Believe it or not, weapons specialists at Whiteman AFB, Mo., have managed to fit a mock-up of the Massive Ordnance Penetrator—a 30,000-pound class weapon yet to enter production—in a mock-up of the B-2 bomber. Northrop Grumman got a contract last summer to begin the MOP integration effort for the B-2, expected to carry two MOPs in its internal weapons bays. Don’t confuse MOP with the 21,000-pound Massive Ordnance Air Blast, also known as the Mother of All Bombs for its acronym MOAB, which the Russians claim to have bested with the Father of All Bombs. (Whiteman report by A1C Stephen Linch)
Three of four congressional committees with influence over defense policy have voted to change the official name of the Department of Defense to the Department of War—but final approval of the Pentagon rebrand is months away and not yet assured.