# GBU-43/B dropped in Nangarhar Province, Afghanistan



## Kraut783 (Apr 13, 2017)

"The target was an ISIS cave and tunnel complex and personnel in the Achin district of the Nangarhar province, a remote area in the country's."

First on CNN: US drops largest non-nuclear bomb in Afghanistan - CNNPolitics.com


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## RackMaster (Apr 13, 2017)

Already posted this but it's relevant here.


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## SpongeBob*24 (Apr 13, 2017)

BOOM.....:-"


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## Kraut783 (Apr 13, 2017)

I like POTUS's comment...

Trump declined to say whether he personally signed off on the strike, but did comment, "Everybody knows exactly what happens. So, what I do is I authorize our military."

He continued, "We have given them total authorization and that's what they're doing."


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## pardus (Apr 13, 2017)

I love it!  
My question is, why the fuck is this the first time we've used this!?


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## Ooh-Rah (Apr 13, 2017)

Okay, question for those who know about such things....

While I am assuming Trump is the average commander's wet-dream, is too little restraint a bad thing?  

Genuine question, not a shot at Trump. (Or Obama for that matter)


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## Jay_Pew (Apr 13, 2017)

pardus said:


> I love it!
> My question is, why the fuck is this the first time we've used this!?



My flight chief was telling me today that back in Vietnam we used to use these type of bombs to create landing zones for helicopters in the middle of the jungles all the time. And back then obviously they were unguided systems and literally just dropped out of planes... and back then this was considered an amazing capacity.


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## Diamondback 2/2 (Apr 13, 2017)

I remember all the media hype about the MOAB when they tested it. It's about time they used one! That had to be one hell of a shock wave to see from the air...


A part of me wonders if it's use was more of a "oh North Korea" type thing vs best munition for the job deal. Or possibly a way toget a BDA for future use on under ground nuclear facilities. IDK, just thoughts...


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## Gunz (Apr 13, 2017)

pardus said:


> I love it!
> My question is, why the fuck is this the first time we've used this!?




EDIT--sorry @pardus , you were right, I got my Daisy Cutters and my MOABs confused as you will see from the barrage of corrections I got from the rest of these wankers.


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## Gunz (Apr 13, 2017)

Jay_Pew said:


> My flight chief was telling me today that back in Vietnam we used to use these type of bombs to create landing zones for helicopters in the middle of the jungles all the time. And back then obviously they were unguided systems and literally just dropped out of planes... and back then this was considered an amazing capacity.



Those were 15,000-lb Daisy Cutters dropped from a C-130 by parachute and detonated above ground.


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## SpitfireV (Apr 13, 2017)

Ocoka said:


> It's the first time against ISIS. We dropped one in the first Gulf War and another in Afghanistan in the Tora Bora region in early '02. I used to go into Glenn Beck's studio a few times a week--when he was out of Tampa-- to explain the military's various lethal hardware being used in OEF...and later OIF...and the MOAB and its history was the subject of our first on-air conversation, shortly after it was detonated. I don't believe it did much damage.
> 
> There was a British SAS team out in Iraq's eastern desert looking for Scud launchers in '91 when a MOAB was dropped some 10 miles away and they thought we'd dropped a nuke.



The Iraq War (I) one was a smaller one IIRC. This one has only been in service since 03.


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## Gunz (Apr 13, 2017)

Sorry, Spitfire, I had to disagree. The BLU-82s dropped in Iraq during the Gulf War, Afghanistan and earlier in Vietnam were 5000 pounds heavier than the MOAB dropped today.


There were eleven 15,000 lb BLU-82 "Daisy Cutters" dropped during the Gulf War. There were two BLU-82s dropped on AQ/Taliban forces as early as November 2001.

While I was in Vietnam during Lam Son 719, we dropped 22 BLU-82s on North Vietnamese positions inside Laos.

All the BLU-82s dropped in Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan were delivered from C130 or MC140 aircraft.


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## Totentanz (Apr 13, 2017)

Ocoka said:


> There were eleven 15,000 lb BLU-82 "Daisy Cutters" dropped during the Gulf War. There were two BLU-82s dropped on AQ/Taliban forces as early as November 2001.
> 
> While I was in Vietnam during Lam Son 719, we dropped 22 BLU-82s on North Vietnamese positions inside Laos.
> 
> All the BLU-82s dropped in Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan were delivered from C130 or MC140 aircraft.



