Key Point and Summary – After Operation Midnight Hammer showed the GBU-57 MOP often needed multiple bombs per aimpoint at Fordow, the Air Force tapped ARA and Boeing to build the Next Generation Penetrator.
-NGP is a sub-22,000-lb bunker-buster with better GPS-degraded accuracy, advanced “void-counting” fuzes, and possible embedded/rocket propulsion to deepen penetration and extend standoff.
The B-21 Raider is designed with an open systems architecture, enabling rapid insertion of mature technologies and allowing the aircraft to be effective as threats evolve. The bomber was designed up front for supportability and maintainability-based upon decades of lessons learned and best practices from prior aircraft programs-to improve long-term affordability and outcomes in operations and sustainment. The B-21 first flight is anticipated to take place in calendar year 2023. (U.S. Air Force photo)
-Designed for the B-21 Raider (likely one per jet) and broader aircraft compatibility, it aims to improve blast, fragmentation and precision.
-FY26 requests $73.7M to finish sub-scale work and full-scale statics, with ~10 scaled prototypes and 3–5 full-scale test articles due in 18–24 months.
Air Force Awards Contract For Next Generation Penetrator or Bunker Buster Bomb
The U.S. Air Force’s Next Generation Penetrator (NGP) is a new “bunker buster” bomb under development. The NGP is being designed to succeed the GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP).
The GBU-57 was famously used in June this year to strike Iranian nuclear enrichment sites. During Operation Midnight Hammer, six B-2 bombers dropped 12 MOPs on Iran’s underground nuclear facility at Fordow, while a seventh bomber targeted Natanz with two additional bombs.
It was the first operational use of the MOP, a munition previously tested only in live-fire trials. Its use exposed significant limitations, despite its effectiveness.
YNET News reported that six bombs were required at Fordow for a single strike point, with later bombs boring progressively deeper, after earlier detonations, to reach the facility’s core.
News of the contract award for the NGP was first announced by New Mexico-based defense contractor Applied Research Associates, which is building the weapon with Boeing. The Air Force requested $73.7 million in its budget proposal for fiscal year (FY) 2026 to continue research and development for the NGP program. According to budget documents, the service plans to “finish out ground sub-scale testing and to execute full-scale static tests” in FY 26.
A B-2 Spirit, assigned to the 509th Bomb Wing, Whiteman Air Force Base, taxis on the flightline Jan. 8, 2018, at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam. Approximately 200 Airmen and three B-2 Spirits from Whiteman Air Force Base (AFB), Missouri, deployed to Andersen AFB in support of U.S. Pacific Command’s (PACOM) Bomber Assurance and Deterrence mission. U.S. Strategic Command bombers regularly rotate through the Indo-Pacific region to conduct U.S. PACOM-led air operations, providing leaders with deterrent options to maintain regional stability. During this short-term deployment, the B-2s will conduct local and regional training sorties and will integrate capabilities with key regional partners, ensuring bomber crews maintain a high state of readiness and crew proficiency (Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Joshua Smoot) .
“We are honored to continue supporting AFLCMC with innovative solutions that advance their mission. The ARA-Boeing Team has unique expertise, and this award emphasizes the trust that AFLCMC EBD places in ARA’s proven capabilities and long-standing commitment to excellence,” said Applied Resarch Associates President and CEO Rob Sues.
The GBU-57 (MOP) We Hardly Knew Ye
For a while after the Iran strikes, the GBU-57 was a popular topic of conversation. But while the weapon is very effective, the Air Force was already getting ready to move on.
Developed in the early 2000s by Boeing and the Defense Threat Reduction Agency, the GBU-57 was designed to neutralize hard and deeply buried targets including underground labs, command centers, and chemical, biological, and nuclear facilities.
Alex Hollings wrote that, “The Air Force’s current bunker-buster bomb, the GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator, is a GPS-guided weapon that consists of a BLU-127 warhead case and a KMU-612 tail kit that houses the GPS navigation hardware, just like you’d find in America’s JDAMs or Joint Direct Attack Munitions.
“The tail has four active lattice fins that deploy when the weapon is dropped and are powered by separate actuators to guide the bomb into its target with a high degree of precision. The MOP has no means of onboard propulsion or fuel storage needs.
“At only around 20.5 feet long and with a diameter of roughly 31.5 inches, the GBU-57/AB MOP is only a little bigger than a Tomahawk Cruise missile, but weighs nearly 10 times as much at roughly 27,125 pounds.
“Of that weight, more than 5,300 pounds is explosives made up of around 4,590 pounds of AFX-757 and 752 pounds of PBXN-114. AFX-757 is a propellant-like plastic explosive compound developed specifically to maximize blast energy output for bunker-busting applications.
“Despite the MOP’s massive weight, the warhead itself represents only about 20 percent of that. The remaining 20,000 pounds are due to the weapon’s immensely dense and hardened fuselage that is designed to bore directly through even the most secure underground structures.”
What Is the Next Generation Penetrator (NGP)?
The NGP will be lighter than the MOP, weighing less than 22,000 pounds in contrast to the GBU-57’s 30,000 pounds, while offering enhanced accuracy in GPS-degraded environments and potentially incorporating advanced fuzing and embedded propulsion to maximize penetration depth.
The NGP will offer improved blast, fragmentation, and penetration effects. It will feature advanced “void-counting” fuzes and guidance systems that rely less on GPS for precision detonation.
Designed to hit hardened targets, the NGP is expected to be integrated into the future B-21 Raider stealth bomber and will likely be tested in prototype form within the next two years. It should be noted, however, that the B-21 Raider will only be able to carry one NGP.
The lighter design is intended to expand compatibility with more aircraft and increase the range of the bombers carrying out the mission. Officials are also considering the addition of a rocket motor to enhance penetration and enable launches from greater distances, thereby reducing exposure to advanced air defenses.
Contractors were asked to deliver about 10 scaled prototypes and three to five full-scale models within 18 to 24 months—an ambitious timeline meant to accelerate testing and development.
“We are constantly looking at, whether it be those [MOP replacement options], or an advanced technology, or advanced tactics, to be able to get ahead and make sure, as the threat moves to defend, we have the ability to put the kit together that we can continue to have events like last Saturday night happen if we’re called upon again,” Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Allvin said at a hearing before members of the Senate Appropriations Committee on June 26, after the Iran airstrike mission.
“It might be something different than the GBU-57, some advancement based on what the enemy might do.”
“This is not a static environment,” Allvin added at that time. “Now that we know that it was successful, I’m pretty sure that people who are potential adversaries might look at that and they may adapt.”
About the Author: Steve Balestrieri
Steve Balestrieri is a National Security Columnist. He served as a US Army Special Forces NCO and Warrant Officer. In addition to writing on defense, he covers the NFL for PatsFans.com and is a member of the Pro Football Writers of America (PFWA). His work was regularly featured in many military publications
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