- Joined
- 16 April 2008
- Messages
- 9,010
- Reaction score
- 12,687
I've not heard of a MOP replacement but it wouldn't surprise me if one is being worked on. But new variants of the GBU-57 are still being produced and the B-21 design was frozen in 2018, so I'd be surprised if it wasn't included as part of the B-21 requirements and retained the capability, even if a replacement weapon is in development.
ETA: from just last year -
Back around 2010, there was a Next-Generation Penetrator RFP for a weapon described as being about a third the size of MOP (so, ~9000 lbs) to fit in smaller, more affordable aircraft, including the LRS aircraft. But I can't tell what happened after that. By 2011, there was a focus on a High-Velocity Penetrating Weapon, a 2000-lb rocket-assisted weapon to match the GBU-28 for the F-35 Now we have the GBU-72, a 5000-lb GPS weapon.