The Russian “father of all bombs” explodes four times more powerful than the American “mother.” US experts: “The mother of all bombs” is just a “big canister” American bomb gbu 43

A bomb of this type was planned for use in Iraq, but in the end it did not come to fruition. Thus, according to Reuters, the United States used a bomb of such power for the first time during a military conflict.

What do we know about the bomb?

MOAB is a high explosive bomb developed by the United States in 2002-2003. The MOAB is 9.17 m long, 102.9 cm in diameter and weighs 9.5 tons, of which 8.4 tons are Australian-made H-6 explosive, consisting of a mixture of RDX, TNT and aluminum powder, making it 1. 35 times more powerful than TNT. The force of the explosion is 11 tons in TNT equivalent, the damage radius is about 140 meters.

The bomb uses the KMU-593/B guidance system with inertial and satellite navigation subsystems. The MOAB is mounted on a platform inside the aircraft, which is then pulled out through a hatch using a parachute along with the bomb. Then the MOAB quickly, so as not to lose speed, detaches from the platform and parachute, after which it begins self-guidance on target.

Are there similar weapons in Russia?

Let us recall that the Russian Air Force, according to some sources, has at its disposal a high-power aircraft vacuum bomb (AVBPM), also known under the unofficial name “Daddy of all bombs,” which can be considered the most powerful non-nuclear munition in the world. Compared to MOAB, our bomb is lighter in weight, but due to the use of nanotechnology it is 4 times more powerful and is capable of hitting 20 times at a time large area. Due to secrecy, many characteristics of the ammunition remain unknown.

“The test results of the created aviation munition showed that its effectiveness and capabilities are comparable to nuclear munitions, at the same time, I want to especially emphasize this, the effect of this munition does not pollute at all environment compared to nuclear weapons."

“Mother of all bombs” is an unofficial abbreviation for the name of the GBU-43/B high-explosive ammunition (MOAB), created and first tested by the American military at the beginning of the third millennium. At the time of development, this product was considered the most powerful non-nuclear weapon in human history.

Prerequisites for creation

The novelty received its palm from the BLU-82 bomb with the romantic name “daisy mower”, weighing 6.8 tons. By that time, the predecessor had an impressive track record, which included:

War in South Vietnam (to clear the jungle under and eliminate enemy personnel, 1970),
Conflict related to the capture of the Mayaguez by Cambodian Khmers (1975),
Iraq Desert Storm Mission (1991)
Afghan campaign (2001).

Despite its military merits, the BLU-82 had significant drawbacks - insufficient aerodynamic properties and the lack of a guidance system. Specialists from the military-industrial company Northrop-Grumman and developers from the Lockheed Martin corporation volunteered to rectify the situation.

"Mother of All Bombs"

The design of a heavy high-explosive aviation bomb proposed by the designers ( English abbreviation MOAB) has been approved senior management US Air Force. By the beginning of 2003, the new GBU-43 product was ready for testing.

In combat gear, the aerial bomb weighed 9.84 tons (1.4 times more than the BLU-82). The projectile, which had a length of 917 cm and a diameter of about a meter, quickly received an alternative abbreviation - Mother Of All Bombs. The photo gives an idea of the comparative simplicity of the product’s design - inside the metal casing there are 8.4 tons of H-6 explosive, which is more than 11 tons of TNT equivalent (the addition of hexogen and aluminum powder to the TNT mass increases its effectiveness by more than a third). At the same time, this type of explosive is highly stable, which makes it possible to safely store and transport huge ammunition.

The bomb is not equipped with a parachute - thanks to lattice rudders and aerodynamic load-bearing surfaces, it is capable of gliding, which, together with a satellite guidance system, guarantees high accuracy in hitting the target. The radius of complete destruction of enemy armored vehicles and manpower is 140 meters, the shock wave is noticeable at a distance of more than 1.5 km from the epicenter.

First tests

“The Mother of All Bombs” is a very unique and specific weapon in the sense that not every military transport aircraft is capable of delivering it to the place of combat work. In the US Air Force, only aircraft two models - the C-130 HERCULES transport aircraft and the B-2 SPIRIT strategic bomber. To pull out the loading platform with the MOAB attached, a special parachute system. Having left the plane, the “mother of all bombs” is freed from auxiliary devices and begins an independent flight.

In March 2003, the first drop of an inert projectile was carried out (instead of an explosive - rubber or concrete to maintain weight characteristics), and four days later, after checking the aerodynamic qualities, a fully loaded MOAB was dropped (Eglin Base, Florida). The tests carried out and the results obtained impressed military experts, and manufacturers received an order for three similar products.

