Bunker Buster Bombs From US May Be Defective

Israel is seeking clarifications from the United States to ensure bunker buster bombs it recently purchased are not carrying defective fuses that could cause their premature detonation.

Last week the US settled a lawsuit against a defense contractor for allegedly supplying it with faulty fuses.

The laser-guided bomb, GBU-28, weighs about 2.5 tons and is reportedly capable of penetrating 30 meters of earth or alternatively 6 meters of concrete.

The bomb was initially developed in the 1990s to penetrate hardened Iraqi command centers located underground.

Israel ordered its first batch of the GBU-28 from the US in 2005 and reportedly received them a year later. In 2007 it asked the Pentagon for another batch of bombs but the delivery was delayed due to concern in Washington that Israel planned to use the bunker buster bomb to attack Iran’s nuclear facilities, some of which are located in fortified bunkers.

In September, Newsweek reported the Obama administration had recently decided to authorize the delivery of 55 GBU-28 bombs as part of an aid package aimed at improving ties with Jerusalem.

There are now concerns in Israel that some of the bombs supplied to Israel over the years could have been supplied with defective fuses.

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