MOAB Explained: Specs, Power and Combat Use of the Mother of All Bombs
The MOAB, or GBU-43/B, is the largest non-nuclear bomb in the U.S. arsenal. It weighs 21,600 pounds, has been used in combat once and is back in the news over Iran.
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The MOAB, officially the GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast bomb, is the largest non-nuclear bomb in the U.S. arsenal. The military nicknamed it the “Mother of All Bombs.” It weighs 21,600 pounds and carries about 18,700 pounds of explosive, according to the Air Force Armament Museum Foundation.
It has been used in combat once, against an ISIS-K tunnel complex in Afghanistan in 2017. It is back in the news because CNN reported in mid-October that Pentagon strike plans for Iran include a MOAB. This guide explains how it was built and works, and how it compares with Russia’s “Father of All Bombs” and the GBU-57.
Officials told CNN there are doubts the bomb would achieve Washington’s goals. President Trump did not say whether he has authorized its use. He told Newsmax the MOAB is “not nuclear at all” and is “just an extremely large bomb.”
How the MOAB Was Developed
The Air Force wanted a replacement for the BLU-82 “Daisy Cutter,” a 15,000-pound unguided bomb pushed out of a cargo plane. The request came in late 2002, before the invasion of Iraq. The Air Force Research Laboratory’s Munitions Directorate at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, built the new weapon in-house.
The last BLU-82 Daisy Cutter, the bomb the MOAB replaced, detonates at the Utah Test and Training Range, July 15, 2008 - U.S. Air Force photo by Capt. Patrick Nichols (public domain)
Al Weimorts is credited as the designer, working with lead model maker Joseph Fellenz. The result was a GPS-guided bomb with a far larger warhead than the Daisy Cutter. The Air Force says the final test, at Eglin on March 11, 2003, produced a mushroom cloud visible from 20 miles away.
Al Weimorts (right) and Joseph Fellenz with the unpainted MOAB prototype, undated - U.S. Air Force photo (public domain)
The first bomb reached the Middle East in April 2003. None was used in combat for 14 years. The nickname is widely seen as a play on Saddam Hussein’s 1991 phrase “the mother of all battles.”
Frame from Air Force test footage of a MOAB detonating, 2003 - U.S. Air Force courtesy video via DVIDS (public domain)
MOAB Specifications
| Specification | GBU-43/B MOAB |
|---|---|
| Official name | Massive Ordnance Air Blast bomb |
| Length | 30 ft (9.1 m) |
| Diameter | 40.5 in (103 cm) |
| Weight | 21,600 lb (9,800 kg) |
| Explosive | About 18,700 lb (8,500 kg) of H6, in the BLU-120/B warhead |
| Guidance | GPS and inertial navigation, steered by grid fins |
| Delivery | Rolled out of the back of an MC-130 on a cradle |
| Developer | Air Force Research Laboratory, Eglin Air Force Base |
| First test | March 11, 2003 |
| Combat use | One strike, April 13, 2017 |
Figures are from the Air Force Armament Museum Foundation. The MOAB does not fit in a bomb bay. Crews push it out the back on a cradle, and parachutes pull it clear.
An MC-130H Combat Talon II takes off at RAF Mildenhall, England, May 20, 2004. The MOAB is delivered from an MC-130 - U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Tony R. Tolley (public domain)
The MOAB’s Only Combat Use: Afghanistan, 2017
A MOAB hit an ISIS-K tunnel complex in Achin district, Nangarhar province, at 7:32 p.m. local time on April 13, 2017, U.S. Central Command said. Reuters and the BBC reported it was dropped from an MC-130. Gen. John Nicholson, then the U.S. commander in Afghanistan, explained the choice.
“As ISIS-K’s losses have mounted, they are using IEDs, bunkers and tunnels to thicken their defense,” Nicholson said. “This is the right munition to reduce these obstacles and maintain the momentum of our offensive against ISIS-K.”
Aerial footage of the MOAB strike on an ISIS-K tunnel complex in Achin district, Afghanistan, April 13, 2017 - U.S. Department of Defense (public domain)
Afghanistan’s Defense Ministry said 36 ISIS-K fighters were killed. A governor’s spokesman later put the toll at 94, including at least four ISIS leaders. Afghan officials and Nicholson said there was no evidence of civilian casualties. ISIS denied losses, and Clash Report could not independently verify any figure.
