The US Air Force is eyeing a new bunker-buster bomb to replace the ones used to strike Iran's nuclear sites

"The New Mexico-based research and engineering firm Applied Research Associates announced last week that it received a two-year contract to build a prototype "air-to-ground Next Generation Penetrator weapon system." "ARA will also produce and test sub-scale and full-scale prototype munitions," the company said Friday, explaining that "this effort will evaluate capabilities against hard and deeply buried targets that pose critical challenges to US national security.""

"The Air Force did not immediately respond to questions about the value of the contract, awarded by the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Eglin Munitions Directorate, and ARA didn't disclose it. The NGP is expected to eventually succeed the GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator, or MOP, the big bunker-buster bombs that were dropped on Iran's deeply buried nuclear facilities in June as part of the US military's Operation Midnight Hammer."

The Air Force awarded a contract to design and prototype a next-generation bunker-buster to replace the 30,000-pound GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP). Applied Research Associates received a two-year contract to build a prototype air-to-ground Next Generation Penetrator weapon system and will produce and test sub-scale and full-scale prototype munitions. The effort will evaluate capabilities against hard and deeply buried targets. The contract was awarded by the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Eglin Munitions Directorate, and the contract value was not disclosed. Boeing will design and develop the NGP's tail kit. The MOP was used in Operation Midnight Hammer to strike Iran's deeply buried nuclear facilities; details about the NGP's characteristics remain limited.

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