Could bunker busters penetrate deep enough to obliterate fordow

1. What the U.S. dropped and where

Multiple outlets reported that B‑2 bombers dropped a dozen-plus GBU‑57 Massive Ordnance Penetrators on Iran’s buried nuclear sites, including Fordow — for example, 12 of 14 GBU‑57s are reported to have been directed at Fordow during the June strikes ^{[2] [1]}. The operation was publicly framed as a strike on deeply buried enrichment infrastructure ^{[1] [7]}.

2. Manufacturer/department numbers versus independent estimates

U.S. officials and some reporting have described the MOP as capable of penetrating “up to 200 feet” (about 61 m) in ground before detonation ^{[1] [4]}. Independent analysts and technical sources caution that those top‑line figures represent ideal conditions; other assessments place the effective penetration into hard concrete or bedrock much lower — figures such as about 18 m of reinforced concrete or bedrock are cited by defense analysts in reporting ^{[5] [6]}.

3. Why geology and construction matter more than bomb weight

Penetration is not a simple function of bomb mass. Public reporting highlights that Fordow sits under tens of meters of mountain rock and reinforced concrete; estimates put Fordow’s depth at roughly 80 m below the surface, deeper than many claimed MOP penetration numbers ^{[3] [5] [6]}. Sources note Iran’s use of very high‑strength concrete and hard limestone can sharply reduce penetration depth compared with laboratory or “ideal” soil tests ^{[5] [6]}.

4. Multiple strikes, “deepening the hole” and tactical tactics

Several outlets describe how multiple GBU‑57s can be used sequentially on the same point to deepen access to an underground complex, effectively “drilling” deeper through successive detonations ^{[4] [2]}. That tactic changes the operational calculus: even if one bomb cannot reach a core vault, repeated precision strikes at the same shaft or weak point can progressively penetrate deeper ^[4].

5. Disagreement in open reporting and why it matters

Reporting differs sharply: some accounts emphasize the MOP’s headline numbers (up to ~60 m / 200 ft) while other technical commentators and defence publications warn the realistic penetration in hard rock/concrete is much lower ^{[4] [5] [6]}. The divergence matters because optimistic numbers can overstate the likelihood that a single munition can “obliterate” very deep facilities; conservative technical estimates imply those facilities were better protected from a single hit ^{[5] [6]}.

6. What open sources say about the Fordow outcome

Available sources describe surface impact patterns and strikes on Fordow and Natanz; some reporting asserts the strikes achieved objectives while other pieces note uncertainty about whether critical inner halls were destroyed and stress that deeper construction could survive MOP attacks without extraordinary measures ^{[2] [6]}. Exact post‑strike assessments of Fordow’s interior condition are not settled in the cited reporting and remain contested ^{[2] [6]}.

7. Takeaway for your original question — “Could bunker busters penetrate deep enough to obliterate Fordow?”

Available reporting shows the U.S. employed multiple GBU‑57s against Fordow ^{[2] [1]}. Whether a single MOP would “obliterate” Fordow depends on geological depth and concrete strength; public claims list up to ~60 m/200 ft potential in ideal conditions but technical analyses and site depth estimates (Fordow ≈ 80 m) cast doubt on single‑strike obliteration without sequential strikes or targeting of structural weak points ^{[3] [4] [5] [6]}. Final judgments about destruction of Fordow’s core are not definitively settled in the sources provided ^{[2] [6]}.

Limitations: reporting combines official claims, press summaries, and technical commentary that disagree on numeric penetration limits; available sources do not provide independent forensic verification of Fordow’s internal damage.