Compass Points - Bunker Buster
Will the CINC drop the MOP?
Compass Points - Bunker Buster
Will the CINC drop the MOP?
June 19, 2025
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As the world waits for the US President to decide the future of Iran, many Marines and friends of the Corps across the US Marine community are concerned about the future of the US Marine Corps.
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President Donald Trump kept the world guessing about whether the United States will join Israel's bombardment of Iranian nuclear sites as the Israel-Iran conflict entered its seventh day on Thursday.
Speaking to reporters outside the White House, Trump declined to say if he had made any decision on whether to join Israel's campaign. "I may do it. I may not do it. I mean, nobody knows what I'm going to do," he said.
-- Reuters
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One of the President's options is to use the MOP on Iran's nuclear site at Fordow.
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The Air Force has the weapon that could possibly penetrate the Fordow facility -- the GBU-57A/B MOP (Massive Ordnance Penetrator), a precision-guided, 30,000-pound "bunker buster" bomb that can penetrate down 200 feet before exploding.
-- Military.com
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There is little doubt that Israel intends to destroy Iran's nuclear site at Fordow with or without the US.
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Israel's ambassador to the U.S., Yechiel Leiter, suggested Sunday that Israel had contingency plans to deal with Fordow without U.S. assistance.
"We have a number of contingencies ... which will enable us to deal with Fordow. Not everything is a matter of, you know, taking to the skies and bombing from afar," Leiter said Sunday on ABC-TV's "This Week" program.
-- Military.com
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While the world waits to see if the US President will drop the MOP on the Iran's nuclear site at Fordow, many Marines and friends of the Corps continue to be concerned that the Marine Corps has already dropped its own MOP on its own combined arms units, equipment, and capabilities.
As a result of its own rash decisions, the Marine Corps today is missing far too much armor, infantry, aviation, artillery, bridging, mine clearing, snipers, and more. In addition, in budget talks with the Navy, the Marine Corps is not focused solely the need for more amphibious ships -- which are crucial -- instead the Marine Corps puts too much focus on smaller, less capable island ships, that cannot be used for a full range of amphibious operations and cannot even keep up with the fleet.
One of the many Marines concerned about the current state of the Marine Corps is Mike Myatt.
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The United States Marine Corps has drastically changed its force structure since 2019 because the Commandant of the Marine Corps at the time adopted his Force Design 2030. He told the Congress that he would not need any additional funding because he could “divest to invest” his force structure to pay for FD 2030.
He told the US Navy the same thing, and they could relax the standing requirement for amphibious ships. Then came the pandemic of Covid 19. Congress was distracted and the Navy was very happy not needing to worry about the Marine Corps.
Now the Marine Corps is unable to meet the Nation’s needs for a credible 911-Combined Arms Force, which is a requirement by Title X, US Code. We retired Marines are troubled and sick about this! The Congress and the public don’t seem to realize the fatal impact of Force Design 2030.
Semper Fi,
J. Michael Myatt
MajGen USMC (Ret.)
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What is the future of Iran? Its near future will be decided in the coming days.
What is the future of the Marine Corps? Its future will be decided, in part, by the dedication of the broad community of Marines and friends of the Corps who are determined that the Marine Corps must be not only strong today, but stronger tomorrow.
Compass Points thanks General Myatt and all the Marines and friends of the Corps who are continuing to advocate for a stronger Marine Corps, a Marine Corps with many more enhanced, global, combined arms, MAGTFs forward deployed on the world's oceans 24/7/365.
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Reuters - 06/19/2025
Trump keeps world guessing about US military action against Iran
By Steve Holland, Parisa Hafezi and Alexander Cornwell
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Military.com - 06/16/2025
Air Force's Bunker-Buster Bomb Could Take Out Iran Nuclear Facility, But Israel Hints at Other Options
By Richard Sisk
Agree completely with comments about the dark future ahead for the Corps if Force 2030 is not reversed and a comprehensive open and tested redesign is accomplished to validate the actual structure required for an effective Marine Corps. As an Aviator I’ve always had a cautious approach to effectiveness claims by our brothers in Blue who years ago claimed Battles could be won from the Air without Troops on the ground to physically take and hold a geographic objective. I would humbly suggest that if a MOP mission is undertaken recognizing its tremendous firepower, physical troops on the ground would be required to validate its effectiveness. Despite the President’s repeated questions No one can guarantee the use of MOP weapons will completely destroy (eliminate the Nuclear capabilities)in an underground facility built into the side of a mountain. Undoubtedly, the Nuclear threat from Iran to America and its Allies is real and must be stopped. We should have dealt with the threat in 1980 as two Carrier based Marine F-4 squadrons and Marine Ch-53 Pilots were prepared to do as part of Operation Eagle Claw. The President is now faced with a very hard choice so I would encourage everyone to keep him in his prayers.
Demosthenes, when asked what was to be done about the decline of Athens replied simply, “Don’t do what you are doing now.” Does that apply to the Marine Corps?