'US vs Iran': Why the USS Abraham Lincoln and USS Gerald R. Ford are carrying more bunker-busters than ever before
To counter Iran expanding network of underground 'missile cities', US supercarriers are arming their jets with thousands of 2,000-pound penetrating bombs.
Iran's Underground Strategy
To protect its military assets from US airstrikes, Iran has constructed vast subterranean 'missile cities' and fortified command centres deep beneath mountain ranges.
High-explosive bombs
Standard high-explosive bombs detonate on impact, creating large surface craters but leaving heavily reinforced underground bunkers entirely intact and operational.
Arming the Supercarriers
To counter this, the USS Gerald R. Ford and USS Abraham Lincoln have stocked their magazines with thousands of 2,000-pound BLU-109 bunker-buster bombs.
The BLU-109 Penetrator
Forged from a one-inch-thick steel alloy casing, the BLU-109 is designed to smash through up to six feet of reinforced concrete before its delayed-action fuse detonates.
JDAM Precision Guidance
These heavy bombs are fitted with Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) tail kits, transforming them into GPS-guided smart weapons capable of striking exact bunker entrances.
The Delivery Jets
Carrier-based F/A-18 Super Hornets and stealthy F-35C Lightning II fighters can carry these heavy munitions, flying them directly over well-defended Iranian targets.
A Shift in Naval Tactics
As tensions escalate, this massive stockpile reflects a tactical shift; the US Navy is preparing for a war where almost every high-value Iranian target is buried underground.
)
)
)
)
)