# I'm going to drop a bomb... the best bomb... believe me. It's going to be huuuuuuuge. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 13, 2017, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-going-to-drop-a-bomb-the-best-bomb-believe-me-its-going-to-be-huuuuuuuge/784402 "2017-04-13T19:28:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Bear\_Nenno](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bear_nenno/32/3358_2.png) [@Bear\_Nenno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bear_Nenno)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2017, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-going-to-drop-a-bomb-the-best-bomb-believe-me-its-going-to-be-huuuuuuuge/784402/1 "2017-04-13T19:28:02Z")
> **[U.S. Drops Its Biggest Non-Nuclear Bomb On ISIS](https://www.newsweek.com/us-drops-biggest-bomb-isis-afghanistan-583885)** > > The U.S. dropped its largest non-nuclear bomb, called the "mother of all bombs" or Massive Ordinance Air Blast (MOAB) on the Islamic State group in Afghanistan. Largest non-nuclear bomb dropped on Afghanistan today. First use ever in combat. That ought to shake things up a bit! ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2017, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-going-to-drop-a-bomb-the-best-bomb-believe-me-its-going-to-be-huuuuuuuge/784402/2 "2017-04-13T19:46:31Z")
You need an [earthquake bomb](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earthquake_bomb) for that. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2017, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-going-to-drop-a-bomb-the-best-bomb-believe-me-its-going-to-be-huuuuuuuge/784402/3 "2017-04-13T19:56:59Z")
They are trying to collapse tunnels and bunkers. I hope this big assed bomb worked. Tunnels were a huge obstacle in Vietnam. The military tried every bomb imaginable and nothing worked. They had to send small guys in there to fight close quarters. They were called Tunnel Rats. The Soviets used similar teams in Afghanistan. > **[Tunnel rat](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tunnel_rat)** > > The tunnel rats were American, Australian, New Zealander, and South Vietnamese soldiers who performed underground search and destroy missions during the Vietnam War. > Later, similar teams were used by the Soviet Army during the Soviet–Afghan War and by the Israel Defense Forces in campaigns in the Middle East. > During the Vietnam War, "tunnel rat" became an unofficial specialty for volunteer combat engineers and infantrymen from the Australian Army and the U.S. Army who cleared and destroyed enem... ---
**Author:** ![chacoguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/50afbb/32.png) [@chacoguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chacoguy)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2017, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-going-to-drop-a-bomb-the-best-bomb-believe-me-its-going-to-be-huuuuuuuge/784402/4 "2017-04-13T20:40:26Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > You need an [earthquake bomb](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earthquake_bomb) for that. That’s exactly what the MOAB is, don’t let the name fool you. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2017, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-going-to-drop-a-bomb-the-best-bomb-believe-me-its-going-to-be-huuuuuuuge/784402/5 "2017-04-13T20:59:10Z")
> [@chacoguy](#): > > That’s exactly what the MOAB is, don’t let the name fool you. The MOAB is a surface detonation. An earthquake bomb penetrates the ground before exploding. _Obligatory double entendre_ ---
**Author:** ![Gray\_Ghost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c0e974/32.png) [@Gray\_Ghost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gray_Ghost)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2017, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-going-to-drop-a-bomb-the-best-bomb-believe-me-its-going-to-be-huuuuuuuge/784402/6 "2017-04-13T21:16:34Z")
> [@chacoguy](#): > > That’s exactly what the MOAB is, don’t let the name fool you. Is it, though? Everything I’ve read indicates it, like the Vietnam-era "[Daisy-cutter"/BLU-82](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BLU-82), and _unlike_ the Tallboy or Grand Slam [earthquake bombs](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earthquake_bomb) from WW2, or the [GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Massive_Ordnance_Penetrator) today, detonates on or just above the surface of the ground. Conversely, the earthquake bombs mentioned penetrate well into the earth (\>~20 feet of reinforced concrete for Grand Slam) before detonating, as it better couples the bomb’s explosive energy to the ground. OTOH, it makes a hell of a show, with a back-of-the-napkin estimated minimum safe distance of 4-5 km. Further this tunnel complex in Afghanistan, that was the target of the MOAB, bears a teensy bit of resemblance to the kind of fortifications North Korea allegedly uses to safeguard its war material. All that said, I’d think a B-52 with a full loadout of JDAMs would have been a more efficient way to go. But we do that seemingly every month, and that wouldn’t make any headlines, would it? EDIT, and I see **running coach** got there ahead of me. As you’d expect of a running coach. ---
