China Tests the Mother of all Bombs

‘Mother of all bombs’: China tests its most powerful non-nuclear weapon 

The bomb, whose strength is only second to that of a nuclear weapons was airdropped by an H-6K bomber

Web DeskJanuary 5, 2019

BEIJING – China has tested its most powerful non-nuclear weapon, dubbed the “Mother Of All Bombs” by official media in a reference to a US munition used in Afghanistan.

China’s defence industry giant NORINCO for the first time showcased the aerial bomb in public, the country’s largest non-nuclear bomb, state-run Xinhua News Agency reported.

The massive bomb drops on to a plain and produces a gigantic ball of fire and black smoke.

The bomb whose strength is only second to that of a nuclear weapon was airdropped by an H-6K bomber and caused a gigantic explosion, showed a promotional video released by China North Industries Group Corporation Limited (NORINCO) on its website at the end of December.

It is dubbed as the Chinese version of the “Mother of All Bombs” due to its huge destructive potential that is claimed to be only second to nuclear weapons, the daily said.

Last year, while waging war against militants in Afghanistan, the US military dropped a GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast (MOAB) weapon, more commonly known as the “Mother of All Bombs,” on the Islamic State.

Although China is using the same nickname for its bomb, said to weigh several tonnes, the Chinese weapon is smaller and lighter than its American counterpart.

Judging from the video and the size of the H-6K’s bomb bay, the bomb is approximately five to six meters long, Beijing-based military analyst Wei Dongxu told the Global Times on Thursday.

“The massive blast can easily and completely wipe out fortified ground targets such as reinforced buildings, bastions and defence shelters,” Wei said.

It can also be used to clear a landing zone for troops on helicopters to rappel down, in case the area is covered by obstacles such as forests, Wei noted.

Wei said that the Chinese bomb is smaller and lighter than the US one, enabling it to be deployed on the H-6K bomber.

To match the US weapon, Russia developed the “Father of All Bombs” which is both bigger and thermobaric, meaning it uses gas to create a huge fireball rather than a shockwave.