| Topic: |
Science > Physics |
| User: |
"and/or www.mantra.com/jai Dr. Jai Maharaj" |
| Date: |
10 Jan 2008 07:27:30 PM |
| Object: |
MOAB |
GBU-43/B "Mother Of All Bombs"
MOAB - Massive Ordnance Air Blast Bomb
GlobalSecurity.org
The GBU-43/B is large, powerful and accurately delivered.
high explosive. The GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast
Bomb [MOAB] weapon is a 21,000 lbs total weight GPS-guided
munition with fins and inertial gyro for pitch and roll
control. It is probable that this munition was initially
nick-named the "Mother Of All Bombs" with the retronymic
expansion of MOAB following later.
On 11 September 2007 the Russian military announced that it
had tested what it called the "Father of All Bombs".
Described as the world's most powerful non-nuclear air-
delivered munition, the Russian military claimed it was
four times more powerful than the American "Mother Of All
Bombs." While the Russian bomb was reported to contain 7.8
tons of "thermobaric" explosive,
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/munitions/thermobaric.htm
compared to the more than 8 tons of explosives in the
American bomb, the Russian bomb was said to use more highly
efficient explosive, with a yield equivalent to 44 tons of
TNT. The bomb was reported to have a blast radius of 300
meters, double that of the American bomb, while the
temperature at the epicenter was also reported to be twice
as high.
In 1991 Saddam Hussein conquered Kuwait and postured with
threats to deliver the "Mother of All Battles". Mother of
all Battles [Umm Al-Ma'arik / Um El-Ma'arek] -- the Arabic
"mother of" is a figure of speech for "major" or "best".
The original "Mother of All Battles" was the Battle of
Qadisiya [Battle of al-Qadisiyya] in 637 CE, in which
Islamic Arabs defeated the Persians. Saddam Hussein's
"Mother of All Battles" turned intot, among other things,
the "Mother of All Retreats", the "Mother of All Blowouts",
"the mother of all Marine operations", 650-slide "mother of
all briefings", and so forth.
MOAB is a guided bomb which delivers the 18,700 lb BLU-
120/B warhead bomb with KMU-593/B GPS/INS. The MOAB is the
largest-ever satellite-guided, air-delivered weapon in
history [not the largest ever, but the largest satellite
guided]. The 21,600-pound MOAB is an improved replacement
for the unguided 15,000-pound BLU-82 Daisy Cutter. It is 30
feet long with a diameter of 40.5 inches. The warhead is a
blast-type warhead. It was developed in only nine weeks to
be available for the Iraq campaign, but it was not used in
combat.
The 21,700-pound [9,500 kilogram] bomb contains 18,700
pounds of H6, an explosive that is a mixture of RDX
(Cyclotrimethylene trinitramine), TNT, and aluminum. H6 is
used by the military for general purpose bombs. H6 is an
Australian produced explosive composition. Composition H6
is a widely used main charge filling for underwater blast
weapons such as mines, depth charges, torpedoes and mine
disposal charges. HBX compositions (HBX-1, HBX-3, and H6)
are aluminized (powdered aluminum) explosives used
primarily as a replacement for the obsolete explosive,
torpex. They are employed as bursting charges in mines,
depth bombs, depth charges, and torpedoes. HBX-3 and H-6
have lower sensitivity to impact and much higher explosion
test temperatures than torpex. The MOAB weapon produces a
very large explosive blast, with lesser fragmentation
effects due to a thin-walled aluminum casing.
Contrary to some published claims, it most certainly is not
an Ethylene-Oxide Fuel-Air Explosive (FAE). Some initial
reports had stated that this replacement for the BLU-82
bomb uses more of the slurry of ammonium nitrate and
powdered aluminum used in the BLU-82. Other reports
indicated that the MOAB might use tritonal explosive as
opposed to the gelled slurry explosive of the BLU-82.
Contrary to some reports, it is not capable of deep ground
penetration.
