Second Giant Bomb Tested at Eglin Air Force Base

TBO.com ^ | 11/22/03 | AP

[kattracks]

EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. (AP) - The Air Force conducted a second test Friday of the "Mother of All Bombs," officially the Massive Ordnance Air Blast. The blast occurred early Friday afternoon, Eglin spokesman Jake Swenson said. Air Force officials said the weapon detonated as planned, hit its target area and released a mushroom cloud of smoke that rose more than 10,000 feet in the air.

The 21,700-pound bomb, which contains 18,700 pounds of explosives, was first tested March 11, eight days before the United States invaded Iraq.

The spring blast shook windows miles away, although some people in nearby communities said it was no louder than some other weapons tested at Eglin. There were no reports of major problems related to Friday's test.

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 minefields and more recently to blast caves believed to be hiding terrorists in Afghanistan.

[Flyer]

That's 2 successful tests. Let's call it operational!

[csvset]

boom

[tlb]

I love the smell of MOABs in the morning.

[Bon mots]

We need a better delivery system than just rolling these things out the backdoor of a C-130 (like we do with daisy-cutters). Ideally, this monster should have a single-use delivery vehicle to get it right over the bad-boys' heads and let it rip.

You cannot get a C-130 over a troop concentration in daylight. It's a slow-flying humungous beast...

[sauropod]

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

I say drop it on Gulbuldin Hekmatyar. Preferably on the Afghani/Pakistani border if you get my drift...

[the invisib1e hand]

looks like your typical florida thunderhead. no wonder i didn't notice it.

[protest1]

Talking of big bombs I wonder if it would be worth bringing one of these out of retirement from WWII

"Tall Boy" (12,000lb "Battleship buster")

It spins..! It goes supersonic..! It sunk the Tirpitz!!!

or

"Grand Slam" (22,000lb "earthquake" bomb, largest used in WWII)

http://www.bismarck-class.dk/tirpitz/miscellaneous/tallboy/tallboy.html

With all the discussion recently about "bunker buster" bombs I wonder if the spinning supersonic ones of WWII are just as good if not better than their modern counterparts?

[TheCrusader]

"The Air Force conducted a second test Friday of the "Mother of All Bombs," officially the Massive Ordnance Air Blast."

Why not test one in Fallujah?

[trebb]

And Moab said unto the elders of Midian, Now shall this company lick up all that are round about us, as the ox licketh up the grass of the field. And Balak the son of Zippor was king of the Moabites at that time.

Numbers 22:4 - Old Test.

[sam_paine]

I wonder if the spinning supersonic ones of WWII are just as good if not better than their modern counterparts?

I'll agree with you on Muscle Cars that raw horsepower is cooler than the electronic laden puffers of today.... But in avionics, man, lethality is compounded exponentially over five decades. Putting a big explosive on target, even if you're just dropping it out of the back of a C130 based on a GPS computer is a helluva lot better than the best Norden bombsight and dumb control fins.

[fourdeuce82d]

You cannot get a C-130 over a troop concentration in daylight. It's a slow-flying humungous beast

the thing has fins and a GPS system- I suspect it could be dropped from 30,000 feet ~five miles away

[FlyLow]

We dropped "Daisy Cutters" out the cargo doors on UH-1 (Huey) helicopters in 1969. We could come in at 1500 feet and drop it, then pull pitch and turn away in time to feel the "wave" catch us and we would "surf" it like in the ocean. It would clear a spot about large enough for several helicopters to land. Except for the tree stumps, which required pathfinders to use C-4 on each before the zone was "clear". Ahhhhh...the good times were the best of times!!!

[Cobra64]

Rummy should have had it "tested" in Iraq.

[Darksheare]

BEAUTIFUL.

[sargunner]

I feel certain your are using the term 'Daisy Cutter' in a generic fashion, due to the fact the the BLU-82 with its pallet and assorted delivery system accessories exceeds the total weight of a Huey. Due to the size of the chute canopy utilized on the DC, 1500 ft would only provide enough time for a 'streamer', hence the Huey would experience severe turbulance prior to becoming several assorted parts flying in loose formation. The SOP prior to utilizing a DC was to notify all AC below FL 15 to abandon the area, especially light fixed wing and choppers.

Thank you for your service.

[FlyLow]

I feel certain your are using the term 'Daisy Cutter' in a generic fashion, due to the fact the the BLU-82 with its pallet and assorted delivery system accessories exceeds the total weight of a Huey. Due to the size of the chute canopy utilized on the DC, 1500 ft would only provide enough time for a 'streamer', hence the Huey would experience severe turbulance prior to becoming several assorted parts flying in loose formation. The SOP prior to utilizing a DC was to notify all AC below FL 15 to abandon the area, especially light fixed wing and choppers.

---

Absolutely generic...that monster you described was never tossed out by the ARMY.