GBU-43/B MOAB (US) vs “FOAB” (Russia)
In 2007 Russia unveiled the so-called “FOAB” as a reply to the US MOAB and credited it with about 44 tonnes TNT equivalent, four times the MOAB's 11 per the USAF. The catch is that the Russian figure is an official announcement never independently verified, so this comparison sets a documented figure against a disputed one.
GBU-43/B MOAB (US) · 11 t — “FOAB” (Russia) · 44 t
“FOAB” (Russia) releases 4 times more energy than GBU-43/B MOAB (US)
“FOAB” (Russia) equals 0.00293 times Hiroshima
GBU-43/B MOAB (US) (blue)
“FOAB” (Russia) (red)
Blast radius scales with the cube root of energy: the larger circle is about 1.6 times wider. Relative scale only — no real distances or damage estimates.
Full scale (logarithmic)
Each step multiplies the energy; on a linear scale a grenade would vanish next to the Tsar Bomba. Tap a row to set it as B.
* Estimated, approximate or disputed figure. Yields of weapons in service are not official unless stated.
Figures used and how reliable they are
- GBU-43/B MOAB (US): 11 t. About 11 t TNT equivalent per the USAF.
- “FOAB” (Russia)*: 44 t. Figure announced by Russia in 2007, not independently verified.
* “FOAB” (Russia): estimated or disputed figure; it does not come from a verifiable official data sheet and should be read as indicative.
Related comparisons
Compare any other pair in the explosive yield comparison, with its full method. More context: Military history · Weapons · All tools
Sources / References
- U.S. Department of Energy, Manhattan Project history (Hiroshima and Nagasaki).
- U.S. Air Force GBU-43/B MOAB fact sheet.
- U.S. Army ammunition technical manuals (M67, M107).
- Atomic Archive and Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists (nuclear tests).