MOP Testing Advances

The Air Force plans to conduct its first flight test of the 30,000-pound massive ordnance penetrator before the end of the month under an initiative that aims to field the huge bunker-buster munition as soon as possible. The Defense Threat Reduction Agency led a MOP technology demonstration that concluded in January with the fifth and final test drop of the bomb from a B-52H bomber, a Pentagon spokeswoman told the Daily Report. The Air Force now intends to integrate MOP on the B-2A. Air Force Secretary Michael Donley and Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz told a House oversight panel last week that the Pentagon has had “mixed results” to date in test drops of the MOP. Despite that, they said they are “closely monitoring” MOP’s progress and “future successes likely will result in a reprogramming request to accelerate its development in Fiscal 2010.” Continue