Some in the US Air Force want a new heavy bomb to destroy "Hard and Deeply Buried Targets", something in the 30,000-pound category. Such a bomb could destroy the deepest and hardest shelters in Iraq or North Korea. Such a "Big BLU" weapon could be in service in as little as four months, but the Air Force command won't call for it. Chief of Staff General Jumper wants to attack such targets with smaller bombs that travel much faster and reach these deep targets through their speed rather than their blast effect. It would take, however, seven or eight years to put one into service. General Jumper insists that exiting bombs can deal with 90% of the targets in Iraq or North Korea, and that Special Forces could deal with the rest if they had to be dealt with.--Stephen V Cole