US expands production of 15-ton bombs to target nuclear facilities
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The bombs are designed to penetrate deeply buried nuclear facilities believed to exist in the DPRK and Iran.
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Foxtrot Missile Alert Facility at F.E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyoming, August 17, 2023 (AP)
The US plans to expand the production of 30,000-pound bombs designed to penetrate deeply buried nuclear facilities believed to exist in the DPRK and Iran, as reported by Bloomberg on Tuesday.
According to the report, the expansion initiative will take place at the McAlester Army Ammunition Plant, situated in southeast Oklahoma.
This expansion aims to significantly ramp up the monthly production of the Massive Ordnance Penetrator bombs, also referred to as bunker-penetrators.
These colossal munitions are exclusively deployable from B-2 stealth bombers, the report notes.
The McAlester plant, nestled within an area spanning 70 square miles (181 square kilometers), is set to triple its output, reportedly generating between six and eight of these monstrous bombs each month.
Projected to conclude from late spring to early fall, the expansion project is slated to culminate in an official opening ceremony scheduled for July 30.
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Highlighting the strategic importance of these munitions, the report cites retired US Central Command Head General Frank McKenzie, who said that the deployment of the 30,000-pound bomb bolsters the US' capacity to effectively target heavily fortified subterranean facilities.
Moreover, it serves as a vital component in the broader strategy to deter nations like Iran from alleged hostile actions.
Iran to change nuclear doctrine if 'Israel' threatens its existence
On May 9, Iran announced that it would change its nuclear doctrine should "Israel" threaten its existence.
Contrary to what the West claims, Iran has consistently reiterated that it does not intend to build a nuclear bomb. "We have no decision to build a nuclear bomb, but should Iran's existence be threatened, there will be no choice but to change our military doctrine," Kamal Kharrazi was quoted as saying by Iran's Student News Agency (ISNA).
Although Iran has the necessary capabilities to develop a nuclear bomb and advanced nuclear weapons, it previously banned such activities saying they were religiously forbidden.
However, in the case of Israeli threats against Iran's sovereignty and interests, Kharrazi said Iran would shift its deterrence policy if the occupation threatens or decides to attack its nuclear facilities.
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The DPRK, for its part, has previously issued several warnings against the West and South Korea due to constant breaches of the DPRK's sovereignty.
In late April, state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported that DPRK leader Kim Jong Un has overseen the country's first-ever "nuclear trigger" drills, which involved simulating a nuclear counterattack as a warning to enemies
