Meet US’ next gen bunker-buster, more lethal than GBU-57, can destroy underground facilities up to…, its name is…

The Next-Generation Penetrator (NGP) will be smaller and lighter, yet more lethal than the existing GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP) bunker buster bombs which were dropped on Iranian nuclear facilities earlier this year.

The US Air Force (USAF) is developing the Next Generation Penetrator (NGP), the next generation of its deadly bunker-buster bombs, which will be more lethal, yet smaller and lighter than the existing GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP). As per reports, the USAF has contracted aerospace giant Boeing and Applied Research Associates (ARA) to build the NGP and the first prototype of the next-gen weapon is expected to ready within the next two years.

Why US is building a next-gen bunker buster?

Earlier, in June this year, the USAF, under Operation Midnight Hammer, used B-2 Stealth bombers to drop GBU-57A/B Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP) bunker buster bombs on Iranian nuclear facilities in Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan, purportedly destroying the sites.

However, following the attack, reports emerged that the GBU-57 bombs had ‘failed’ to completely destroy the facilities as some of them were buried too deep into the ground, raising questions about its real-world efficacy as this was the first instance of the weapon being deployed in an actual battlefield.

According to reports, six B-2 bombers dropped a dozen bunker-busting GBU-57 bombs on Iran’s Fordow nuclear site, while a seventh bomber dropped two bombs on the Natanz underground nuclear facility, marking the first operational use of the MOP.

But the deadly bomb could not live up to the hype as it failed to completely blow up Fordow, with experts noting that at least six GBU-57s were required to be dropped on a single strike point to fully penetrate the site, while more bombs were delivered to the facility’s core by gradually deepening the penetration following earlier explosions.

The GBU-57A/B Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP) bunker buster, each weighing about 13,600 kilos, and measuring 6.2 metres long and 80 centimetres wide, is capable of penetrating up to an estimated 200 feet of reinforced concrete.

How lethal will NGP be?

As per reports, the NGP will weigh at about 10 tonnes, making it 3.5 tonnes lighter than the GBU-57. However, the next-gen bunker buster will carry more firepower compared to its predecessor, and will be capable of striking its target with a maximum accuracy of 2.2 meters, even if GPS guidance fails.

Its lighter weight is aimed to extend the range of the carrier aircraft, and US Air Force is also considering to add a rocket motor, making it possible for bomb to be launched from a distance and ensuring faster penetration, unlike the GBU-57 which must essentially be dropped on top of the target.

This will also enable the bomber to stay well outside enemy’s air defenses while launching an attack.

The NGP will be equipped with advanced navigation, control and guidance systems, giving it more accuracy than existing system like JDAM, reports said, adding that Boeing will work on tail kit and integration, while ARA has been tasked with design and building a laboratory-level test model of the weapon.

The next generation bomb will be integrated with B-21 Raider stealth bombers, they said.

When will NGP be ready?

According to media reports, the deal is part of a larger $107 million program given to four contractors, in which the US Air Force plans to spend $120.8 million in 2025 and $73.7 million in 2026. Testing and development is expected to continue until 2027 and a working prototype is expected to be ready by that time