U.S. to test massive bomb
Designed for use in 'psychological operations'
From Barbara Starr
CNN Washington Bureau
Tuesday, March 11, 2003 Posted: 2:10 PM EST (1910 GMT)
Pentagon officials say the Massive Ordnance Air Blast, or MOAB, carries 18,000 pounds of tritonal explosives.
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Officials of the U.S. Air Force say they hope that a Tuesday test of a new 21,000-pound bomb will pave the way for its use in Iraq against critical targets on the surface and underground.
The final test of the new Massive Ordnance Air Blast, or MOAB, will for the first time include the use of the actual explosives. Two previously undisclosed tests, one in February and one on Friday, were inert.
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.
