Israel can't arm itself with 30,000-pound bombs in time against Iran

Last week, Dr. Eric R. Mandel made a compelling argument for deterring the Iranian regime through the use of the largest bunker busters. While I wholeheartedly agree with him, I disagree with the methods of delivery from a technical standpoint. This is an important debate as Dr. Mandel must lobby for the most effective weapons that can be operational quickly.

The GBU-57 would, in Dr. Mandel's words, "slow their nuclear program, prevent a retaliatory ballistic missile attack on Israel, and de-escalate the conflict." If Israel can destroy the Iranian nuclear facilities, "Iran may be much more hesitant to respond to the Israeli attack on Iranian soil or move towards weaponization and complete a functioning atomic bomb."

Dr. Mandel's article claimed that F-15I Ra'am could theoretically undergo retrofitting to carry 30,000-pound bombs. While the bomb does fit size-wise, there are several engineering roadblocks.  (Read More)