This was a GBU-43, not a BLU-82.  IIRC, the GBU-43 (MOAB) is a follow-on to the BLU-82 (Daisy Cutter).

"Oh, Lord, bless this thy hand grenade that with it thou mayest blow thy enemies to tiny bits, in thy mercy."


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## Diamondback 2/2 (Apr 13, 2017)

A GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast Bomb (MOAB) 21,600lbs

The BLU-82 "Dasiy Cutter" is a 15,000lbs bomb.


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## AWP (Apr 13, 2017)

Ocoka said:


> It's the first time against ISIS. We dropped a number of them in the first Gulf War and two in Afghanistan in the Tora Bora region in early '02. I used to go into Glenn Beck's studio a few times a week--when he was out of Tampa-- to explain the military's various lethal hardware being used in OEF...and later OIF...and the MOAB and its history was the subject of our first on-air conversation, shortly after it was detonated. I don't believe it did much damage.
> 
> There was a British SAS team out in Iraq's eastern desert looking for Scud launchers in '91 when a MOAB was dropped some 10 miles away and they thought we'd dropped a nuke.



Those weren't MOABs, they were older BLU-82's. A badass weapon all the same.

ETA: Math Geek posted while I typed. Stupid job...


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## SpitfireV (Apr 13, 2017)

Ocoka said:


> Sorry, Spitfire, I had to disagree. The BLU-82s dropped in Iraq during the Gulf War, Afghanistan and earlier in Vietnam were 5000 pounds heavier than the MOAB dropped today.
> 
> There were eleven 15,000 lb BLU-82 "Daisy Cutters" dropped during the Gulf War. There were two BLU-82s dropped on AQ/Taliban forces as early as November 2001.
> 
> ...



Oh man, feel free to disagree, no need to apologise!

Like the others have said, different bomb mate. This one came off an MC130 like the others though.


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## Gunz (Apr 13, 2017)

Totentanz said:


> This was a GBU-43, not a BLU-82.  IIRC, the GBU-43 (MOAB) is a follow-on to the BLU-82 (Daisy Cutter).
> 
> "Oh, Lord, bless this thy hand grenade that with it thou mayest blow thy enemies to tiny bits, in thy mercy."





Diamondback 2/2 said:


> A GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast Bomb (MOAB) 21,600lbs
> 
> The BLU-82 "Dasiy Cutter" is a 15,000lbs bomb.





SpitfireV said:


> Oh man, feel free to disagree, no need to apologise!
> 
> Like the others have said, different bomb mate. This one came off an MC130 like the others though.




ok ok ok ok SHUTUP EVERYBODY  Spitfire is right, Tonentazz is right, the Texas dude is right..I was looking at kilograms instead of pounds. Indeed the MOAB weights 22000, the BLU82 some 15000. And yeah, the 82 was retired when I was ignominiously sacked. But we did drop 22 of those motherfuckers in April 71 and we weren't trying to clear an LZ, we were trying to turn the gooks inside out so our allies could unass the AO where they were getting slaughtered by the hundreds. And yes anytime we drop them it is good.

And fuck all of you


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## Il Duce (Apr 13, 2017)

I have zero firsthand knowledge - so this is just rank speculation.

This does not smell like strategy to me.  This smells like some USAF bubba has a budget meeting coming up and says 'dammit, we need to drop one of these things or this program is going to lose funding.'  They run it up half the flagpole, nobody kicks, so they rock out.  It makes news in the middle of the rest of the circus and folks at the top just say 'whatever, I've got other shit going on, tomorrow's tweet is going to top this thing.'

I just find it hard to believe it's part of some strategy to 'get tough' or send a message - and there was little to no PAO rollout before or after the drop.


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## SpitfireV (Apr 13, 2017)

Ocoka said:


> ok ok ok ok SHUTUP EVERYBODY leave me alone. Spitfire is right, Tonentazz is right, the Texas dude is right..I was looking at kilograms instead of pounds. Indeed the MOAB weights 22000, the BLU82 some 15000. And yeah, the 82 was retired when I was ignominiously sacked. But we did drop 22 of those motherfuckers in April 71 and we weren't trying to clear an LZ, we were trying to turn the gooks inside out so our allies could unass the AO where they were getting slaughtered by the hundreds. And yes anytime we drop them it is good.
> 
> And fuck all of you



I'm just glad you're the first American to accidentally invoke Metric...and hopefully not the last!


