USAF prepares to test MOAB
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USAF prepares to test MOAB
11 March - WASHINGTON (CNN):
The U.S. Air Force tested a powerful new 21,000-pound bomb Tuesday at the Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, that could be used against critical targets in Iraq in the event of war. It was the final test of the new Massive Ordnance Air Blast, or MOAB, and the first to use of actual explosives. Two previously undisclosed tests, one in February and one on Friday, were inert.
Pentagon officials said they were examining the results from the test to determine whether it worked as designed. The Air Force may release video of the final test, in hopes of placing additional pressure on the Iraqi military.
The Tuesday test was expected to generate so much noise at the Eglin Air Force Base test site that nearby residents were warned in advance. A 10,000-foot cloud is expected to result.
MOAB, privately known in military circles as "the mother of all bombs," has been under development since late last year. The bomb carries 18,000 pounds of tritonal explosives, which have an indefinite shelf life. It replaces the Vietnam-era "Daisy Cutter," a 15,000-pound bomb with 12,600 pounds of the less-powerful GSX explosives.
As originally conceived, the MOAB was to be used against large formations of troops and equipment or hardened above-ground bunkers. The target set has also been expanded to include deeply buried targets. But military officials tell CNN that the MOAB is mainly conceived as a weapon employed for "psychological operations." Officials say they hope it will create such a huge blast that it will rattle Iraq troops and pressure them into surrendering or not even fighting. Officials suggest perhaps the Iraqis might even mistake a MOAB blast for a nuclear detonation.
The MOAB is deployed on a pallet from a C-130 aircraft. It initially has a parachute, but as it deploys, the Inertial Navigation System and Global Positioning System take over. The bomb also has wings and grid fins for guidance.
MOAB
The U.S. Air Force tested a powerful new 21,000-pound bomb Tuesday at the Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, that could be used against critical targets in Iraq in the event of war. It was the final test of the new Massive Ordnance Air Blast, or MOAB, and the first to use of actual explosives. Two previously undisclosed tests, one in February and one on Friday, were inert.
Pentagon officials said they were examining the results from the test to determine whether it worked as designed. The Air Force may release video of the final test, in hopes of placing additional pressure on the Iraqi military.
The Tuesday test was expected to generate so much noise at the Eglin Air Force Base test site that nearby residents were warned in advance. A 10,000-foot cloud is expected to result.
MOAB, privately known in military circles as "the mother of all bombs," has been under development since late last year. The bomb carries 18,000 pounds of tritonal explosives, which have an indefinite shelf life. It replaces the Vietnam-era "Daisy Cutter," a 15,000-pound bomb with 12,600 pounds of the less-powerful GSX explosives.
As originally conceived, the MOAB was to be used against large formations of troops and equipment or hardened above-ground bunkers. The target set has also been expanded to include deeply buried targets. But military officials tell CNN that the MOAB is mainly conceived as a weapon employed for "psychological operations." Officials say they hope it will create such a huge blast that it will rattle Iraq troops and pressure them into surrendering or not even fighting. Officials suggest perhaps the Iraqis might even mistake a MOAB blast for a nuclear detonation.
The MOAB is deployed on a pallet from a C-130 aircraft. It initially has a parachute, but as it deploys, the Inertial Navigation System and Global Positioning System take over. The bomb also has wings and grid fins for guidance.
MOAB
Last edited by ORAC; 11th Mar 2003 at 19:17.
The force of a MOAB explosion is sufficient to knock over tanks.
They might even mistake it for a nuclear detonation
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