The United States dropped a 21,600-pound GBU-43 bomb, one of the largest non-nuclear devices used in combat, on a suspected Islamic State target in Afghanistan on Thursday. President Donald Trump hailed the US military' "very, very successful" strike which killed 36 militants and destroyed their mountain hideouts near the Pakistan border.
A #MOAB bomb strikes #ISIS cave & tunnel systems in eastern #Afghanistan. The strike was designed to minimize risk to Afghan and U.S. Forces pic.twitter.com/7pfBYQzk5F— U.S. Dept of Defense (@DeptofDefense) April 14, 2017
Trump said he authorised the use of the MOAB - Massive Ordnance Air Blast - and called the mission "very, very successful". "It was really another successful job, we are very proud of our military. We are so proud of our military, it was another successful event," Trump told reporters at the White House. "Everybody knows exactly what happened, what I do is I authorise our military. We have the greatest military in the world, they've done a job, as usual, so we have given them total authorisation and that's what they're doing, and frankly, that's why they've been so successful lately," Trump said.
The bombing in Afghanistan was the second major incident when the US military in recent days have shown its combat prowess, after missile strikes on a Syrian airfield. "If you look at what's happened over the last eight weeks and you compare that to what's happened over the last eight years, you'll see there's a tremendous difference. So we have incredible leaders of the military and incredible military, and we are very proud of them, and this was another very very successful mission," Trump said.
He, however, said he does not know if this would send a message to North Korea. "I don't know if this sends a message. It doesn't make any difference if it does or not. North Korea is a problem.
The problem will be taken care of. I will say this: I think China has really been working very hard," he said.
White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer told reporters that the tunnels and caves IS fighters used to "move around freely" were targeted as they make it easier for them to target US military advisers and Afghan forces in the area. "The United States takes the fight against ISIS very seriously and in order to defeat the group, we must deny them operational space, which we did."
Spicer said the US took "all precautions necessary" to prevent civilian casualties and collateral damage.
Here are some details about the bomb, based on information from the U.S. military, independent security think-tanks and media reports.
Exploding above the ground
Described by the US Air Force as its "largest non-nuclear conventional weapon", the 9,840 kg Massive Ordnance Air Blast Bomb (MOAB) - also dubbed the Mother of All Bombs - is packed with 11 tons of high explosives.
The MOAB is not a bunker buster built for deep penetration, but is designed to explode just above the ground, flattening surfaces structures, destroying mines and killing enemy troops within a radius of up to around 150 metres. MOAB is also envisaged as a psychological weapon deployed to shock enemy combatants with its power.
The Russian military says it has tested a more powerful device, dubbed the "Father of all Bombs", although there are no reports of it having been used in action.
"Flattener"
Designed in 2003 for use against Iraqi forces, the MOAB succeeded the Vietnam War-era, 15,000 pound BLU-82 "Daisy Cutter". Daisy Cutters were primarily dropped to clear landing zones for helicopters operating in the Southeast Asian jungle. They could flatten a 60-metre wide patch of jungle and destroy mines and other booby traps without leaving a crater. They were also used to stun North Vietnamese or Viet Cong units lying in wait for American troops.
Both the MOAB and Daisy Cutter are dropped from C-130 transport aircraft, with a parachute dragging a pallet holding the bomb out of the back. Apart from producing a bigger bang than the Daisy Cutter, MOAB is equipped with a GPS guidance system.
The Daisy Cutter was used in the first Gulf War in 1991 and later in Afghanistan, including in the hunt for Osama bin Laden during the Battle of Tora Bora. It was taken out of service in 2008.
With Reuters inputs.
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