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## DA SWO (Apr 13, 2017)

Big ops test to see what it would do to a tunnel complex, just in case...


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## AWP (Apr 13, 2017)

Il Duce said:


> I have zero firsthand knowledge - so this is just rank speculation.
> 
> This does not smell like strategy to me.  This smells like some USAF bubba has a budget meeting coming up and says 'dammit, we need to drop one of these things or this program is going to lose funding.'  They run it up half the flagpole, nobody kicks, so they rock out.  It makes news in the middle of the rest of the circus and folks at the top just say 'whatever, I've got other shit going on, tomorrow's tweet is going to top this thing.'
> 
> I just find it hard to believe it's part of some strategy to 'get tough' or send a message - and there was little to no PAO rollout before or after the drop.



Ladies and Gentlemen, with this post I pass the torch and title of Shadowspear Cynic to Ill Duce, long may he reign.


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## RackMaster (Apr 13, 2017)

DA SWO said:


> Big ops test to see what it would do to a tunnel complex, just in case...



Hmmm like what all of North Korea is probably full of. 

I feel it's strategy and good one at that. Our leadership has had their hands tied for to long and now they have the freedom to use the capabilities available.  It would have been a slaughter to send teams into those caves.  I had just read the first article on causality reports and it looks promising.

First Reports Coming Out of Afghanistan: MOAB Killed 100 ISIS Fighters


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## TLDR20 (Apr 13, 2017)

I'm sure North Koreas tunnels are built to the same standard as the fucking ISIS shitheads in A-Stan . If you wanted a test against a hard deep buried target you build one in a desert in Nevada. 

Not too mention the idea of a C-130 flying uncontested into NK is just about the most absurd proposition imaginable... 


I was listening to Fox News while in a patients room today and they were trying to spin this as a shit across the bow of NK. I gotta say it sounds like a whole lot of horseshit. Listening to them you would have thought Obama never fired a hellfire in anger...


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## TLDR20 (Apr 13, 2017)




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## Ooh-Rah (Apr 13, 2017)




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## AWP (Apr 14, 2017)

I just watched the video via a gubment network. Jesus, that was beautiful. A cluster of grown men crowded around a screen whooping like teenagers as we looped it through about 10 iterations. That area's maps are now out of date.


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## Devildoc (Apr 14, 2017)

The news said we killed 36 booger eaters.  Doesn't that seem like so very few with that kind of bomb?


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## RackMaster (Apr 14, 2017)

On a positive note, there was a bunch of  meme's out that warranted their own article.

After America Drops Our Biggest Bomb, The Internet Drops Some Epic Memes


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## Gunz (Apr 14, 2017)

Devildoc said:


> The news said we killed 36 booger eaters.  Doesn't that seem like so very few with that kind of bomb?




I think I'd be willing to trade a MOAB for half that amount. And for just one of those fuckers if it prevented him from rigging an IED or martyring himself with a bunch of innocent victims.


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## Devildoc (Apr 14, 2017)

Ocoka said:


> I think I'd be willing to trade a MOAB for half that amount. And for just one of those fuckers if it prevented him from rigging an IED or martyring himself with a bunch of innocent victims.



I hear what you are saying, but....each GBU-43/B is about $16 million (if Google is to be believed).  That works out to about $444,444 per shit head.  Doesn't seem like the best bang for the buck (pun intended).

I agree....each time one of those die is all good....


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## RackMaster (Apr 14, 2017)

Devildoc said:


> I hear what you are saying, but....each GBU-43/B is about $16 million (if Google is to be believed).  That works out to about $444,444 per shit head.  Doesn't seem like the best bang for the buck (pun intended).
> 
> I agree....each time one of those die is all good....



How much is a Green Beret or Ranger worth? That's what it would cost without these munitions.

Here's the actual footage.

Department Of Defense Releases MOAB Strike - We Got It


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## AWP (Apr 14, 2017)

Fox News' version is the same out on SIPR minus the aircraft's symbology. That's hilarious.


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## Devildoc (Apr 14, 2017)

RackMaster said:


> How much is a Green Beret or Ranger worth? That's what it would cost without these munitions.
> 
> Here's the actual footage.
> 
> Department Of Defense Releases MOAB Strike - We Got It



Not disagreeing.


