This segment critically examines the U.S. GBU-57 bunker buster bomb, its claimed capabilities, and the real-world limitations in using such weapons against deep, hardened, and potentially cleverly designed Iranian underground facilities.

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The Claims

The GBU-57 (Massive Ordnance Penetrator) weighs 30,000 lbs, with 5,000–6,000 lbs of explosives, designed to penetrate up to 200 feet into reinforced concrete or rock before detonation. The claim is that it can reach and destroy underground facilities such as nuclear enrichment sites.

The Reality

These claims are likely overstated or misunderstood, especially by political decision-makers misinformed by defense contractors or military briefers. The bomb must hit very close to or directly above a target, such as a tunnel or chamber, to do meaningful damage. A blast cavity from the explosion is ~20–30 meters wide. If the actual tunnel is offset by more than that (30+ meters horizontally or vertically), it won’t be affected.

Design Misassumptions

U.S. attack models assume Iranian bunkers are simple, vertical shafts, but: Real underground bunkers may use offset tunnels, angled passages, or be built into irregular terrain like hills, making direct hits extremely unlikely. Example: Iran’s Fordow facility is buried under a hill, making perpendicular impact very difficult.

Concrete Deflection Techniques

Studies (including by Chinese researchers) show that angled concrete structures (e.g., diamond-shaped cross-sections) can cause incoming munitions to deflect by up to 25°. The front of the bomb slows upon angled impact, while the rear continues, causing it to twist off course. This concept is similar to tank armor design, which uses inhomogeneous or spaced layers to divert and reduce damage from penetrating munitions.

Strategic Warning

There’s speculation that these bunker busters may be used imminently—possibly as early as 3 p.m., potentially signaling U.S. entry into the Iran-Israel conflict. Trump’s confidence in U.S. capabilities may be based on misleading briefings, especially regarding: Effectiveness of air defenses. Accuracy and capability of bunker-buster strikes.

Conclusion

Iran’s engineers are likely aware of U.S. strike doctrines and have probably designed facilities accordingly. Targeting and destroying such bunkers is much harder than presented—and success requires extremely accurate intelligence and direct-hit capability, which may not exist. Overall, the faith in bunker buster success is questionable, and U.S. political leaders may be basing decisions on overly optimistic or flawed assumptions.

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Our thanks to GR Research Associate Mark Taliano for bringing this to our attention.

Featured image is a screenshot from the video

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