2nd MOAB test planned at Eglin

AP | 11/14/03 | AP

[hemogoblin]

EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE — People in the western Florida Panhandle and southern Alabama may hear a loud boom and see a column of smoke Tuesday from another test of the “Mother of All Bombs,” Air Force officials said Friday.

The second test of MOAB, officially the Massive Ordnance Air Blast but nicknamed otherwise, is planned between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. CST, if the weather cooperates

Rain is in the forecast for early next week and that may postpone the test, probably until the next clear day, said Eglin spokesman Jake Swinson.

MOAB, which weighs 21,000 pounds, including 18,000 pounds of explosives, was first tested here March 11, just eight days before the United States invaded Iraq. It shook windows miles away and sent up a huge mushroom cloud, although some people in nearby communities said it was no louder than some other weapons tested at Eglin.

Air Force officials said one role for the bomb is as a psychological weapon, but it has yet to be used in combat.

It is being eyed as a replacement for the 15,000-pound BLU-82, known as the “Daisy Cutter,” that was used in the Vietnam War to clear jungle for helicopter landing zones. It also was dropped in the 1991 Persian Gulf War to clear mine fields and more recently to blast caves believed to be hiding terrorists in Afghanistan. MOAB is not only bigger, it has inertial and satellite guidance systems and can glide to its target. The Daisy Cutter is dropped by parachute.

Both weapons are too big for a conventional bomber, so are dropped from the rear cargo door of a transport plane.

[hemogoblin]

Pack your picnic baskets!

[blastdad51]

Don't forget your ear plugs!!

[Newbomb Turk]

Why Eglan when the Suni Triagle is wide open and begging for it.

[spodefly]

Happy Ramadan!

[HuntsvilleTxVeteran]

Tikrit would be a better test.

[myprecious]

I lived in Pensacola for years. You could hear the bombs rumbling across the bay and know that the "boys" were out playing with their toys. It was a strangely comforting sound.

[PokeyJoe]

ditto

[AgentEcho]

Where can I get tickets?

Æ

[Sloth]

I'd rather they test it at Tikrit.

[Paleo Conservative]

Why not Damascus?

[Delta 21]

Why test it in Florida?

Test the darn thing in Iraq!!

[Delta 21]

10-ring!

[Delta 21]

We havent declared war on Syria yet, Have we??

....it will do for an alternate test location.

[steveegg]

We havent declared war on Syria yet, Have we??

We could always claim the Israelis also developed a version of the MOAB (seems Israel and Syria are technically still at war).