Pentagon unleashes massive bombs in stealthy Yemen strike
According to American media, the Pentagon has decided to use the world's heaviest bombs. The GBU-57 MOP bombs were reportedly deployed in Yemen during attacks on the Houthis, carried out by strategic, stealthy B-2 Spirit bombers.
The use of these bombs by the U.S. Air Force was reported by The Aviationist, citing Fox News journalist Jennifer Griffin. The GBU-57 MOP bombs were said to have been dropped by B-2 Spirit aircraft.
To target locations in the Middle East, American bombers were repositioned from U.S. territory to the Diego Garcia base in the Indian Ocean.
When the Pentagon released a video in 2019 showing the drop of the GBU-57 bomb, commentators saw it as a warning to Iran. It remains unclear whether the use of this weapon in 2025 was due to operational necessity or, as six years ago, was mainly a demonstration of power and the capability to destroy not only targets in Yemen but also deep underground Iranian weapons depots.
The world's heaviest bomb
The GBU-57 MOP (Massive Ordnance Penetrator) is the heaviest known contemporary aerial bomb. It measures 20 feet in length and weighs over 29,000 pounds, including 6,000 pounds of explosive charge.
The GBU-57 was developed to target heavily fortified underground structures that couldn't be demolished by other conventional weapons designed for similar purposes, such as the GBU-28 or GBU-37 bombs.
Its creation followed experiences with bombing Iraqi bunkers, which were found to be more challenging to destroy than previously thought. Despite its weight, the GBU-57 carries a relatively small amount of explosive material.
This is because the bomb has a specially reinforced, heavy casing made of resilient steel, allowing it to penetrate deeply into the ground or break through the roof of an underground bunker. It can target areas protected by up to 131 feet of solid rock or 197 feet of reinforced concrete.
Due to its size, the GBU-57 bomb can only be carried by large aircraft, such as the B-2 Spirit, B-52 Stratofortress, and likely the B-1B Lancer. In the future, the B-21 Raider will also be able to carry it.
