Ordinary explosives equipment will be useless when the attacked party is hiding underground, but there is a more perverted ground-penetrating bomb whose mission is to penetrate seemingly impregnable underground fortifications, such as command posts, nuclear facilities, and even subway stations.
When it comes to the Ground Penetrating Bomb, you may wonder, how does it do it? Can it still turn on its own without human control?
How terrible are "perverted" ground-penetrating shells in war?
The core of the ground-penetrating bomb lies in its design and construction. Imagine falling a ping-pong ball or a bowling ball from a tall building, which will make a deeper hole? Obviously, bowling because it's heavier.
The same is true of the ground-penetrating bomb, which uses its heavy weight and kinetic energy generated by high-speed fall to force through the ground. And that's not enough, its warhead is made of a particularly hard material, it's like fitting it with a super-hard helmet, which guarantees that it won't be destroyed during penetration.
The real appearance of the ground-penetrating bomb was in the 1991 Gulf War. At that time, the American army used it to attack military installations in Iraq. Most of these facilities are hidden underground and cannot be destroyed with ordinary bombs. However, these seemingly impregnable fortifications are like papier-mâché in the face of burrowing bullets.
The GBU-28 ground-penetrating bomb dropped by the US military directly penetrated dozens of meters of concrete and soil layers as easily as a hot knife cutting through butter. This actual combat not only demonstrated the power of the ground-penetrating bullet, but also made the whole world look at this new type of weapon with admiration.
Looking at this power, do you also feel that this thing is a bit perverted? Yes, the power of the ground-penetrating bullet is shocking, but it has also sparked controversy about this weapon.
Its appearance not only changed military tactics, but also brought challenges to the rules of international warfare. But how to balance military power and morality is a question that each of us needs to think about.
Why can the ground-penetrating bomb accurately "drill into the ground"? Does it have eyes?
The GBU-57 MOP ground-penetrating bomb of the United States weighs 14 tons, which is equivalent to the weight of three elephants! Moreover, its shell is made of a special steel alloy, and its hardness is amazingly large, and it can be said that it is incomparable to the pangolin.
But weight and stiffness are just the basics, it's all about design and intelligence. This thing doesn't simply fall down, but is guided like a missile. With GPS and inertial guidance, it can find targets as accurately as you would if you were using a map on your phone to find a restaurant.
However, it is not enough to have warheads, there must also be planes capable of dropping such heavy bombs, and the United States uses B2 bombers. This stealth bomber is like an invisible courier boy, secretly delivering ground-penetrating bombs to their destinations. Once dropped, the ground-penetrating bomb will rush to the ground like a tiger descending from a mountain, directly reaching the target.
The Americans are quite smart, they have discovered that by dropping several ground-penetrating bombs in a row, a kind of "relay bomb" can be formed, like a relay baton, one after the other, deep into the ground, forming greater destruction. It's not just destroying the enemy's underground facilities, it's more like performing an underground "operation", precise and deadly.
This thing is not just a weapon, but also a political and strategic symbol. It represents an absolute power capable of hitting the enemy's vital points where they are safest. This capability has undoubtedly given the United States a psychological advantage in the international community, as if it had a trump card.
Of course, this also brings some controversy. Some say that this weapon is too powerful and could trigger a new arms race and even threaten international peace. But it is undeniable that technological advancements always come with challenges, and the Ground Penetrating Bullet is just one example of this.
Can China defend and counteract?
If China is accidentally targeted, can it deal with building an air-raid shelter? Don't worry, we Chinese have always been smart, and there must be countermeasures.
First of all, the reality is cruel, bomb shelters can only provide a certain level of protection, but they are not necessarily completely resistant to high-performance ground-penetrating shells. The effectiveness of a bomb shelter depends on its design, construction materials, depth, and the specific type of ground-penetrating bomb it is facing. In the face of extremely advanced ground-penetrating projectiles, even the strongest bomb shelters may not be enough to provide complete protection.
But what do we do when we are confronted with this missile? First of all, China has put a lot of effort into materials science. With specially formulated reinforced concrete, it is possible to greatly enhance the defense capabilities of underground facilities. This kind of concrete is not only stronger, but also has a certain elasticity, which is able to better absorb and disperse the impact of the ground-penetrating projectile. This is like putting on a body armor for underground facilities, so that those seemingly invincible ground-penetrating bombs have to have a "headache".
Secondly, interception of enemy aircraft. Because ground-penetrating bombs have to be dropped by airplanes, as long as the enemy planes are stopped, these ground-penetrating bombs will become toothless tigers.
China has developed advanced radar systems and missile defense technology, which are effective against enemy stealth bombers. When the enemy plane is still halfway through, it is "invited" by our air defense system, and those ground-penetrating bombs become useless?
Then again, we're not just defensive. China has also made great strides in ground-penetrating bomb technology. For example, missiles like the Dongfeng 15C can carry high-speed ground-penetrating warheads. This not only means that we are able to strike important targets underground, but also that we are no longer in a passive position in the game of this underground war.
Looking at the future, China's research in this area is also quite powerful. Not only are we improving the penetration of ground-penetrating projectiles, but we are also exploring how to hit targets more precisely. The battlefield of the future may be a high-tech game, and we are already preparing for this game.
In this era of continuous advancement in high-tech weapons, we have witnessed how the ground-penetrating bullet has gone from a fantasy in a movie to a nightmare in reality. But it also reminds us that the power of technology is enormous, and it can be both protective and destructive.
Therefore, we must consider how to balance military power and moral responsibility while pursuing scientific and technological progress. On the road ahead, we need not only stronger weapons, but also wisdom and prudence to ensure that these powerful tools can serve the peace and security of the world. After all, real power is not just about destroying, but about protecting and building.