WikiPop's Pick · October 15, 2026
GBU-43/B MOAB
American large-yield bomb
The GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast is a large-yield bomb, developed for the United States military by Albert L. Weimorts, Jr. of the Air Force Research Laboratory. It was first tested in 2003. At the time of development, it was said to be the most powerful non-nuclear weapon in the US military arsenal. The bomb is designed to be delivered by a C-130 Hercules, primarily the MC-130E Combat Talon I or MC-130H Combat Talon II variants. The bomb's name and nickname were inspired by Iraqi president Saddam Hussein's invocation of the "mother of all battles" during the 1991 Gulf War.
Why the popularity?
This summary is AI-generated and may contain errors. It's researched by Claude Sonnet 5.5 using web search and Wikipedia, then reviewed and rewritten by a separate Claude Sonnet 5.5 editor.- CNN reported the US has drawn up new Iran strike plans that could use the "mother of all bombs" if Donald Trump orders combat to resume.
- The nickname nods to Saddam Hussein's "mother of all battles," and the bomb was last used in combat in 2017 in Afghanistan.
- Iran answered in a letter to the UN Security Council, calling the US president's remarks about possibly using it "brazen existential threats."