The US military on Thursday dropped a 9,525 kg massive non-nuclear GBU-43 bomb in Afghanistan targeting a series of caves…
(PHOTO: Twitter)
The US military on Thursday dropped a 9,525 kg massive non-nuclear GBU-43 bomb in Afghanistan targeting a series of caves used by the ISIS.
Known as the 'mother of all bombs', the GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast (MOAB) was dropped in the Achin district of the Nangarhar province in eastern Afghanistan.
The White House said that the operation targeted a system of tunnels and caves that ISIS fighters use to move around and target US military as well as Afghan forces.
Advertisement
Here are some facts you must know about the Mother of all Bombs:
1. Developed by Albert Weimorts of the United States military, the bomb was first tested in 2003 during Iraq war. During testing of the bomb, the weapon created a mushroom cloud that could be seen 20 miles away from the blast area.
2. After US, Russia in 2007 also developed another bomb with the name 'Father of All Bombs' claimed to be four times as powerful as the Mother of all Bombs.
3. About 20-feet-long, the GBU-43 can burrow through 200-feet of earth and 60-feet of concrete before detonating.
4. The GPS-guided explosive was dropped via an Lockheed MC-130 transport plane.
5. Costing around $16 million for each bomb, US military has so far made 20 MOABs and has spent some $314 million on the production of the explosive.
6. The 21,700-pound bomb contains 18,700 pounds of H6, an explosive that is a mixture of RDX, TNT, and aluminum. H6 is used by the military for general purpose bombs.
7. According to latest reports, the non-nuclear bomb has killed at least 36 ISIS militants. Afghan officials have ruled out civilian casualties in the bombing.
Advertisement
