At about 7:30pm in Afghanistan, reports indicate the US Air Force dropped the largest non-nuclear bomb in service on an ISIS target. The weapon, dubbed "The Mother of All Bombs," was deployed in an effort to destroy a large network of tunnels and passageways sources claim ISIS operatives use regularly to navigate the Middle Eastern terrain.
The GBU-43 had never been used before today
An ABC News report claims that even though it was initially designed and tested over a decade ago, this is the first official use of the bomb, as it is reserved purely for large-scale operations.
Officially named the GBU-43, records show the behemoth of a weapon packs 11 tons of explosives and weighs in at over 20,000 lbs. According to Sean Spicer, President Trump's White House Press Secretary, the bomb is incredibly accurate- despite its overwhelming size.
The bomb's massive size makes it a rather unconventional weapon choice
Logistically, the bomb was scheduled to detonate somewhere in the Achin district of Nangarhar province, which practically borders Pakistan. Noting the recent increase in US-inflicted casualties, Spicer assured reporters that the military took all proper precautions to "prevent civilian casualties and collateral damage." Several reports indicate the GBU-43 itself was so cumbersome that it had to be pushed out of the back of a C-130 military aircraft- a rather unconventional method, and certainly not the gold standard when it comes to ensuring accuracy.
The C-130 model aircraft is also a giant in its own right, boasting a cargo hold capable of easily accommodating objects as large as full-size utility helicopters.
A recent US death may have triggered the order to deploy the behemoth
Though ground intel had been advising airborne operators on the best locations and times to deploy the bomb for some time, the recent death of a US Special Operations soldier in the Nangarhar province may have been the push officials needed to give the bomb the green light.
According to reports, US ground forces are now surveying the wreckage, hoping the devastation will at least slow down potential enemy combatants.
Officials say detonating such a large bomb was the right call
When asked why such a large-scale explosive was used at all, General John Nicholson, the 60-year-old Army officer charged with deploying the bomb, indicated that it was "the right munition" to eliminate obstacles.
He added that ISIS operatives have been using "IEDs (improvised explosive devices), bunkers, and tunnels to strengthen their defenses"- suggesting that it was only right to retaliate with something that could deal an equally crippling blow.
CNN reports that, as of now, the number of potential casualties caused by the attack is unknown.
