The GBU-43/B MOAB is built around a relatively thin aluminum casing and contains approximately 18,700 pounds of H-6 explosive, a mixture of RDX, TNT, and aluminum powder. With a total weight of about 21,700 pounds (9.85 metric tons), roughly 86 percent of the weapon’s mass consists of explosive filler. Unlike heavily cased bunker-busting bombs, the MOAB’s lightweight construction is intended to maximize air-blast overpressure and shockwave effects across a large surface area. The weapon is deployed from MC-130/C-130 aircraft and is optimized for destroying soft-to-medium surface targets rather than penetrating hardened structures. | Nuclear Vault | April 14, 2017
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