I think the MOAB weighed 21 tons. Which makes one wonder why they didn’t just use TNT.
The yield must have been higher, much higher than 11 tons.
MOAB weighs 21,600 lbs with an explosive yield equivalent to 11 Tons (22,000 lbs) of TNT.`
The yield must have been higher, much higher than 11 tons.
The weapon does not just contain the explosives. A large part of the internal space is taken up by the fuzing/Firing system the guidance system and sometimes parachute packages. The body of the weapon weighs a considerable portion of the total weight.
11 tons of actual TNT is very large; much larger than the MOAB itself. Also, TNT is much more dangerous to handle than modern high explosives. Modern high explosives have equivalent yields in much smaller and lighter forms. We rate our weapons on TNT equivalencies but never use TNT.