As tensions simmer between Washington and Tehran, the Pentagon is moving quickly to restock one of its most powerful weapons. The United States Air Force has awarded Boeing a sole-source contract to replenish its inventory of GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator bombs, according to a justification notice posted online.

The move follows the June 2025 U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities — dubbed Operation Midnight Hammer — in which American bombers dropped more than a dozen of the massive “bunker buster” weapons. The campaign marked the first combat use of the bomb and depleted a significant portion of the Air Force’s stockpile.

“This procurement and sustainment activity is critically needed,” the Air Force wrote in the partially redacted notice, citing the need to replace weapons expended during the operation.

The document also noted why the Pentagon bypassed competitive bidding: Boeing is the only company that produces the GBU-57.

“Boeing has uniquely acquired expertise over a period of 18 years,” the notice said, describing the company’s role in adapting the weapon from a proof-of-concept into a fully operational system. Turning to another supplier, officials warned, would create “unacceptable delays.”

“No delay in award is acceptable,” the document added, arguing that postponement would undermine combat readiness, weaken deterrence and “could result in loss of life.”

The Air Force did not disclose how many weapons it plans to buy, how much the contract is worth or when deliveries are expected.

Developed in the early 2000s by Boeing and the Defense Threat Reduction Agency, the GBU-57 was designed to destroy hardened and deeply buried targets, including underground nuclear labs and command centers.

An Air Force fact sheet describes it as a system built to neutralize “weapons of mass destruction located in well-protected facilities.”

Weighing roughly 30,000 pounds, the bomb can penetrate up to 200 feet of earth or 60 feet of reinforced concrete before detonating. It is the most powerful non-nuclear munition in the U.S. arsenal.

According to Scientific American, the weapon delivers kinetic energy comparable to a fully loaded Boeing 747 landing at highway speeds.

But its size also limits its use: only a small number of U.S. aircraft are capable of carrying and deploying it, making each mission highly specialized.

Operation Midnight Hammer, carried out in June 2025, targeted Iranian nuclear sites in Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan. Seven stealth bombers dropped 14 MOPs in what U.S. officials described as a decisive blow to Iran’s underground infrastructure.

Publicly, the Pentagon declared the mission a success. Privately, assessments were more mixed. While Fordow reportedly suffered major damage, intelligence officials said some facilities could be rebuilt faster than expected, raising questions about how durable the setback really was.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)