**Author:** ![Chisquirrel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6bbea6/32.png) [@Chisquirrel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chisquirrel)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2017, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-going-to-drop-a-bomb-the-best-bomb-believe-me-its-going-to-be-huuuuuuuge/784402/7 "2017-04-13T21:18:53Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > The MOAB is a surface detonation. An earthquake bomb penetrates the ground before exploding. > _Obligatory double entendre_ The MOAB is good at clearing all the trees, mines, and everything else for about a mile in every direction. Not so good for caves. But hey, who’s going to complain about a 2 mile circle that’s clear of EVERYTHING? The MOP (Massive Ordnance Penetrator) would be GREAT for caves, as well as the GBU-28 (Deep Throat, no lie). Granted, you would need more of the GBU-28s, but is anyone going to complain? ---
**Author:** ![aldiboronti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc348/32.png) [@aldiboronti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aldiboronti)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2017, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-going-to-drop-a-bomb-the-best-bomb-believe-me-its-going-to-be-huuuuuuuge/784402/8 "2017-04-13T21:44:39Z")
Well, we’ve learned one thing in the last week or so. Trump likes making things go boom and I suspect he’s having fun doing it. Which doesn’t bode well for North Korea. Or for the rest of us, come to think of it. ---
**Author:** ![Folly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folly/32/3219_2.png) [@Folly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folly)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2017, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-going-to-drop-a-bomb-the-best-bomb-believe-me-its-going-to-be-huuuuuuuge/784402/9 "2017-04-13T21:48:53Z")
Oh god, the toddler has discovered the toy chest. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2017, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-going-to-drop-a-bomb-the-best-bomb-believe-me-its-going-to-be-huuuuuuuge/784402/10 "2017-04-13T21:53:51Z")
> [@Folly](#): > > Oh god, the toddler has discovered the toy chest. In one of the myriad threads, a poster quoted someone (blogger/comedian/columnist) that “The monkey has learned that pushing the button gives him a treat.” ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2017, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-going-to-drop-a-bomb-the-best-bomb-believe-me-its-going-to-be-huuuuuuuge/784402/11 "2017-04-13T22:38:35Z")
I agree this was also a message to N Korea. They reported on ABC nightly news that the bomb was positioned in Afghanistan by the Obama administration. Apparently this plan to take out the tunnels was in place for awhile. Sent from my XT1575 using Tapatalk ---
**Author:** ![Bear\_Nenno](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bear_nenno/32/3358_2.png) [@Bear\_Nenno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bear_Nenno)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2017, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-going-to-drop-a-bomb-the-best-bomb-believe-me-its-going-to-be-huuuuuuuge/784402/12 "2017-04-15T04:26:05Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > They are trying to collapse tunnels and bunkers. > > I hope this big assed bomb worked. > > Tunnels were a huge obstacle in Vietnam. The military tried every bomb imaginable and nothing worked. They had to send small guys in there to fight close quarters. They were called Tunnel Rats. > > The Soviets used similar teams in Afghanistan. > [Tunnel rat - Wikipedia](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tunnel_rat) Oh, yes. I’m intimately familiar with tunnels in Afghanistan. [http://oi65.tinypic.com/5osgv6.jpg](http://oi65.tinypic.com/5osgv6.jpg) [http://oi64.tinypic.com/35aln4p.jpg](http://oi64.tinypic.com/35aln4p.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Sunny\_Daze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunny_daze/32/438_2.png) [@Sunny\_Daze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunny_Daze)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2017, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-going-to-drop-a-bomb-the-best-bomb-believe-me-its-going-to-be-huuuuuuuge/784402/13 "2017-04-15T04:34:52Z")
That looks like all kinds of fun. ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2017, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-going-to-drop-a-bomb-the-best-bomb-believe-me-its-going-to-be-huuuuuuuge/784402/14 "2017-04-15T05:17:06Z")
