A discussion of a defense system, any defense system, gets a very predictable reception from the DUmp:
tekisui (1000+ posts) Fri Jul-31-09 06:07 PM
Original message
Pentagon, Eyeing Iran, Wants to Rush 30,000-Pound Bomb Program
July 31 (Bloomberg) -- The U.S. Defense Department wants to accelerate by three years the deployment of a 30,000-pound bunker-buster bomb, a request that reflects growing unease over nuclear threats from Iran and North Korea.
Comptroller Robert Hale, in a formal request to the four congressional defense committees earlier this month, asked permission to shift about $68 million in the Pentagon’s budget to this program to ensure the first four bombs could be mounted on stealthy B-2 bombers by July 2010.
Hale, in his July 8 request, said there was “an urgent operational need for the capability to strike hard and deeply buried targets in high-threat environments,” and top commanders of U.S. forces in Asia and the Middle East “recently identified the need to expedite” the bomb program.
The bomb would be the U.S. military’s largest and six times bigger than the 5,000-pound bunker buster that the Air Force now uses to attack deeply buried nuclear, biological or chemical sites.
Accelerating the program “is intended to, at the very least, give the president the option of conducting a strike to knock out Iran’s main uranium enrichment capabilities,” said Ken Katzman, Middle East military expert for the non-partisan Congressional Research Service.
(snip)
Air Force spokeswoman Lieutenant Colonel Karen Platt said Boeing could be put on contract within 72 hours to build the first bombs if Congress approves the shift of funds by mid- August.
Under the accelerated program, the B-2 “would be capable of carrying the bomb by July 2010,” she said in an e-mail.
more: http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=...
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x6194989newfie11 (976 posts) Fri Jul-31-09 06:22 PM
Response to Original message
1. Where in the hell will this end.
Is it any wonder that other countries are afraid America is going to attack them. The same America that spends unbelievable amounts on war and war equipment but cannot help its people. How many are out of work now with exhausted benefits and how many have no health insurance. Oh wait this is the country that is controlled by politicians and lobbyists, and a news media with constant propaganda worthy of the old Soviet Union (or maybe that was fed to us to).
Everything is related to socialized medicine. The DUmp is deteriorating into mishmash of stupid opinions on that single issue. It will be a huge improvement in their entertainment value when the DUmmies drop this issue down the memory hole in another two or three months.
tekisui (1000+ posts) Fri Jul-31-09 06:24 PM
Response to Original message
2. Just what we need, a 15 TON bomb.
And $68 million in the Pentagon’s budget to this program to ensure the first four bombs could be mounted on stealthy B-2 bombers by July 2010.
Why the rush? What is going to happen in July of 2010? I know an election will be taking place just four months later.
Control over all four bombs will be given to Diebold just prior to the election.
midnight armadillo (1000+ posts) Fri Jul-31-09 09:51 PM
Response to Reply #6
12. We need it for the 4th of July!
It'll be on a plane doing a flyover of some 4th party in a city. Then we can all wave at our $1 billion bomber with its 15 ton bomb and sing patriotic songs while wearing red white & blue sweaty T-shirts. It'll rock!
spanone (1000+ posts) Fri Jul-31-09 06:47 PM
Response to Original message
5. spanone says '**** the pentagon'
For a screen name, the next DUmmy adopted his percentile placement on an IQ test:
OneTenthofOnePercent (222 posts) Fri Jul-31-09 07:02 PM
Response to Original message
7. Why not just drop small tactical warheads?
They have small tactical nukes that have a user selectable yeild. Something like 10-500 ton yeilds. I believe it was the Mk-54 nuclear warhead.
Since they already exist, I have to image it's infinately cheaper than development and transportation of a 30 ton bomb.
Dial in the desired blast and drop it from a Predator drone.
That is a great idea.
jmowreader (1000+ posts) Fri Jul-31-09 09:34 PM
Response to Original message
10. What I want to know is, how the hell is it going to FIT in a B-2?
The old BLU-82 15,000 pound bomb had to be dropped out of a cargo plane, and here we are discussing building a bomb twice the size but flying it in a plane that's vastly smaller than a cargo plane.
Oh, my god....it won't fit! It won't fit! How did they overlook that? Someone needs to fax this to Keef and the carpetmuncher! Send it to Kootch and Conyers! That stupid Pentagon! The damn thing won't fit!
