On April 13, 2017, the United States military carried out a massive airstrike in Afghanistan using one of the largest non-nuclear bombs ever built. The weapon, officially named the GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast (MOAB), is more commonly known by its nickname the Mother of All Bombs. This was the first time this weapon had ever been used in combat.
The Mother of All Bombs is a giant, GPS-guided explosive. It is 30 feet long and weighs about 21,000 pounds. Because it is so heavy, it cannot be dropped from a standard fighter jet. Instead, it had to be pushed out of the back of a MC-130 cargo plane. The bomb is designed to explode just before it hits the ground, sending a massive shockwave outward to destroy underground tunnels and structures.
The target was a complex of tunnels and caves in the Achin district of Nangarhar province, located in eastern Afghanistan near the border with Pakistan. This area was being used as a base by ISIS. The U.S. military explained that the tunnels allowed ISIS fighters to move around safely and launch attacks on Afghan and U.S. forces. By using the MOAB, the military hoped to collapse the tunnels and eliminate the fighters hiding inside without putting ground troops at risk.
The explosion was enormous. Local residents reported hearing a deafening sound and seeing a huge flash of light that lit up the sky. Afghan officials later stated that the blast hit 94 ISIS militants and destroyed a large cache of weapons.
The U.S. military and Afghan government emphasized that the strike was planned carefully to avoid any harm to civilians.
During a brief press conference, President Donald Trump was asked whether he authorized the mission.
“We have given them total authorization and that’s what they’re doing,” he added, “Frankly, that’s why they’ve been so successfully lately … we have incredible leaders in the military and … we are very proud of them. This was another very, very successful mission.”
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