—enabling it to reach and destroy targets that would be too risky or impossible to hit with conventional aircraft.
Due to the size and weight of each MOP, a B-2 can carry only two per mission. However, its ability to travel thousands of kilometers without refueling gives it global strike capability within hours. This rapid-response feature allows the U.S. to act preemptively or retaliate swiftly, regardless of where the target is located.
This level of precision and reach sets the U.S. apart in terms of global military power. While regional allies like Israel possess advanced air forces and guided missiles, many of their systems lack the destructive force or depth-penetration needed to destroy facilities like Fordow. The B-2’s recent mission highlights not only its role in U.S. strategic deterrence but also its unique capacity to execute critical strikes against hardened nuclear targets that would otherwise remain out of reach.