Weapons of mass intimidation

A total of 15 GBU-43 combat units were produced. The cost of each sample is about $16 million. According to experts, the explosion of the “mother of all bombs” is characterized not only by its impressive destructive force, but mainly intended to show the enemy the strength and power of the United States and to have a demoralizing effect on enemy combat units.

The premiere demonstration of the formidable weapon was to take place in Iraq at the end of 2003. The air bomb was even delivered to the territory of an Arab state, but for a number of reasons it was not used for its intended purpose.

From a cannon to sparrows

For about 15 years, the United States' most formidable conventional weapon has not found a worthy target.

Finally, on April 13, 2017, in the Nangarhar province of Afghanistan, the “mother of all bombs” was dropped on an underground communications network. According to White House press secretary S. Spicer, caves and tunnels facilitated the free and uncontrolled movement of terrorists, which created real threat Afghan government troops and the lives of American military advisers.

Specialists carefully prepared the operation for several months. From the United States, the “mother of all bombs” was delivered to Afghanistan to the place of combat work by an MC-130 aircraft. The official authorities of the United States have not yet provided specific information about the results of the bombing, but President D. Trump approved the actions of the military, calling the mission “very successful.” News agencies (for example, France-Presse), based on information from their own sources, claim that from 40 to 90 extremists could have been affected by the airstrike.

ISIS representatives completely deny such information, stating that no damage was caused to underground infrastructure or manpower.

Many experts consider the operation to be a successful demonstration campaign, warning other countries against conflicts with the United States, but completely devoid of any military-tactical meaning.

Dad can...

Today GBU-43 is not the most powerful weapon. The ranking of the most destructive non-nuclear munitions is headed by the Russian high-power aircraft vacuum bomb, named by analogy with the American MOAB, the “daddy of all bombs.” Its power is four times greater than the overseas model, and the affected surface area is 20 times! At the same time, a vacuum bomb has significantly less weight (mass of explosives - 7.1 tons). The first time a bomb was dropped from strategic bomber Tu-160 and successfully tested in September 2007. Based on the results obtained, a table of probable affected areas was compiled.

A clear plus Russian development is that bombing can be carried out in any weather conditions from altitudes from 200 to 1000 meters at speeds from 500 to 1100 km/h.

