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| U.S. to Test ’Mother of All Bombs’ |
| 2003-11-19 |
| The U.S. military plans this week to conduct its final developmental test on the most powerful non-nuclear bomb in its arsenal, a weapon so big it is dubbed the "mother of all bombs," the Air Force said on Tuesday. The Air Force plans to detonate a 21,700-pound satellite-guided GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast Bomb, or MOAB, on Thursday at Eglin Air Force Base in the panhandle of northwestern Florida, said Jake Swinson, a spokesman for the Air Armament Center at the base. The huge conventional bomb will be dropped from an MC-130 Combat Talon cargo plane onto a test range at the base, Swinson said. "This is the last development test," Swinson said, noting that the massive bomb will then become available for use as U.S. military commanders deem appropriate. Swinson said the bomb had undergone "a few minor modifications." |
| Posted by:Yosemite Sam |
| #12 Test it in Warziristan. Test it 10 or 12 times. Just to make sure it works.... |
| Posted by: tu3031 2003-11-19 11:36:43 PM |
| #11 NASA's famous NB-52 (AF 52-00008) carried the fully fuelled X-15 rocket plane (up to 52,000 lbs.) on one side with relatively little modification. Yeah, they're probably just using the -130 for testing and budget reasons. Even at age, the B52 probably still has the stones to lug around a MOAB. We might be finding out pretty soon, in any case. :) HERE'S a shot of one with the X-15 underwing. A whole slew of -15 pics are HERE. |
| Posted by: Anonymous 2003-11-19 7:31:11 PM |
| #10 NASA's famous NB-52 (AF 52-00008) carried the fully fuelled X-15 rocket plane (up to 52,000 lbs.) on one side with relatively little modification. Damn, now that's obscure. Sounds just right. |
| Posted by: Shipman 2003-11-19 7:18:54 PM |
| #9 The B-2 is designed to carry up to 27,500 lbs in each of its two internal bomb-bays. The B-52's bomb-day is 28 1/2 feet long and in current configuration has a weight limit of 27,000 lbs. According to this drawing, the MOAB is longer than the WW2 Grand Slam 22,000 lb bomb (25' 5") and is unlikely to fit either of these bomb-bays, though both can carry the weight pretty easily. As for external carriage, this can be ruled out for the B-2, but the B-52's current underwing pylons carry up to 9 2000 lbs Mk. 84s each and there is good evidence that the actual limit is well above this. NASA's famous NB-52 (AF 52-00008) carried the fully fuelled X-15 rocket plane (up to 52,000 lbs.) on one side with relatively little modification. Note that the MOAB is highly streamlined, unlike the daisy-cutter (BLU-82), and this, too, would suggest suitability for external carriage. |
| Posted by: Atomic Conspiracy 2003-11-19 6:42:46 PM |
| #8 B-2 can carry 40,000 lbs of payload -- they'd probably have to have a special mount for it, though (maybe replace the existing rotary racks). The key benefit of the MOAB, though, is that it's guided, so they can drop it from a much higher altitude than the Daisy Cutters. |
| Posted by: snellenr 2003-11-19 5:58:18 PM |
| #7 B-2 is all internal I think? Hell, who knows. Even if it were possible I doubt they'd want to stress the airframe that much. OP can they strap one on a Buff? |
| Posted by: Shipman 2003-11-19 5:31:21 PM |
| #6 I believe they said a MOAB can be dropped by a B-2 if necessary, probably even a B-52 |
| Posted by: Val 2003-11-19 4:26:14 PM |
| #5 I'm not sure how practical an 11 ton bomb that can only be dropped by a cargo plane is, but it sure makes good copy. And it might be JUST THE THING for use against the AQ holdouts in the Hindu Kush. |
| Posted by: Anonymous 2003-11-19 4:19:18 PM |
| #4 I wonder if we get to see the blast film. If we don't see the film they're testing it on a mockup of something. |
| Posted by: Shipman 2003-11-19 2:04:13 PM |
| #3 Test it in Tikrit. Quetta, on a Friday evening, between Islamic services and the last call to prayers. |
| Posted by: Old Patriot 2003-11-19 1:59:46 PM |
| #2 Test it in Tikrit. |
| Posted by: Laurence of the Rats 2003-11-19 1:16:38 PM |
| #1 Swinson said the bomb had undergone "a few minor modifications." "It was originally 21,000 lbs, but we decided to increase weight to 21,700 lbs. A little more oomph to kill juuust a few more jihadis." |
| Posted by: Bomb-a-rama 2003-11-19 12:52:57 PM |
