On September 5, Applied Research Associates (ARA) and Boeing announced that the U.S. Air Force has awarded them a new contract to develop a bunker-buster bomb for its stealth bombers, which would serve as the successor to the well-known GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator used during the bombings against Iran in Operation Midnight Hammer. Specifically, ARA will lead the project commissioned by the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center (AFLCMC), while Boeing will join as a partner responsible for building the tail kit of the new weapon.
Expanding on relevant details, the contract has a 24-month duration, during which both companies must advance the development of several prototypes and test them in the field to demonstrate their capabilities. In particular, the new weapons must be able to strike targets buried at great depths, which the Air Force considers a major threat in today’s operational environments.
Regarding these issues, Rob Sues, President and CEO of Applied Research Associates, stated: “We are honored to continue supporting AFLCMC with innovative solutions that drive its mission. The ARA-Boeing team has unique experience, and this award underscores the confidence AFLCMC EBD places in ARA’s proven capabilities and its long-term commitment to excellence.”
It is worth recalling that the first steps in this program were taken by the Air Force in March 2024, when it issued requests for information to industry stakeholders interested in designing and manufacturing new bunker-buster bombs. In its requirements, the institution specified that it sought a design weighing less than 22,000 pounds, with a margin of error of just 2.2 meters in accuracy and the option to integrate specialized fuzes. If these features are confirmed, the result would be a bomb slightly smaller than the current GBU-57 MOP, thereby expanding the range of aircraft capable of deploying it.
Furthermore, the Air Force required the winning candidate to present a total of 10 scaled-down prototypes, along with 3 to 5 full-scale prototypes within the aforementioned 24-month timeframe. Although the final contract amount awarded to ARA has not been disclosed, the Air Force’s 2026 budget requests included plans to spend up to $107 million on contracts to develop the bomb in question.
Finally, it is important to highlight that although the development of its successor is now officially underway, the GBU-57 MOP bombs will continue to receive further investment from the U.S. Air Force in the short term. According to budget documents, the Air Force planned $120.8 million in expenditures for fiscal year 2025, with another $73.7 million allocated for fiscal year 2026.
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