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## Gunz (Apr 14, 2017)

Devildoc said:


> I hear what you are saying, but....each GBU-43/B is about $16 million (if Google is to be believed).  That works out to about $444,444 per shit head.  Doesn't seem like the best bang for the buck (pun intended).
> 
> I agree....each time one of those die is all good....




This is 'Merica, Doc...Godzilla vs Bambi works for me.


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## Gunz (Apr 14, 2017)

From Rack's link:

_*"Was it retribution for the death of US Army Staff Sgt. Mark De Alencar of 7th Special Forces Group, who was killed fighting in the same area just a few days ago?"*_

Even if it wasn't the foremost reason, I'm willing to bet--knowing something of Mattis's regard for his men--that the General gave more than a passing thought to the death of S/Sgt De Alencar as he put this option on the table.


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## Devildoc (Apr 14, 2017)

Ocoka said:


> This is 'Merica, Doc...Godzilla vs Bambi works for me.



_Mea culpa_, you are right, I am born again.


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## racing_kitty (Apr 14, 2017)

In this BBC article, Karzai is letting his stupid show:



> Former Afghan President Hamid Karzai condemned the attack as "an inhuman and most brutal misuse of our country".



The bomb had been tested twice, then held in reserve since 2003. If you believe the numbers, no civilian casualties were sustained. What beneficial purpose to the infrastructure of Afghanistan did a mountain full of fundy ass lifters serve? Did we kill his favorite goat?

Say what you will about the rationale behind the drop, but the result was desirable. He can fade into obscurity now.


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## RackMaster (Apr 14, 2017)

Karzai should focus on his opium fields.


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## AWP (Apr 14, 2017)

racing_kitty said:


> In this BBC article, Karzai is letting his stupid show:



People listen to Pakistan's stooge?


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## Kraut783 (Apr 14, 2017)

Agree.....sometimes the best ops test is the real thing.


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## Gunz (Apr 14, 2017)

racing_kitty said:


> In this BBC article, Karzai is letting his stupid show:
> 
> 
> 
> ...



He's bucking for another honorary doctorate. Maybe somebody will give him the one he actually deserves, Dr of corruption and baksheesh.


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## Kraut783 (Apr 14, 2017)

Ah, the Mayor of Kabul.....go fuck yourself Karzai


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## Totentanz (Apr 14, 2017)

Hamid Karzai is still alive?



Ocoka said:


> And fuck all of you



We love you too, Princess.


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## Gunz (Apr 14, 2017)

Totentanz said:


> Hamid Karzai is still alive?
> 
> 
> 
> We love you too, Princess.



That got me. Bwahahahaaa.


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## Ranger Psych (Apr 14, 2017)




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## CDG (Apr 15, 2017)

Ranger Psych said:


> View attachment 18506



That's about right. Lol.  "Yeah sir, we requested it, but there's probably no way it'll get appro....... HOLY SHIT!!!!!"


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## ThunderHorse (Apr 15, 2017)

Totentanz said:


> Hamid Karzai is still alive?
> 
> 
> 
> We love you too, Princess.


I was gonna say there's no way that guy's still living in Kabul...is his PSD at BN strength?


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## Devildoc (Apr 15, 2017)

I see now the body count is 94.  Now tell me y'all aren't smiling at that, cost be damned??


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## Gunz (Apr 15, 2017)

ThunderHorse said:


> I was gonna say there's no way that guy's still living in Kabul...is his PSD at BN strength?



Exactly. If it wasn't for America that cocksucker would hanging from a power pole on the Jad-e Maiwand.


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## Gunz (Apr 15, 2017)

Devildoc said:


> I see now the body count is 94.  Now tell me y'all aren't smiling at that, cost be damned??



I'm so happy I'm making pancakes.


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## Yosemite (Apr 15, 2017)

Il Duce said:


> I have zero firsthand knowledge - so this is just rank speculation.
> 
> This does not smell like strategy to me.  This smells like some USAF bubba has a budget meeting coming up and says 'dammit, we need to drop one of these things or this program is going to lose funding.'  They run it up half the flagpole, nobody kicks, so they rock out.  It makes news in the middle of the rest of the circus and folks at the top just say 'whatever, I've got other shit going on, tomorrow's tweet is going to top this thing.'
> 
> I just find it hard to believe it's part of some strategy to 'get tough' or send a message - and there was little to no PAO rollout before or after the drop.



