Chinese military analysts have closely followed Saturday’s US strikes on Iranian facilities, and especially the bombs used – the GBU-57, a powerful “bunker buster” designed to penetrate deeply buried targets.
While praising the success of the B-2’s long-range delivery and the bunker buster’s performance, they also pointed out the limitations in its effectiveness, especially against sites like Fordow that are deep underground.
Mainland China is believed to have the world’s most extensive underground bunker systems and its own bunker-busting weapons, as well as ambitions to target facilities, including those deep within the mountains of Taiwan.
What did the US bomber strike entail and how is the action viewed by Chinese military analysts? And what is China’s approach to the development of its own bunker-busting arsenal?
Combat debut
A total of 14 GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrators (MOPs) were dropped by seven B-2 stealth bombers in the early hours of Sunday local time, striking Iran’s heavily fortified Fordow nuclear site as well as facilities at Natanz.
