The U.S. Air Force says it plans to speed deployment of an ultra-large "bunker-buster" bomb on the most advanced U.S. bomber as soon as July 2010, amid concerns about growing threats from North Korea and Iran.

Reuters quoted Air Force spokesman Andy Bourland on Sunday as saying that if the U.S. Congress agrees to allocate enough funds to the program, radar-evading B-2 bombers would be capable of carrying the bomb by July next year.

The nonnuclear, 30-thousand pound Massive Ordinance Penetrator, or MOP, is designed to destroy deeply buried or hardened targets. The bomb reportedly delivers more than ten times the explosive power of its predecessor and is capable of penetrating up to 60 meters underground.