Russia introduces ‘father of all bombs’ after US ‘mother of all bombs’

The U.S. on April 13, 2017  dropped the largest non-nuclear bomb ever deployed in combat, targeting an Islamic State complex in Afghanistan, and it stirred a debate whether use of such weapons could put at stake human life.

First tested in 2003, the bomb unleashes destructive power equivalent to 11 tonnes of TNT. But, it’s not the most powerful bomb in the world. Russia has a Father Of All Bombs, a far more destructive device, it had been unveiled.

How the ‘father of all bombs’ works

Officially the Aviation Thermobaric Bomb of Increased Power, the ordnance is four times more powerful than the U.S. weapon. Unlike the MOAB, which uses conventional ordnance, the FOAB aka “Big Daddy” is Thermobaric — meant to burn its targets. It uses oxygen from the atmosphere, rather than carrying an oxidising agent in its explosives. It produces more energy than normal weapons but is harder to control. According to the Russian military the FOAB is equivalent to 44 tonnes of TNT compared to the U.S. device’s 11 tonnes.