US has Mother of all Bombs; Who has the father?

New Delhi, Dec 20: Both the United States and Russia have developed highly destructive weapons, bombs and missiles that can wreak havoc if used. Whether missiles, nuclear warheads or bombs, both nations often compete with each other to produce most destructive weapons. When it comes to bombs, it debatable as to which nation possesses most destructive non-nuclear bomb.

The United States in April last year dropped one of the most powerful non-nuclear bomb in eastern Afghanistan to destroy Islamic State hideouts. The GBU-43 or the Massive Ordinance Air Blast is undoubtedly one of the most power conventional weapons because of its sheer destructive power. The weapon, also known as 'Mother of all Bombs', weighs 21,600 pounds and costs around 16 million dollars.

It is interesting to note that there is also a 'Father of All Bombs', which is a Russian answer to the MOAB. Aviation Thermobaric Bomb of Increased Power developed by Russia is reportedly capable of unleashing 44 tonnes of explosives. Also known as FOAB, the Russian bomb was successfully tested in 2007, four years after US tested MOAB.

Reports claim that Russia's FOAB is four times more powerful than US' MOAB. The blast radius of the FOAB is 300 meters, almost double that of the MOAB, and the temperature produced is twice as high.

The bomb is reportedly similar to the US military's GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast which is often unofficially called "Mother of All Bombs" derived from its official military acronym "MOAB". This weapon would therefore be the most powerful conventional (non-nuclear) weapon in the world. However, the veracity of Russia's claims concerning the weapon's size and power have been questioned by US defense analysts.

The thermobaric device yields the equivalent of 44 tons of TNT using about seven tons of a new type of high explosive. Because of this, the bomb's blast and pressure wave have a similar effect to a small tactical nuclear weapon. The bomb works by detonating in mid-air. Most damage is inflicted by a supersonic shockwave and extremely high temperatures. Thermobaric weapons differ from conventional explosive weapons in that they generate a longer, more sustained blast wave with greater temperatures. In doing so, they produce more damage over a larger area than a conventional weapon of similar mass.