The US Air Force's use of the most powerful GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast Bomb (MOAB) against militants of the ISIS organization banned in Russia in Afghanistan brought not only military, but also political results. As a result of the strike, at least 36 militants, weapons depots, military equipment and several underground tunnels through which militants could move freely undetected by US soldiers were destroyed. President Donald Trump called the operation a "very successful mission" for the US military. For its power in the United States, the GBU-43/B was nicknamed the “Mother of all bombs.” Analyzing the results of the first combat use of the most powerful aircraft ammunition, an authoritative American publication National Interest did not fail to remind that the Russians also have a similar bomb. And much more powerful. Despite the smaller mass of explosives, analysts of the American publication write, Russian volume-detonating aircraft ammunition (ODAB) is 4 times superior to the American MOAB. At the same time, the ammunition capacity is approximately 40 tons in TNT equivalent, which is approximately four times more than that of the GBU-43. In addition, in terms of the radius of guaranteed destruction, the Russian “Papa”, as the Russian bomb was nicknamed not without pathos, is twice as large as the American “Mama”. The temperature at the epicenter of the explosion is twice as high, and total area defeat, our bomb is 20 times superior to the American one.
The Russian General Staff, commenting on the ODAB tests, said that our bomb’s destructive power is comparable to the effect of a nuclear weapon. However, unlike it, the explosion of ODAB does not have environmental consequences.
ODAB operate on the basis of the so-called volumetric explosion. The “Father of All Bombs” was created at the Moscow State Research and Production Enterprise “Basalt”, best known for its unsurpassed shots for anti-tank grenade launchers. According to the military, ODAB are intended to hit targets located in folds of the terrain or in field fortifications open type, and also to make passages in minefields. Thus, the Americans in Vietnam “cleared” areas in the jungle with them for landing helicopters. In Afghanistan, we bombed the Tora Bora caves and other underground fortifications of the dushmans. According to unconfirmed reports, these types of bombs were used during operations federal troops in Chechnya - to “cleanse” the gorges from militants. Before the advent of ODAB in the USSR and Russia, the most powerful aviation ammunition was considered the ODAB-1500 volumetric detonating bomb and the FAB-9000 high-explosive bomb.
The design of ODAB is very original. In the nose of the bomb there is a complex electromechanical device designed for cocking and spraying explosives. After resetting the device via set time the spraying of the combat agent begins. The resulting aerosol is converted into a gas-air mixture, which is then detonated by a fuse. ODAB creates shock wave With overpressure about 3000 kPa (30 kgf/cm). In fact, forming a vacuum environment completely devoid of air at the epicenter of the explosion. This pressure drop literally tears everything apart from the inside: people, military equipment, fortifications and defensive buildings of the enemy. Bombs can be used in any weather conditions from altitudes of 200-1000 m at speeds of 500-1100 km/h.
Volumetric detonating bombs are classified by the UN as “inhumane means of warfare that cause excessive human suffering.” However, despite this wording, they are not prohibited and generally do not fall under any international treaty. Russia believes that ODAB will make it possible to replace a number of previously created low-power nuclear weapons. The United States adheres to a similar position. It is for this reason that the US Congress authorized the acceleration of the program for the development and production of this type of weapon.
The military does not hide the fact that they are creating these weapons to attack Iranian nuclear facilities and North Korea. Lawmakers even allowed the Pentagon to use funds allocated for other weapons projects for this program: $19.1 million for the purchase of four superbombs, $28.3 million for testing and $21 million to accelerate the process of modernizing the B-2 bomb bays. In 2010, MOAB adopted the B-2 strategic bomber. First used last Thursday.
“The use of MOAB in Afghanistan may have been intended to demonstrate the capabilities of the US Air Force to Kim Jong-in,” says Vadim Kozyulin, a professor at the Academy of Military Sciences. - There is no other reason for this. The effect of using a bomb against ISIS militants is highly questionable.
What's happening today with Russian program the creation of ODAB is unknown. The Russian Ministry of Defense has not yet commented on the results of the use of MOAB in Afghanistan - there is actually nothing to comment on. Heavy duty weapons are not prohibited international treaties, and its use is not regulated in any way. However, after the Tomahawk missile attack on the Syrian Air Force airbase and the show of force in Afghanistan, there is a possibility that our military will not fail to remind that Moscow also has a similar super-powerful argument, Kozyulin believes.

Yesterday, the United States used for the first time in combat one of the most powerful non-nuclear aerial bombs in the world - the GBU-43/B. It was dropped from an MC-130 aircraft to destroy tunnels and caves in eastern Afghanistan used by the Islamic State terrorist group. According to preliminary estimates, more than 36 terrorists were killed.

Australian explosives

The official name of the bomb is Massive Ordnance Air Blast. The abbreviation MOAB is often deciphered as Mother Of All Bombs - “mother of all bombs”.

GBU-43/B, of course, not nuclear weapons, but, unlike it, it can actually be used to intimidate the enemy. The bomb weighs about 10 tons, 8.4 of which is H6 explosive.

By the way, BB is of Australian origin. This explosive consists of a mixture of RDX (cyclotrimethylenetrinitramine), TNT and aluminum powder.

The main feature of this explosive is resistance to damage and safety in handling. Therefore, it is also used in torpedoes and sea mines.

All living things within a radius of 140 m die

The explosion force of the GBU-43/B is 11 tons of TNT. Within a radius of 140 meters from the epicenter of the explosion, not only enemy infantry, but also tanks are destroyed. Partial destruction occurs at a distance of 1.5 km from the epicenter.

The explosion of this bomb is a powerful psychological weapon: surviving enemy fighters receive severe injuries and concussion, leaving him out of action for a long time.

The image is for illustrative purposes only.

The GBU-43/B was created by renowned design engineer Albert Wimorts in 2002. In 2005, he died of brain cancer without ever seeing combat use of his invention.

A total of 15 such bombs were manufactured at the McAlister arms plant. The United States wanted to use one of them in Iraq as part of Operation Enduring Freedom, but by the time it was delivered, active fighting were finished.

High accuracy

Because of large sizes(length 9.17 m and diameter 102.9 cm) the bomb is dropped from the cargo compartment of a special MC-130 Combat Talon aircraft, developed for special forces by Lockheed on the basis of the C-130 Hercules multi-purpose transport aircraft.

Inside the aircraft, the bomb is mounted on a special platform, which, together with the bomb, is pulled out through the hatch using a parachute. After this, in order not to lose speed, the GBU-43/B detaches from the platform and parachute, beginning an independent fall towards the target.

