NF_Utvol wrote:able to withstand 2KT direct blast, or
20KT at over a KM (not very much I know)
20 seconds deep lift travel
able to accomodate "hundreds of people"
Tanks can be stationed inside
undergound hospitals, several {now we know where the aid has been going }
minimum depth 30 meters
local stone; unknown
That is what he said back in '91 too. It only took a couple tomahawks or 2000lb GBUs to take them out. usually when saddam boasts like this, it is only a bunch of hot air
Actually Iraq had several bunkers in 1991, which proved immune to 2000-pound BLU-109 warheads. Special 4000-pound weapons had to be built for the task during the war. However today several bunkers have been identity that even a 4000 pounders could not kill. Its rather impractical to go more then a thousands pounds over this, no pylon could take such a load.
Plus the penatraitor would likely melt going in and explode before actually breaching the bunker.
Durandels wont even scratch something this hardened.
Bring in about a brigade of troops. Two battalions secure the perimeter while another battalion with a company or so of combat engineers gets to work. Use FLIR and good old hands on searches to locate all air vents and entrances. Guard the entrances but don’t seal them.
Once sufficient air vents have been located, get some 5000-gallon HEMTT fuel trucks. Mix diesel fuel and gasoline in them, and then park one by each airshaft. Lower a hose down each shaft and start pumping at a steady rate.
Do this for an hour or so until 25,000 or so gallons have been pumped in and have had time to spread around. At this point, clear everyone away from the entrances and vents, and throw a time delayed Thermite charge down each vent.
The resulting blast should take care of anyone inside, assuming they don’t just surrender when the fuel starts pouring in. At a later time the destroy bunker may be opened up and inspected, but few would dare venture inside. More likely the entrances would be blasted closed.
A big advantage of this method is that the blast should also expose any unknown openings.
"This cult of special forces is as sensible as to form a Royal Corps of Tree Climbers and say that no soldier who does not wear its green hat with a bunch of oak leaves stuck in it should be expected to climb a tree"
— Field Marshal William Slim 1956