Moab Pictures

[David]

The U.S. Air Force is developing a new, 2nd generation, ten ton large, low air burst bomb. It will replace the older "Daisy Cutter" 7.5 ton bomb developed during the 1960s. This was a 7.5 ton bomb using a semi-liquid explosive for clearing landing zones in the Vietnam jungle.

The terms "Daisy Cutter" actually comes from the four foot probe at the bottom of the bomb which triggered the explosion without creating a crater (helicopters don't like to land in craters.) The probe was later replaced with a radar altimeter fuze, but the nickname "Daisy Cutter" stuck.

The official designation was BLU-82 (or "Big Blue"). Until the BLU-82 came along, the biggest non-nuclear explosion obtainable was with a FAE (Fuel Air Explosives). FAE works by dropping a bomb that is actually a large aerosol dispenser. When the FAE "explodes" it first dispenses a large cloud of flammable material (anything like gasoline or propane will work). The cloud is then ignited and huge explosion results.

There's one drawback, the size and density of the aerosol cloud depends a lot on the wind, air temperature and humidity. So the power of the explosion will vary a lot. But it's difficult to get a FAE to work in a bomb larger than 2000 pounds. So the replacement for the BLU-82 bomb, called MOAB (Massive Ordnance Air Burst) simply uses more of the slurry of ammonium nitrate and powdered aluminum.

In dry, dusty conditions, the Daisy Cutter produces a mushroom cloud similar to that created by a nuclear explosion (and for the same reason, the sheer size of the explosion creates an upward pull that sends up a "mushroom" of smoke and dust on a column of smoke). In addition to a more powerful explosion, MOAB doesn?t need a parachute, like the Daisy Cutter, but uses a GPS (like JDAM) and an aerodynamic body to detonate the bomb at a precise area. Thus the MOAB can be dropped from a higher altitude (like outside the range of machine-guns and rifles).

Like the Daisy Cutter, MOAB is shoved out the back of a cargo aircraft (usually a C-130, but since the MOAB uses GPS and higher altitude drops, the C-17 can probably be used as well.) MOAB is a highly destructive and terrifying weapon. If used in Iraq, it would demoralize any Iraqi troops in the vicinity who survived the explosion.

The force of a MOAB explosion is sufficient to knock over tanks and kill any people within several hundred meters of the detonation.

After the 1991 Gulf War, the United States started to get rid of it's various FAE weapons. But some were left in the inventory when the Afghanistan came along and the success of Daisy Cutters there, plus the new Russian research in FAE weapons, led to the new American research effort. There may be larger, or simply more powerful, FAE weapons in the works. But for the moment, MOAB, using pretty old fashioned technology, is the biggest non-nuclear bomb around.

[David]

more Moab

[David]

more Moab heheh

[wrbones]

where'd you find that article and pic, David?


That bomb is a thing of beauty, btw!

[David]

I tried to post the link but they block offsite linking. I go it over at strategypage.com. Not sure where they got them from but I have seen the bottom picture of the Moab rear view on the news today.

[SEATJERKER]

...like they should call it ...

..."ORANGE CRUSH"...

[wrbones]

Thanks David. Haven't had the news on much today.

[David]

SEATJERKER that is a very cool name

[Seascamp]

Jeez, the Moab Mayor missed out on bonehead Marketing 101 I reckon. The MOAB will put Moab on the map as curiosity seekers always gravitate toward the dramatic and interesting. They best get cracking and work up some plastic toy MOAB?s, hats, T-shirts, hamburgers, etc. and get in on the bonanza dropped off on their door step. A few months from now the fad will fizzle out and towns will be lobbying for something to be named after them. Lets see, what can we make of ?Pahrump?, Nevada. I own some land there I?d like to unload sometime or another and some momentary fame may just do the trick, LOL.

Really, the Harvey?s Lake Tahoe bombing made gazillions for hat and T- shirt merchants and raked in enough additional County revenue to build and equip a fire station that we desperately needed. Fortunately, no one was hurt or the hats and T-shirts would probably not have been appropriate or so popular. The ?I survived the Harvey?s Bombing? items out sold all other memorabilia, even the Hardrock Caf? stuff and do-dads.

Scamp