Conventional — blast · United States · 2003
GBU-43/B MOAB
GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast
One of the largest conventional bombs ever used. Dropped from the rear ramp of a transport aircraft, it is GPS-guided.
See GBU-43/B MOAB in the 3D simulator- TNT equivalent
- 11 tPublic estimate
- Energy
- 46 GJ
- Mass
- 9.8 tUncertain
- Explosive charge
- 8.5 tDocumented
- Dimensions
- 9.19 m · Ø 1.03 mDocumented
- Type
- Very heavy blast bomb
- Period
- Present day
- Status
- Current
GBU-43/B MOAB releases about 1,400 times less energy than Little Boy (Hiroshima, 1945).
Key points
- About 1,400 times less energetic than the Hiroshima bomb (~15 kt).
- About 4.5 million times less energetic than the Tsar Bomba.
- Dropped from an MC-130 without a drogue parachute.
History
Developed very quickly (about 9 weeks according to the US Air Force) in early 2003. Tested on 11 March 2003 at Eglin (Florida): the cloud was visible from about 30 km away. Its first combat use came in 2017.
- 2002–2003 Developed by the Air Force Research Laboratory (Eglin).
- 11 March 2003 First test at Eglin (Florida).
- 13 April 2017 First combat use, in Afghanistan.
How does it work?
A conventional bomb releases chemical energy: the explosive decomposes into very hot gases in a few microseconds (detonation).
Order of magnitude: a few megajoules per kilogram of explosive (1 kg of TNT ≈ 4.2 MJ), millions of times less than nuclear reactions for the same mass.
The expanding gases violently compress the air: the shock wave weakens very quickly with distance.
Estimated TNT equivalent = mass of explosive × relative effectiveness factor of that explosive (≈ 1.3 for Torpex or H-6, ≈ 1.05 for Tritonal).
Deliberately general explanations: the application provides no design or manufacturing information.
Frequently asked questions
How powerful is GBU-43/B MOAB?
GBU-43/B MOAB has an estimated yield of 11 t of TNT equivalent, about 46 GJ of energy.
What is the history of GBU-43/B MOAB?
One known combat use: 13 April 2017, Nangarhar Province (Afghanistan). Developed very quickly (about 9 weeks according to the US Air Force) in early 2003. Tested on 11 March 2003 at Eglin (Florida): the cloud was visible from about 30 km away. Its first combat use came in 2017.
What does the GBU-43/B MOAB explosion look like?
The Bomb Simulator shows the fireball, shock wave and cloud of GBU-43/B MOAB at real scale, over Paris, London or New York, with the sources and reliability of each value.
Sources
- GBU-43 MOAB — Weapons — Air & Space Forces Magazine
- What we know about the "mother of all bombs" — CNBC (citing a 2008 Eglin AFB article)
- GBU-43/B MOAB — Wikipedia (overview, to be cross-checked)
Other weapons
- Tallboy — 3.1 t
- Grand Slam — 5.5 t
- FAB-5000NG — 4 t
- FAB-9000 — 4.3 t
- BLU-82 — 5.7 t
- GBU-28 — 0.3 t
- Mk 84 — 0.5 t
- FOAB — 44 t
- FAB-3000 — 1.4 t
- GBU-57 MOP — 3 t
This application is an educational tool. The animations and effect zones are simplified representations meant to illustrate orders of magnitude. They are neither a prediction of the effects of a real weapon nor a military planning tool.