MOP dropped from a B-52 Stratofortress (Boeing)
Nathan Guttman, Forward: Why U.S. Won't Give Israel Bunker-Busting Bombs After All
It weighs more than seven average cars, is taller than a two-story building when upright, and can penetrate the ground to 200-feet, making it by far the heaviest piece of conventional weaponry held by a modern-day military.
The Massive Ordnance Penetrator, which has never been used in combat, was built to allow American forces the ability to penetrate even the most fortified of enemy bunkers, dug deep in the ground and protected by walls of concrete.
But as powerful as the MOP is in depriving enemies of their most guarded facilities, it is also, as demonstrated in recent months, a useful political tool. The MOP, it turns out, has been used to shield elected officials from criticism and to show their unwavering support for a Middle East ally whose own desire for the weapon was nonexistent.
WNU Editor: Why am I not surprised.