Like the BLU-82, the MOAB rests in a cradle on an airdrop
platform inside a C-130 aircraft. Due to the size of the
ordnance, the item is extracted from either an MC-130 Talon
II or "Slick" C-130 Hercules by way of a parachute. A
drogue parachute extracts the weapon, cradle and
platform -- and the weapon is quickly released to maintain
maximum forward momentum. The grid fins then open and begin
guiding the weapon to its target.
The MOAB weapon is based upon the same principle as the
BLU-82 "Daisy Cutter", except that it is larger and has a
guidance system. The weapon is expected to produce a
tremendous explosion that would be effective against hard-
target entrances, soft-to-medium surface targets, and for
anti-personnel purposes. Because of the size of the
explosion, it is also effective at LZ clearance and mine
and beach obstacle clearance. Injury or death to persons
will be primarily caused by blast or fragmentation. It is
expected that the weapon will have a substantial
psychological effect on those who witness its use. The
massive weapon provides a capability to perform
psychological operations, attack large area targets, or
hold at-risk threats hidden within tunnels or caves.
The weapon is intended to have a high altitude release,
allowing for greater stand-off range for the delivery
vehicle. Following deployment from the aircraft via drogue
parachute, the MOAB weapon is guided approximately 3
nautical miles through a GPS system (with inertial gyros
for pitch and roll control), JDAM actuators, and is
stabilized by series of fixed wings and grid fins. The
weapon, which uses the aircraft’s GPS prior to launch,
takes several seconds to reconnect to the GPS signal after
it has been deployed, which is normal for GPS weapons.
The US Air Force developed the satellite-guided Massive
Ordnance Air Blast Bombs (MOAB) as a successor to the the
15,000-lb. "Daisy Cutters" used in Vietnam and Afghanistan.
The Air Force is said to call MOABs (pronounced MOE-ab) the
Mother Of All Bombs. As with the earlier Daisy Cutter,
these huge bombs are dropped out of the rear of the C-130
cargo plane. Unlike the Daisy Cutter, the MOAB falls to the
ground without the use of a retarding parachute. As a
result, the aircraft releasing the bomb can fly at higher
altitudes, thus making it safer for US pilots.
MOAB Chronology
In early 2002, the AF Munitions Directorate began to
investigate the possibility of upgrading the large BLU-82
weapon with a guidance and control capability. Such an
upgrade would allow the delivery aircraft to fly higher for
better survivability and safety from the weapon’s blast. It
would also give the weapon greater range and accuracy,
opening the door to additional target sets. After several
design iterations gave the weapon a more aerodynamic shape,
the current configuration of the MOAB was born. Work on the
program began in 2002 and was set for completion in 2003.
Within nine months, the MOAB program went from development
contract award to the completion of three highly successful
flight tests. During the flight tests, the MOAB detonated
upon contact with the ground. The program culminated in the
successful demonstration of a suite of technologies
supporting large weapons.
Testing began at Eglin as part of an Air Force Research Lab
Technology Demonstration Project. With support from the
Defense Threat Reduction Agency, Natick Army Soldier
Center, Naval Coastal Systems Station- Panama City, Air
Transportation Test Loading Agency, Detachment 1 of the
46th Test Wing at Hurlburt Field, and Dynetics, Inc.,
directorate engineers rapidly and successfully designed,
fabricated, integrated, and tested the huge MOAB weapon.
On 11 March 2003 he Air Force tested its Massive Ordnance
Air Blast (MOAB) weapon at the Eglin Air Force Base Air
Armament Center's western test range, dropped from a C-130.
Eglin Air Force Base's Air Armament Center conducted the
second live test of the largest conventional bomb in the US
inventory at approximately 2:30 p.m. EST 21 November 2003.
Designated the GBU-43/B, the 21,700-pound bomb was launched
from an MC-130E Combat Talon I aircraft flown by a crew
assigned to Eglin's 46th Test Wing. One objective was to
collect more data and provide it to the user to assist in
targeting. Also, the Air Force wanted to certify MOAB on
the Combat Talon I aircraft as previous launches had been
made from the MC-130 Combat Talon II.
More at:
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/munitions/moab.htm
Jai Maharaj
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