The bomb is equipped with a KMU-593/B guidance system, which includes satellite and inertial navigation systems. Array stabilizers allow the GBU-43 to glide and engage targets with high precision.

Not the biggest, not the most powerful

Although the GBU-43/B proudly bears the title of Mother Of All Bombs, it is actually not the largest or most powerful bomb in the world. The Americans have an adjustable anti-bunker aerial bomb GBU-57.

GBU-57.

It weighs 13,600 kg, although it carries very little explosives - 2,700 kg, but is capable of breaking through a 60-meter layer of concrete. The GBU-57 has laser guidance with GPS support, and will be delivered to the target by the B-2A Spirit strategic stealth bomber.

And the most powerful non-nuclear bomb was tested by the Russians. There is also the “daddy of all bombs” - the high-power aviation vacuum bomb (AVBPM). It was dropped from a Tu-160 strategic bomber on September 11, 2007. The AVBPM weighs less than the GBU-43/B, but the explosion power is higher - 44 tons of TNT versus 11 tons for the MOAB. The temperature at the center of the explosion of the Russian AVBPM is 2 times higher than that of the MOAB, and the damage radius is also 2 times greater (300 meters versus 140). The power of the Russian bomb is comparable to that of a tactical nuclear weapon.

Illustration copyright Getty Images Image caption The "mother of all bombs" was first tested in Florida in 2003

The American military in Nangarhar province in eastern Afghanistan used one of its most powerful conventional (that is, non-nuclear) aerial bombs for the first time in combat conditions.

Officially, the bomb is called GBU-43/B MOAB. The abbreviation MOAB officially means “Massive Ordnance Air Last” (heavy high-explosive ammunition), but in everyday life it is often deciphered as “Mother of All Bombs” - “mother of all bombs”. There is a version that this nickname appeared first, and official name matched to the corresponding abbreviation later.

The target of the bombing was a network of tunnels built by militants." Islamic State"in the Achinsk region of the province (the IS group is banned in Russia and many other countries).

Since MOAB is a non-nuclear weapon, its use does not require mandatory presidential approval.

This is a really large munition - nine meters long and weighing 9800 kg. Even the biggest ones combat aircraft they are not equipped to carry such a bomb: it is transported on an MC-130 transport aircraft, thrown through the cargo hatch, aimed at the target using GPS and detonated in the air shortly before contacting the ground.

It is thrown out together with the cargo pallet (as for standard containers), after which the parachute opens on it, so that the bomb slides off it. Four fins serve to stabilize and direct the flight of the projectile.

Main damaging factor is a powerful shock wave that spreads over a radius of more than a kilometer from the explosion site. The impact power is equivalent to the explosion of approximately 8 tons of TNT.

The slim aluminum body is specially designed to maximize blast radius.

Illustration copyright Getty Images Image caption MOAB before testing

This is an "anti-bunker weapon" - it is designed to destroy underground objects and tunnels. The bomb was initially developed for use during the Iraq War: its first tests were carried out in 2003, but the projectile has not yet been used in combat conditions. Each bomb is reported to cost $16 million.

Interestingly, this is still not the most powerful non-nuclear bomb in the American arsenal. The most powerful of these is called the Massive Ordnance Penetrator, or MOP, which is also designed to destroy bunkers and weighs more than 13 tons.

Russia also has powerful non-nuclear aerial bombs. The most famous of them received the nickname “daddy of all bombs”; it was tested in 2007.

Russia tested a super-powerful bomb

This is volumetric explosion ammunition (they are also called, not always correctly, thermobaric or vacuum bombs; the action is based on the same principle, for example). It explodes in two stages: first there is a low-power explosion, spraying a cloud of flammable material. This cloud then ignites and burns out instantly. A sudden drop in pressure creates a shock wave of enormous destructive force.

Weapons of the "mother of all bombs" type have a significant impact and psychological impact on the enemy: a powerful explosion is designed to instill panic.

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The US dropped the "mother of all bombs" on Afghanistan

One of the predecessors of this type of weapon was the American BLU-82 Daisy Cutter bomb, which was used since the Vietnam War. This 6,800 kg bomb was also dropped from a transport aircraft and felled forest in an area large enough to turn it into a helipad.

The MOAB bomb was developed by the Alabama-based aviation company Dynetics.

Illustration copyright USAF/Getty Images Image caption Fins help the bomb move towards its target