US Air Force seeks additional suppliers of bunker bomb warheads
GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator. (Photo: US DoD Director Operational Test and Evaluation)
The USAF plans to award up to four contracts to expand production of large penetrator warhead case assemblies supporting the GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator and future GBU-76 Next-Generation Penetrator.
The US Air Force (USAF) Materiel Command has recently issued a request for proposals (RfP) to identify additional suppliers for large penetrator warhead case production capable of processing assemblies weighing more than 20,000lbs (10t).
The move indicates the branch’s interest in strengthening its ability to destroy hardened and deeply buried targets and ensure sufficient manufacturing capacity for current and future deep-strike munitions. Currently, only ELLWOOD National Forge and Superior Forge & Steel provide this specialised component to the service.
A large penetrator warhead case equips the heaviest deep-strike bunker-buster munitions such as the GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP) used against Iranian
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