Never bad to speculate such things, but personally I think there was some practicality to this use of force. There has been intense fighting there ever since ISIL-K was founded in 2015. And of course the Taliban is dug in there as well. We have killed hundreds of ISIL-K forces up there over the course of a couple years, but the victories have not been without sacrafice of our own. Most recently Staff Sgt. Mark De Alencar. Now I'm sure the planning was started well before his passing, but I'm sure that was the nail in the coffin to get some payback. 

For me, it just makes sense to drop one of those suckers on 'em. It's meant to devestate those cave systems so you can almost guarantee it will obtain a decent bodycount(which it did) and probably scared the living s*** out of the nearby ISIL-K and Taliban forces.


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## CDG (Apr 15, 2017)

At least dropping the MOAB got the public to wake up and realize we're still at war.  #AmericaWentToTheMall

American public learns we're still fighting in Afghanistan after Pentagon drops huge bomb there


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## RackMaster (Apr 15, 2017)

CDG said:


> At least dropping the MOAB got the public to wake up and realize we're still at war.  #AmericaWentToTheMall
> 
> American public learns we're still fighting in Afghanistan after Pentagon drops huge bomb there



But didn't Obama end that war...


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## J.S. (Apr 16, 2017)

What exactly is the unit cost of the MOAB? Multiple outlets (like this one or the NY Times) put the unit cost at $


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## J.S. (Apr 16, 2017)

J.S. said:


> What exactly is the unit cost of the MOAB? Multiple outlets (like this one or the NY Times) put the unit cost at $



I accidentally hit something that posted as I was writing :wall: . To finish my thought, those outlets put the cost at $16 million, but the Business Insider said the USAF confirmed it to be no more than $170,000. Which is it and how did we arrive at these numbers?


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## Devildoc (Apr 16, 2017)

I do not know about $16 million (I had heard that too), but NO way it is $170,000.  Hell, the casing probably cost a couple million.


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## Kraut783 (Apr 16, 2017)

Lots of costs of unit our there, and numbers.

EDIT: wiki says 15 built in 2003.

GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast - Wikipedia

EIDT:  lots of different cost estimates out there.

How much the US's 'mother of all bombs' really costs

Here's How Much the 'Mother of All Bombs' Costs

Moab attack on Isis was a baffling choice in cold-blooded terms of cost

The Guardian has it at 450K


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## Devildoc (Apr 16, 2017)

Well, Hell.  I do not mind being wrong.  I am married, so I am wrong all the time.  In this case, I like being wrong.  Pennies on the dollar...now that's what I'm talkin' about!


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## Kraut783 (Apr 16, 2017)

It would be nice to see the real cost....reporting is 170K to 16 million a piece...wth?


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## Kraut783 (Apr 16, 2017)

wonder if the MC-130 painted a MOAB on it's fuselage?


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## DA SWO (Apr 16, 2017)

Devildoc said:


> I do not know about $16 million (I had heard that too), but NO way it is $170,000.  Hell, the casing probably cost a couple million.


MOABs are essentially built in-house with available (think DRMO ish) parts.
Seeker head, fins and wings are purchased.  So 170K could be argued either way (more or less $).
Lot of brainpower at Hill AFB and Dugway Proving Grounds.


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## Ranger Psych (Apr 16, 2017)

Devildoc said:


> I do not know about $16 million (I had heard that too), but NO way it is $170,000.  Hell, the casing probably cost a couple million.



$3100 for a totally dumb 2k bomb. Filler on that being just shy of 1k of high ex. Moab is what, 25klbs? Lot more filler as it's not a frag kill by design, and airburst to boot. Just needs to hold it well enough to go high order, and it's probably got an interesting anti-splatter initiation train to boot.

So, on that note, given seeker head and fins addon being bigger, even if it's triple a JDAM kit cost, that's only around 75k for guidance... expand weight-wise in a linear progression (which it's not going to be, it'll be cheaper tbh) and you're looking at 100k for the whole thing.  170k total would be high end. Casing isn't going to be that high speed, as it's just a container, not a method of wounding via fragmentation like other bombs.


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