It was the largest non-nuclear bomb the United States had used in combat. It remains the weapon’s only confirmed use.
How the MOAB Works
The MOAB is a blast weapon, not a penetrator. It is designed to detonate at or just above the surface, sending out an overpressure wave instead of digging in. Analysts quoted by Al Jazeera say it can wreck surface structures within about a kilometer, depending on terrain.
That suits exposed troops, vehicles and cave mouths. It is a poor fit for deeply buried bunkers. Military analyst Elijah Magnier told Al Jazeera the Afghan strike “does not demonstrate an ability to destroy every kind of underground installation.”
The same doubt applies to Pickaxe Mountain, a suspected Iranian nuclear site near Natanz. Reports say it lies beneath layers of granite. Sources told CNN that a MOAB might not reach what is inside.
MOAB vs Russia’s “Father of All Bombs”
Russia announced a test of its “Father of All Bombs” on Sept. 11, 2007. Officials said it held roughly seven tons of a new explosive and equaled 44 tons of TNT, four times the MOAB. Gen. Alexander Rukshin said its power was “commensurate with a nuclear weapon.”
Outside experts split. Phillip Coyle of the Center for Defense Information told Wired it was “at best 50 percent bigger” than the MOAB. Some analysts told the BBC the claim seemed plausible, but no independent test has confirmed it.
Iran has used the nickname too. In 2017 the Revolutionary Guards claimed a 10-ton bomb they called the “Father of All Bombs.” On Oct. 21, spokesman Hossein Mohebi said Iran was preparing to unveil a weapon of that name, without details, Anadolu Agency reported.
MOAB vs GBU-57 MOP
The GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator is the true bunker buster. It weighs just under 30,000 pounds and carries over 5,300 pounds of explosive, the Air Force says. Its steel case is designed to burrow up to 200 feet underground before detonating.
Only the B-2 Spirit is programmed to carry it. It was first used in combat on June 21–22, 2025, when seven B-2s dropped 14 on Fordow and Natanz, the Pentagon said. We covered the mission as it unfolded, and our B-2 Spirit explainer covers the aircraft.
| GBU-43/B MOAB | GBU-57 MOP | Russian “FOAB” (claimed) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weight | 21,600 lb | Just under 30,000 lb | Not confirmed |
| Explosive | About 18,700 lb | Over 5,300 lb | About 7 tons, per Russia |
| Purpose | Surface blast | Deep penetration | Surface blast |
| Carrier | MC-130 | B-2 Spirit | Tu-160, per Russian TV (disputed) |
| Combat use | Once, 2017 | June 2025 | None confirmed |
In short, the MOAB is built for blast on the surface, and the MOP is built to reach what is buried. The MOAB’s warhead is also more than three times larger.
MOAB Cost and Stockpile
The Air Force has never published a procurement price or inventory. A figure of about $170,000 per bomb is widely cited. It reportedly comes from a mid-2000s lab estimate based on existing parts, so it is not a true program cost.
Reports say about 15 were built, with the bombs filled at McAlester, Oklahoma. The Air Force has not confirmed that number, and Clash Report could not verify it.
MOAB FAQ
Is the MOAB a nuclear bomb? No. It is a conventional high-explosive weapon, as Trump said in October. For nuclear scale, see our guide to Tsar Bomba, the largest bomb ever detonated.
What does MOAB stand for? Massive Ordnance Air Blast. Some early reports used “Air Burst.” “Mother of All Bombs” is the unofficial nickname.
How big is the MOAB explosion? The Air Force said the cloud from the 2003 test was visible from 20 miles away. Published estimates of its yield run from about 10 to 11 tons of TNT.
Can the MOAB destroy underground bunkers? Only partly. It can collapse tunnel entrances and surface defenses, but it is not designed to penetrate deep rock. The GBU-57 is built for that job.
Has the MOAB been used on Iran? No use has been reported. CNN says plans include it, and Trump has not said whether he authorized it.
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