What is 'mother of all bombs' (MOAB)?

All about the MOAB that targeted an IS hideout in Nangargar province in Afghanistan.

On Thursday, the United States dropped the most powerful non-nuclear bomb on Afghanistan to target a cave used by Islamic State militants. The GBU-43 or the Massive Ordinance Air Blast also known as the Mother of all Bombs targetted an IS hideout in the Nangarhar province.

Here is what we should know about the 'Mother of all Bombs.'

• The non nuclear bomb was developed by Albert L Weimorts, Jr of Air Force Research Laboratory.
• The bomb was first tested in 2003 in Florida at the Eglin Air Force Base.
• The MOAB is believed to be the deadliest non-nuclear weapon designed
• It leaves a cloud of smoke that is visible up to 20 miles from the scene of the blast.
• The weapon weighs 21,600 pounds and costs around 16 million dollars
• The bomb was devised to win a psychological war against the Iraq army.
• It was designed to be used as a deterrent against Saddam Hussain
• The bomb is meant for targets which are not easily reachable such as caves and canyons.
• The bomb is GPS enabled and targets can be hit with smarter accuracy.

OneIndia News