MOAB Dropped in Afghanistan

[Smitty-48]

Just so we're clear, MOAB stands for Massive Ordinance Air Blast, it's not actually a "bunker buster", it's a Fuel Aerosol Explosive (FAE), so it spreads out a cloud of aerosolized gas, and then ignites it to create the shockwave, so it's not actually penetrating deep down into the ground, most of the effects go up and out, not down, in a confined space, it actually can't reach its full effect.

[Lemonade]

A six ton firework show then.

[Ex-California]

Diminishing returns, the shockwave is big, but the ground still absorbs most of it, digging deep pretty much neutralizes raw firepower, no matter how much you pile on, since World War One in fact, big boom, but doesn't actually kill that many guys in the end.

The nuclear option is overrated as well, nukes are about heat and radiation, the shockwave has a maximum velocity, the speed of sound, so the kinetic force from a nuke is not actually any more powerful than a MOAB.

That's why we need a neutron bomb

[kybkh]

It's all about the vacuum though right?

imploding lungs and what not...

The effect doesn't go that deep, most of the explosion is wasted, you'll kill some, but you won't kill as many as you'd think, considering the size of the bomb, that's why I say diminishing returns, a smaller bomb would have similar effects, the bigger bomb is just for propaganda, to impress the rubes.

So this isn't the giant can of aerosol spray they light right before touch down...my bad.

[Smitty-48]

Diminishing returns, the shockwave is big, but the ground still absorbs most of it, digging deep pretty much neutralizes raw firepower, no matter how much you pile on, since World War One in fact, big boom, but doesn't actually kill that many guys in the end.

The nuclear option is overrated as well, nukes are about heat and radiation, the shockwave has a maximum velocity, the speed of sound, so the kinetic force from a nuke is not actually any more powerful than a MOAB.

That's why we need a neutron bomb

Neutron bomb penetrates a lot, like buildings and whanot, tanks, things on the surface, but if you're really dug in deep, even a neutron bomb won't get you.

[ssu]

Likely the caves and the tunnel weren't very deep... if you use a MOAB.

Otherwise you would use the MOP. The GBU-57, the "Massive Ordnance Penetrator".

[Speaker to Animals]

This stuff is a show for domestic consumption.

[kybkh]

Seems like a bad time to flop our cock on the table while shaming Putin for showing his.

[BjornP]

The extent of the damage and whether anyone was killed is not yet clear. The military is currently conducting an assessment.
The Pentagon is currently reviewing whether to deploy additional trainers to Afghanistan to help bolster US allies there.

So, if/when the Pentagon makes a statement on this assesment, what sort of official government response or non-response might indicate that things did not go as well as planned - or that it went well beyond anything imagined?

[SilverEagle]

Just so we're clear, MOAB stands for Massive Ordinance Air Blast, it's not actually a "bunker buster", it's a Fuel Aerosol Explosive (FAE), so it spreads out a cloud of aerosolized gas, and then ignites it to create the shockwave, so it's not actually penetrating deep down into the ground, most of the effects go up and out, not down, in a confined space, it actually can't reach its full effect.

Fun fact. The steel that was used for the bomb was made by a mill near New Castle PA.