In response to the United States' deployment of the 11-ton MOAB -- the "Mother of All Bombs" -- in Afghanistan this week, RT.com has begun heavily promoting Russia's own super-bomb, officially known as the Aviation Thermobaric Bomb of Increased Power. Known informally as the ‘Father of All Bombs’ (FOAB), it was developed by Russia in 2007 and is said to be four times more powerful than the MOAB. RT, the cable news network backed financially by the Russian government, states that the FOAB is "far superior" to the bomb the U.S. dropped on Islamic State militants on Thursday, wiping out a tunnel and cave complex and killing 36 members of ISIS.
44 tons of TNT in a 7-ton shell, or three pounds of bologna in a two-pound bag?
While the FOAB is said to be more powerful than its American counterpart, Russia's super-bomb weighs 15,560 pounds -- approximately 5,000 pounds less than the U.S. version. However, Russia claims that it is packed with the equivalent of 44 tons of TNT. The MOAB weighs 8.2 tons and packs the equivalent explosive power of 11 tons of TNT.
Both the MOAB and the FOAB work the same way, detonating just before impact with the earth and releasing a supersonic shockwave that vaporizes everything within its blast zone. While the U.S. version is capable of vaporizing everything within a 150-meter blast zone, the Russian FOAB boasts a blast zone of 300 meters.
The Aviation Thermobaric Bomb of Increased Power was first tested by Russia in 2007, and the detonation produced a temperature that was almost twice as high as that of the MOAB. If the Father of All Bombs is capable of everything the Russian government claims, the Aviation Thermobaric Bomb of Increased Power would be the most powerful non-nuclear weapon the world has ever seen.
Or never seen, for that matter.
While some photos of Russia's alleged super-bomb have been "leaked" to the media (or planted, depending on which side is telling the truth), U.S. defense analysts are skeptical of the bomb's power, while others are skeptical of its very existence. RT's piece on Russia's FOAB that was published on Friday has been hailed by some U.S.
media outlets as textbook propaganda. The Daily Caller referred to the RT.com article on the FOAB as a "Kremlin press release."
Plus it's safe for the environment
The RT article quotes Alexander Rukshin, deputy chief of Russian armed forces, who says that the FOAB is comparable to a nuclear weapon in effectiveness. But that's not the only selling point. According to Rukshin, the bomb is also environmentally friendly. “At the same time, use of this weapon does not damage or pollute the environment like a nuclear weapon,” said Rukshin.
