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2004-05-21 Home Front: Tech
Inexplicably MOAB becomes a museum piece
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Posted by Super Hose 2004-05-21 04:18|| || Front Page|| [11126 views since 2007-05-07]  Top

#1 The military created 14 MOABs – officially an acronym for Massive Ordnance Air Blast – but none was used in the war. There are no current plans to make more of the 21,000-pound bombs, the largest guided air-delivered munition in history
One on display, two tested, rest on the shelf, plans in the computer in case they need more. It's a very specialized weapon, suitable only for use against large area targets with no air defense. Most targets are better attacked with smaller precision weapons dropped in someone's backpocket.
Posted by Steve  2004-05-21 8:51:42 AM||   2004-05-21 8:51:42 AM|| Front Page Top

#2 Picture on web anywhere - must be the size of a truck!?
Posted by Topless Skateboard Nun 2004-05-21 8:54:32 AM||   2004-05-21 8:54:32 AM|| Front Page Top

#3 More to the point, it can't be used in a guerilla war in urban terrain - the chance of actual civilian casualties (as opposed to AFP "civilian casualties") is probably 100%.
Posted by Mitch H.  2004-05-21 9:01:20 AM|| [http://blogfonte.blogspot.com/]  2004-05-21 9:01:20 AM|| Front Page Top

#4 There's a "Daisy Cutter" (BLU-82) and a "Bunker Buster" (GBU-28) in the USAF Museum in Dayton.
Posted by Mike  2004-05-21 9:08:31 AM||   2004-05-21 9:08:31 AM|| Front Page Top

#5 TSN, for pictures check out this Global Security article. Scroll down for lots of pics.
Posted by GK 2004-05-21 9:51:47 AM||   2004-05-21 9:51:47 AM|| Front Page Top

#6 KA-BOOOOOMM!!!
Posted by Topless Skateboard Nun 2004-05-21 10:01:51 AM||   2004-05-21 10:01:51 AM|| Front Page Top

#7 Mike-The Air Force Museum also has LOTS of bombs including mock-ups of the fatman and little boy atomic bombs of WWII, and a fusion bomb under the B-52. Those boys are proud of their toys!
Posted by Spot  2004-05-21 10:16:50 AM||   2004-05-21 10:16:50 AM|| Front Page Top

#8 Spot:

Been there (with the Cub Pack*), seen that. It just struck me in particular that they had specimens of the currently-in-service Things That Go BOOM In The Night prominently on display.


*My 8-year old couldn't tear himself away from the WW2 gallery. The boy has good taste in airplanes. His favorite movie is Battle of Britain. "I'm proud of you, son."
Posted by Mike  2004-05-21 11:31:31 AM||   2004-05-21 11:31:31 AM|| Front Page Top

#9 MOAB was nothing more than a propaganda weapon. If it made Iraqis quake in their boots, great.
Posted by Gromky 2004-05-21 11:33:19 AM||   2004-05-21 11:33:19 AM|| Front Page Top

#10 MOAB was only meant as a stopgap. Something that has to be rolled out the back of a C-130 at 20,000 ft is not an optimum weapon. Maybe the replacement will fit inside a REAL Bomber.
Posted by Anonymous4904 2004-05-21 12:21:31 PM||   2004-05-21 12:21:31 PM|| Front Page Top

#11 The MOAB was designed to clear an area to become a fire base or landing zone, as was the "Daisy Cutter", not as an anti-personnel or anti-materiel device.

Brass.
Posted by Brass  2004-05-21 4:03:13 PM||   2004-05-21 4:03:13 PM|| Front Page Top

#12 I read the Global Security article and raised a glass to the late, great Barnes Wallis, designer of the Grand Slam and the Tallboy in WW2. Also the Bouncing Bomb of Dambusters fame.
Posted by Grunter 2004-05-21 7:39:59 PM||   2004-05-21 7:39:59 PM|| Front Page Top

#13 MOAB - Northwest Fallujah? Oops I'm being mean.

But, wouldn't that help Sadr see some virgins, or was he elsewhere!

Oops I'm being mean again. Sorry - It's Friday.
Posted by BigEd 2004-05-21 7:42:38 PM||   2004-05-21 7:42:38 PM|| Front Page Top

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