On September 27, 2024, the 69th Squadron of the Israeli Air Force launched a relentless attack on Beirut using F-15I fighter jets. Around 80-85 bunker buster bombs were dropped from the skies, including bombs from the GBU-72 and MK-84 series. These are no ordinary bombs that simply explode on the surface. They penetrate the ground and then detonate.
Watch the video below to see the crater created after the attack
If dropped on buildings or bunkers, the destruction is equally horrifying. The building where Nasrallah was located now has a 30-feet deep crater. The specialty of the GBU-72 bunker buster bomb is that it can penetrate thick steel and concrete walls, attacking depths of 30 to 60 feet.
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Watch another video below
First, let's learn about the features of the GBU-72 bunker buster bomb...
Hamas built tunnels underground. Hezbollah established weapons depots and launch pads among residential areas. Their hideouts were among civilians. Israel used these bunker busters to eliminate tunnels in Gaza. This time, Israel has done the same again.
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Source: aajtak
Reports suggest that 80-85 bunker buster bombs were dropped by Israel around the building where Hassan Nasrallah was hiding. These bombs specialize in attacking underground fortifications. Typically, bombs from the GBU-72 series are used.
The GBU-72 is a sophisticated 2268 kg guided bomb, specially designed to destroy underground bunkers and tunnels. It creates a hole in the ground before going a few feet deeper and exploding. If it hits a building, it can disturb its foundation.
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Watch the video below to understand the technology behind bunker busters...
What are bunker buster bombs and how do they work?
Bunker buster bombs are extremely powerful and terrifying weapons. They rapidly penetrate the ground and then explode, creating deep craters. These bombs can destroy foundations, bunkers, and tunnels made of concrete. Their highest usage was seen during the Vietnam War.
These bombs have specially designed noses to take advantage of their weight and gravity to penetrate the ground at a high speed before exploding. There is another version that has two charges: a smaller one that makes a hole and a larger one that causes a massive explosion.
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Source: aajtak
Where does Israel get such bombs?
Israel is determined to eliminate terror tunnels in Iran. Therefore, it requested the most advanced version of the GBU-72 bombs from the U.S. for the first time in 2021. These bombs are currently the most sophisticated bunker busters in the world.
The GBU-72 Bunker Buster Bomb can create a 100-feet deep crater in ordinary soil and 20-feet deep in concrete. It makes an incision upon impact, goes deeper, and then explodes, sending a shockwave that obliterates anything in its path, leading to the collapse or severe damage of buildings around the target.
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Source: aajtak
MK-84 General Purpose Bomb: Another potential option...
These bombs are categorized under NATO's Mark 84 bombs, also known as BLU-117, weighing around 907 kg. Made in the U.S., these general-purpose bombs can cause explosions, destroy bunkers, and demolish buildings, creating widespread devastation.
Currently, there are four variants of the Mark 84 bombs: GBU-10 Paveway 1, GBU-15, GBU-24 Paveway 3, and GBU-31 JDM, weighing between 894 and 1000 kg. The U.S. has even developed bombs weighing up to 14,000 kg for destroying large buildings or weapon depots.
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Source: aajtak
These 12.7-feet long bombs have a diameter of 18 inches and are filled with military-grade explosives like Tritonal, H6, and PBXN-109, weighing about half of the bomb's total weight. They are usually mounted on bombers or attack fighter jets because of their versatile uses.
The bombs often come with retarders, parachutes, or pop-out fins on the rear, which slow their descent to give the fighter jet or aircraft that drops them a chance to escape the bomb's range.
