Actions

This is what it looks like when the 'mother of all bombs' explodes

The U.S. military has dropped its biggest non-nuclear bomb on Afghanistan.<a href="https://twitter.com/CENTCOM/status/852571305484439552" target="_blank">U.S. Central Command confirmed</a>&nbsp;a GBU-43 was dropped from an aircraft at about 7:30 p.m. local time Thursday.The bomb, also known as the&nbsp;<a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/news/us-drops-mother-of-all-bombs-in-afghanistan-marking-weapons-first-use/" target="_blank">&quot;mother of all bombs,&quot;</a>&nbsp;weighs about 11 tons and has never been used in a combat situation &mdash; until now.SEE MORE: <a href="http://www.newsy.com/stories/isis-targets-egypt-s-christians-in-terror-attacks/">Egypt's Christians Are Still A Prime Target For ISIS</a>The target was a cave complex believed to be used by ISIS fighters in the Achin district of the eastern Nangarhar province near the Pakistan border.Central Command said U.S. forces took &quot;every precaution&quot; to avoid civilian causalities. Officials&nbsp;<a href="http://www.cnn.com/2017/04/13/politics/afghanistan-isis-moab-bomb/" target="_blank">told CNN</a>&nbsp;the military is currently assessing the damage.<hr>Trending stories at <a href="http://www.newsy.com">Newsy.com</a><ul class="inline-related-links"><li><a href="http://www.newsy.com/stories/florida-officer-charged-in-shooting-of-unarmed-therapist/">A Florida Officer Is Charged After He Shot An Unarmed Therapist</a></li><li><a href="http://www.newsy.com/stories/trump-administration-sued-for-mexico-border-wall-project/">The Trump Administration Is Being Sued For The Mexico Border Project</a></li><li><a href="http://www.newsy.com/stories/first-african-american-woman-judge-on-ny-s-top-court-is-dead/">The First African-American Female Judge On N.Y.&#039;s Top Court Found Dead</a></li></ul>

By: Alex Hider

Posted

and last updated

On Thursday, the United States military dropped its most powerful non-nuclear weapon on an ISIS cave complex in Afghanistan.

Nicknamed the "mother of all bombs," GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air-blast Bomb (MOAB) is a 30-foot-long, 21,600 pound missile-guided bomb. Some sources say the bomb can penetrate to depths of 100 feet before detonating, leaving behind a blast diameter of up to two miles.

According to a 2003 article in the National Review, the purpose of the bomb is primarily psychological — a weapon that leaves so much destruction in its wake that it inspires "shock and awe" in the enemy.

Though no video has been released yet from Thursday's attack, the US military has tested the bomb in 2008. Watch video of the video test in the player below.

Alex Hider is a writer for the E.W. Scripps National Desk. Follow him on Twitter @alexhider.