MPR 1000 and 2000 bombs undergoing trials, can pierce through reinforced concrete to target terrorist bunkers.
Israel Military Industries (IMI) is expanding its range of air-to-ground weaponry, and the Israeli defense corporation is in varying stages of developments of three new types of bombs.
The new bombs include the MPR 1000 and MPR 2000 munitions, whose names signify their weight in pounds, and come with a significantly smaller blast and shrapnel radius than their counterparts in the MK 80 US equivalents, allowing for greater accuracy. The smaller blast radius means the bombs can reduce harm to noncombatants, and enable much closer air support for ground forces in battle arenas.
Additionally, the new bombs have the ability to penetrate reinforced concrete, and detonate with a delayed fuse when reaching their targets. This allows them to be used to target terrorist bunkers, or to pierce floors on a multi-story building before reaching the intended target.
The MPR 1000 can go through more than 1.5 meters of concrete, and the MPR 2000 has surpassed its original intended penetration capabilities in trials, IMI sources have said.
Clients that would purchase such bombs would likely assemble them attached to GPS systems, such as JDAM guidance kits.
The smaller MPR 250 bomb is also under an IMI development program.
The new bombs join the existing MPR-500 bomb, which was purchased by the Israel Air Force and used during the 2014 50-day conflict with Hamas and Islamic Jihad in Gaza.
The IAF is not the only client that purchased the MPR-500 bomb; a number of international clients have bought the weapon as well.
According to IMI, “MPR-500 penetrates straight through four multi-level floors and double reinforced concrete walls, or over 1 meter of monolithic double reinforced concrete target. The system is operational and in production.” The MPR series features a reinforced fuse box, designed to avoid incidents in which the bombs hit targets and fail to detonate.
According to figures, the MPR-500 sustained a 100% success rate during Operation Protective Edge against terrorist targets during the conflict.
As reported by The Jerusalem Post