If the United States joins Israel in its attack against Iran, it will most likely do so with the deployment of the GBU-57 Bunker Buster. This would be the first time the bomb is used in a military conflict. The underground Fordo fuel enrichment plant is a primary target, and an attack on the plant could look like this:
How the bomb could be deployed
The GBU-57 is a GPS-guided, 30,000-pound bomb designed to reach and destroy deeply buried targets up to 200 feet in depth. The United States would likely use its own pilots to fly the B-2 Spirit Stealth Bomber to deliver the bombs. This aircraft has a range of more than 40 hours and could deploy the bombs from the U.S. The first bomb would be dropped at a 45-degree angle to maximize penetration. Its purpose is to penetrate the nearly 300 feet of concrete and rock to pave the way for the second bomb. The second bomb would immediately follow and enter the hole created by the first bomb to penetrate deeper to reach and destroy the target.
How tough a target is Fordo?
The Fordo fuel enrichment plant is built into the side of a mountain estimated to be 260 feet under rock and soil. Fordo is Iran’s second nuclear enrichment facility after Natanz, its main facility, which already has been targeted by Israeli airstrikes. The IAEA said Tuesday it believes the strikes have had “direct impacts” on the facility’s underground centrifuge halls.
This image by The Associated Press identifies the footprint of the Fordo nuclear site and the tunnel entrances.
According to Orion Intel, in 2018, the “Nuclear Archive” seized by Israel’s MOSSAD revealed secret documents that included blueprints of the Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant. In collaboration with The Intel Lab, Orion Intel created a 3D replica of the plant.