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U.S. hi-tech bombs for Israel could target Iran

DUBAI: The U.S. has decided to sell state-of the-art air delivered bombs to Israel that can destroy concrete underground bunkers and other fortifications.

The U.S. Department of Defense announced on Friday that Washington would sell 1,000 units of Guided Bomb Unit-39 (GBU-39) to Israel. Unlike previous versions of “bunker busters” that Israel possesses, these bombs, with an equal explosive power, weigh only 113 kg, the Israeli daily Haaretz reported.

As they are lighter, aircraft can carry several of these bombs in a single sortie, thereby making each air raid more destructive than before.

During demonstrations, a 23-kg warhead of the GBU-39 penetrated a 1.8-meter-thick reinforced concrete barrier, the daily said. Each unit of the bomb had a price tag ranging between $70,000 and $90,000. Analysts point out that the deal is bound to alarm Iran, which has apparently sheltered its nuclear facilities, such as the uranium enrichment plant in Natanz, in deep concrete bunkers.There have been repeated references to a possible Israeli air strike against Iran in recent weeks.

France’s President Nicolas Sarkozy said last week Israel could attack Iran if it persisted with its uranium enrichment programme. Iranian media has also drawn attention to reports about aborted Israel plans of using two airfields in Georgia to mount air raids into Iran. Meanwhile, warships from the U.S. have been leading a naval build up in the Gulf, facing Iran.

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