News World 'Mother of All Bombs': Five facts to know about largest non-nuclear bomb in US arsenal

'Mother of All Bombs': Five facts to know about largest non-nuclear bomb in US arsenal

The United States on Thursday targeted Islamic State in Afghanistan and dropped the mother of all bombs on a tunnel complex in eastern part of the country.

Five facts to know about largest non-nuclear bomb in US arsenal Image Source : APFive facts to know about largest non-nuclear bomb in US arsenal

The United States on Thursday targeted Islamic State in Afghanistan and dropped "the mother of all bombs" on a tunnel complex in eastern part of the country. 

GBU-43 bomb, touted as the largest non-nuclear bomb, was dropped by the US military at 7:32 p.m. local time Thursday on a tunnel complex in Achin district of Nangarhar province, where the Afghan affiliate of the Islamic State group has been operating.

Adam Stump, a Pentagon spokesman, said the bomb was dropped from a U.S. Air Force MC-130 transport, which he said had been brought to Afghanistan "some time ago" for potential use.

Here are five interesting facts about 'the mother of all bombs': 

1- The bomb, known officially as a GBU-43B, or massive ordnance air blast weapon, unleashes 11 tons of explosives.

2- GBU-43B is a GPS-guided munition that is America's most powerful non-nuclear bomb. 

3- This is the first time that the US has used the MOAB bomb in combat.

 

4- The Air Force developed the MOAB in 2003 during the Iraq war, but it had never been used in combat until on Thursday.

5- When it was developed, the Pentagon did a formal review of legal justification for its combat use.

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