US EditionUS Air Force Awards Contract to Prototype Next-Gen Bunker-Buster Bomb
Applied Research Associates will develop prototypes to replace the Massive Ordnance Penetrator, with $73.7 million budgeted for testing through fiscal year 2026, officials said.
- On Friday, the Air Force awarded Applied Research Associates a 24-month contract to lead design and prototype production of the Next Generation Penetrator, the service and ARA announced.
- The program follows Operation Midnight Hammer's use this year, with a February 2024 request for information urging a Next Generation Penetrator under 22,000 pounds to succeed the GBU-57/B Massive Ordnance Penetrator.
- The Air Force specified tight performance targets, including CE90 terminal accuracy of 2.2 meters 90 percent of the time, possible embedded fuze technology, and prototype quantities of around 10 sub-scale and 3–5 full-scale warheads within 18 to 24 months.
- ARA is teaming with Boeing, which will develop the NGP's tail kit and support integration, while platform limits remain as the B-2 Spirit stealth bomber is the only current carrier, prompting consideration of a rocket motor concept to improve performance.
- The Air Force budget requests $120.8 million for FY2025 and $73.7 million for FY2026 to support NGP development, aiming for prototype demonstration completion by FY‑27; officials call it a conventional option against buried targets.
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The US Air Force is eyeing a new bunker-buster bomb to replace the ones used to strike Iran's nuclear sites
The B-2 Spirit is the only operational US aircraft that can carry the heaviest bombs in America's arsenal.US Air National Guard photo by Master Sgt. Patrick EvensonThe US Air Force has awarded a contract for the design of a next-generation bunker-buster bomb.The bomb will eventually replace the 30,000-pound GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator, or MOP.The MOP was used during the US military's Operation Midnight Hammer to bomb Iran's nuclear sites.…
Air Force taps ARA to develop Next Generation Penetrator prototypes
The Air Force has awarded Applied Research Associates a contract to build a prototype of the planned replacement for the GBU-57/B Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP) bomb, the company announced Friday. Under the 24-month contract from the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center’s (AFLCMC) Eglin Munitions Directorate, ARA will lead overall design and production of test articles for the air-to-ground munition known as the Next Generation Penetrator (…
Air Force picks ARA to build Next Generation Penetrator
Defense firm Applied Research Associates will design and build a prototype for the Air Force's Next Generation Penetrator bomb, the company and the service announced over the weekend. The new contract -- which spans 24 months and includes the production and test of sub-scale and full-scale prototype munitions -- was awarded by the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center’s Eglin Munitions Directorate. ARA will serve as the lead designer for the de…
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