> [@Bear\_Nenno](#): > > Oh, yes. I’m intimately familiar with tunnels in Afghanistan. > > [http://oi65.tinypic.com/5osgv6.jpg](http://oi65.tinypic.com/5osgv6.jpg) > [http://oi64.tinypic.com/35aln4p.jpg](http://oi64.tinypic.com/35aln4p.jpg) They did not booby trap those did they? Plus won’t White Phosphorus be better than sending one crawling in? ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2017, 5:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-going-to-drop-a-bomb-the-best-bomb-believe-me-its-going-to-be-huuuuuuuge/784402/15 "2017-04-15T05:33:08Z")
I couldn’t give a fuck how many Isis they blow up. The more the better. On the other hand, it would be nice to have a president who knows what he’s doing in charge of the blowing up. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2017, 8:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-going-to-drop-a-bomb-the-best-bomb-believe-me-its-going-to-be-huuuuuuuge/784402/16 "2017-04-15T08:10:20Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > I couldn’t give a fuck how many Isis they blow up. The more the better. On the other hand, it would be nice to have a president who knows what he’s doing in charge of the blowing up. But that’s the problem. If people keep on not caring, then he’ll keep on bombing, precisely because he doesn’t know what he’s doing. Plus bombing ISIS is exactly what they want. They’re trying to start a war. They are declining in power. Let them die without their war. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2017, 9:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-going-to-drop-a-bomb-the-best-bomb-believe-me-its-going-to-be-huuuuuuuge/784402/17 "2017-04-15T09:29:29Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > The MOAB is a surface detonation. An earthquake bomb penetrates the ground before exploding. AIUI - fight my ignorance here - the MOAB is a fuel-air explosive so spreads then consumes all the oxygen in the area. So it suffocates those in tunnels. ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2017, 10:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-going-to-drop-a-bomb-the-best-bomb-believe-me-its-going-to-be-huuuuuuuge/784402/18 "2017-04-15T10:03:04Z")
It uses [Composition H-6](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Composition_H6) so I think its is a normal HE bomb rather than a FAE. The Russian, [FOAB](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Father_of_All_Bombs) (officially Авиационная вакуумная бомба повышенной мощности, Aviation Thermobaric Bomb of Increased Power ) is a FAE type bomb. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2017, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-going-to-drop-a-bomb-the-best-bomb-believe-me-its-going-to-be-huuuuuuuge/784402/19 "2017-04-16T04:17:48Z")
> [@aldiboronti](#): > > Well, we’ve learned one thing in the last week or so. **Trump likes making things go boom and I suspect he’s having fun doing it.** Which doesn’t bode well for North Korea. Or for the rest of us, come to think of it. And he likes being on TV. I think he should take over Mythbusters. ---
**Author:** ![pullin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c57346/32.png) [@pullin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pullin)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2017, 11:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-going-to-drop-a-bomb-the-best-bomb-believe-me-its-going-to-be-huuuuuuuge/784402/20 "2017-04-16T11:32:47Z")
> [@aldiboronti](#): > > Well, we’ve learned one thing in the last week or so. Trump likes making things go boom and I suspect he’s having fun doing it. Which doesn’t bode well for North Korea. Or for the rest of us, come to think of it. > [@running\_coach](#): > > In one of the myriad threads, a poster quoted someone (blogger/comedian/columnist) that “The monkey has learned that pushing the button gives him a treat.” Not defending the prez, but in the interest of accuracy… Two different news sources report the decision was made by generals, not the Trumpster. [Fox news](http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/04/14/moab-drop-ordered-by-us-general-trump-approval-not-needed-officials-say.html) and [US News/World report](https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2017-04-14/us-general-says-decision-to-use-mother-of-all-bombs-in-afghanistan-purely-tactical). [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-going-to-drop-a-bomb-the-best-bomb-believe-me-its-going-to-be-huuuuuuuge/784402.md?page=2)