Explosive Arsenal of Operation Midnight Hammer: MOPs, Tomahawks, and Other Devastating Weapons Used
John A. Tirpak, Here's the Lowdown:
When a gang of Air Force B-2 stealth bombers went after Iran's hidden nuclear development sites on June 21, they relied on a heavy-duty weapon designed specifically for the occasion: the GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator, or MOP. This 30,000-pound beast, dreamed up by Boeing, the Air Force, and the Defense Threat Reduction Agency, is 20 feet long, 31.5 inches in diameter, and boasts a 5,740-pound warhead. During "Operation Midnight Hammer," seventeen MOPs were dropped, making history as the first-ever operational use of this weapon, according to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
Seven B-2 bombers, each equipped with two MOPs, took part in the operation. Meanwhile, other B-2s served as decoys, giving the impression that the US was sending its stealth bombers to Guam. With only 20 B-2s in existence, the majority of the flyable fleet was enlisted for the operation.
Alongside the B-2s, fourth- and fifth-generation Air Force fighter jets partook in the operation. However, Gen. Dan Caine, the Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman, didn't reveal which of those platforms were utilized.
In total, Caine stated "more than 125" aircraft were involved, with contributions from B-2s, fighters, "dozens and dozens of air refueling tankers," and a "full array" of intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance aircraft. Additionally, "hundreds of maintenance and operational professionals" supported the operation, voiced Caine.
A Navy sub tucked away in the Arabian Sea launched "over two dozen" Tomahawk land attack cruise missiles against key infrastructure at Isfahan. According to Caine, these TLAMs were the last to strike after the B-2s had left the scene.
Aside from being stealthy and capable of carrying a heavy payload, the B-2's radar enables it to map the target area in three dimensions with high resolution and deliver ordinance accurately against specific aimpoints, like ventilation shafts or apertures.
A former B-2 pilot revealed that once over the target area, B-2 pilots can employ the radar to generate target coordinates "often more precise than intel has provided."
The MOPs likely took off with "minimal fuel load" and refueled soon after taking flight due to the significant weight of these weapons. The bombers likely had to be practically directly above the targets when the MOPs were dropped, with the bombs rapidly descending near straight down after release.
Developed in the late 1990s, the MOP was designed to tackle nuclear, chemical, or biological weapons production in hardened, deeply-buried facilities. Deep buried targets like those in North Korea and Iran were considered. While low-yield nuclear weapons were initially considered, US officials worried about escalation and provocation.
The MOP, with its hardened casing and ability to detect the number of voids and layers it's passing through, was designed to penetrate solid rock, steel, concrete, and other materials before detonating at the chosen level. It's not certain how many MOPs were built. Records suggest 20 were purchased, but nearly that number has been used in tests.
Originally tested from a B-52, the MOP was intended for the B-2 bomber due to the heavily protected nature of the targets it was designed to hit. Initial operational capability was achieved in 2011. Test drops from B-2s were conducted in 2014-2016; four were tested in 2017 to validate enhancements. The latest upgrade is the Large Penetrator Smart Fuse modification, which was tested in 2020 against a tunnel target. Three more tests were conducted between 2021 and 2022. Two full-scale tests were made in 2024 to verify B-2 integration work and lethality.
Air Force documents claim integration efforts for the MOP have been completed, with Boeing securing the contract to finalize the integration of the MOP in 2009, which involved minor modifications to both the MOP and the aircraft.
Other weapons possibly used in Midnight Hammer are:
*ADM-160 MALD. Caine's mention of "decoys" may refer to the Raytheon ADM-160 Miniature Air-Launched Decoy, or MALD. The MALD, a low-cost missile, emits signals mimicking those of fighters and other combat aircraft, intended to deceive air defense systems into shooting them instead of crewed aircraft. The weapon can also serve as a radar-jammer. The MALD has a range of about 575 miles and is most frequently carried by F-16s. Its first combat use may have occurred during Midnight Hammer.
BGM-109 TLAM. The Tomahawk Land Attack Missile, also built by Raytheon, is a ship- or submarine-launched, GPS-guided weapon with a 1,000-pound blast/fragmentary or unitary warhead. It's capable of precision attack against fixed targets, but can be reprogrammed in flight to strike other targets. TLAMs fly at subsonic speeds at low altitude, evading radars by hugging the terrain. Newer models come equipped with cameras, allowing TLAMs arriving after some have already struck to transmit imagery of battle damage back to their launch platform.
*AGM-88 HARM* or AARGM-ER. Caine did not specify which "high-speed" defense-suppression weapon was used against defensive missiles and radars around the three nuclear sites, but the Air Force possesses two such weapons. The AGM-88 High-Speed Anti-Radiation Missile, or HARM, has been used effectively in combat before. It quickly seeks out and destroys search or tracking radars. During the 1991 Gulf War, Iraqi radar operators ceased turning on their air defense radars once it became clear that any emissions would result in an explosion mere seconds later. The HARM's successors are the Advanced Anti-Radiation Guided Missile (AARGM) and the AARGM Extended Range, both made by Northrop Grumman. Besides being less jammable, the AARGM can travel farther and faster, is harder to detect, and is more adept at discriminating between targets. It will also serve as the basis for the Stand-in Attack Weapon (SiAW), expected to replace the Joint Direct Attack Munition series of guided bombs.
Pentagon Editor Chris Gordon contributed reporting.
AirTechnology
- The Pentagon revealed that Air Force fighter jets, both fourth- and fifth-generation, participated in the operation alongside B-2 bombers, contributing to the defense against Iran's nuclear development sites.
- The space industry played a role in the operation as well, with the MOP, a massive ordnance penetrator designed by Boeing, being dropped from B-2 bombers, demonstrating the advancement of aerospace technology.
- During the operation, "hundreds of maintenance and operational professionals" from the Air Force and the industry presumably worked together on the finance and logistics necessary for this complex mission.
- The Space Force, though not mentioned directly in the operation, could have been involved in the intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance aspect, as a full array of such aircraft was utilized.
- Tomahawk land attack cruise missiles, a weapon used by the Navy, were also launched from a submarine in the Arabian Sea, playing a crucial role in the campaign's final phase.
- The industry's contribution was evident not just in the development of the MOP, but also in delivering additional weapons like the Raytheon-built ADM-160 Miniature Air-Launched Decoy (MALD), Tomahawk Land Attack Missile (TLAM), AGM-88 High-Speed Anti-Radiation Missile (HARM), Advanced Anti-Radiation Guided Missile (AARGM), AARGM Extended Range, and potentially Stand-in Attack Weapon (SiAW).
- The involvement of these advanced weapons, such as the MOP, MALD, TLAM, HARM, AARGM, AARGM-ER, and SiAW, showcases the ongoing investment and collaboration between the Air Force, Space Force, Navy, and industry to advance defense capabilities in both air and space.
