GBU-43/B dropped in Nangarhar Province, Afghanistan

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



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.
Click to expand...

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

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.
 
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 $
Click to expand...

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?
 
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.
 
Last edited:

Similar threads

Centermass
ISIS Leader In Afghanistan Killed In U.S. Strike
Replies
15
Views
2K
R.Caerbannog
R.Caerbannog
Eagle
10th SFG (A) Green Beret KIA in Afghanistan
Replies
9
Views
2K
CDG
C
Centermass
Army Ranger Josh Rodgers
2
Replies
20
Views
3K
Diamondback 2/2
Diamondback 2/2
Ravage
  • Locked
Data From Seized Computer Fuels a Surge in U.S. Raids on Al Qaeda
Replies
2
Views
3K
AWP
AWP
Ravage
In Afghanistan, A U.S. Special Forces Major's Meteoric Rise And Humiliating Fall
2 3 4
Replies
68
Views
22K
Poccington
Poccington
Back
Top