Air Force conducts live test of MOAB

(EXCERPT) PRESS RELEASE -- Secretary of the Air Force, Directorate of
Public Affairs

Release No. 1120034 Nov 20, 2003

Air Force conducts live test of MOAB

EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. - Eglin Air Force Base's Air Armament
Center conducted a successful live test of the largest conventional
bomb in the U.S. inventory at approximately 2:30 p.m. EST Nov. 21.

Designated the GBU-43/B, and popularly known as MOAB -- Massive
Ordnance Air Blast -- the 21,700-pound bomb was launched from an
MC-130E Combat Talon I aircraft flown by a crew assigned to Eglin's
46th Test Wing.

The bomb separated cleanly from the aircraft at 20,000 feet and with
its Global Positioning System and navigation system glided to its
target area on Eglin's test range.

The weapon successfully detonated as planned and created a plume that
rose more than 10,000 feet over the Florida Panhandle.

"This developmental test by the Air Armament Center was designed to
prove the effectiveness and suitability of the assets and components
we have developed to date," said Lynda Rutledge, MOAB program manager
with Eglin's Precision Strike Systems program office. "It was planned
from the beginning of the program. We preceded it with some wind
tunnel tests to validate our algorithms and prove out the system's
capabilities."

The GBU-43/B is large, powerful and accurately delivered. The
21,700-pound bomb contains 18,700 pounds of high explosive. It is 30
feet long with a diameter of 40.5 inches. The warhead is a blast-type
warhead. It was developed in only nine weeks to be available for the
Iraq campaign, but it was not used. The last test was March 11.

"There were minor modifications to the weapon dropped today compared
with the earlier one," Rutledge said. "What we were trying to do was
give our combatant commanders an opportunity to understand all its
implications and understand how it performs.

"One objective was to collect more data and provide it to the user to
assist in targeting. Also, we wanted to certify MOAB on the Combat
Talon I aircraft as previous launches had been made from the MC-130
Combat Talon II," she said.

For more information call Jake Swinson, Air Armament Center Public
Affairs, at (850) 882-2779.

-30-

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---------------------------
Otis Willie
Associate Librarian
The American War Library
http://www.americanwarlibrary.com