'Mother of All Bombs' Designer Dies at 67

[Clara T]

'Mother of All Bombs' Designer Dies at 67

Monday December 26, 2005 3:17 AM
By DENISE KALETTE

Associated Press Writer

MIAMI (AP) - Albert L. Weimorts Jr., a civilian engineer for the Air Force whose designs included a satellite-guided weapon known as the ``mother of all bombs,'' has died, his son said. He was 67.

The Air Force Research Laboratory honored Weimorts after he retired in 2003 for his role in developing two powerful bombs as chief engineer for the lab's Munitions Directorate at Eglin Air Force Base.
One was the 5,000-pound GBU-28 ``Bunker Buster,'' created and deployed in a record-setting 28 days to target fortified bunkers during the first Gulf War.

The other was the 21,500-pound Massive Ordnance Air Blast, the largest satellite-guided, air-delivered weapon in history and nicknamed the ``mother of all bombs.'' It was developed for the second Iraq war, but never used.

``Time after time, Weimorts has put weapons in the warfighter's hands and has made a difference in the national defense of our country,'' the laboratory said in a 2004 statement.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,1280,-5503743,00.html

Always wondered what kind of mind concocted these wicked weapons. For all we know he could've have been congenial and rather ordinary. Then again he may have been a rather twisted man. Seems very Strangelovian.

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

1. And we don't know it was not used.

There is some disagreement on that point.

[Silverhair]

2. I have known a few weapons engineers.

Off the job, the are usually very ordinary. On the job, just professional. Few of them started as weapons engineers. They were engineers looking for jobs and were hired by the companies that did that kind of stuff and assigned to a weapons department instead of a consumer products department.

None of them cackled with an evil laugh like in the cartoons.

[bpilgrim]

3. "None of them cackled with an evil laugh like in the cartoons."

yeah, thats the terrifying part

peace

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

17. Stop it!

You're destroying a perfectly good stereotype.

[CrazyOrangeCat]

4. Some people don't seem to . . .

. . . have much of a conscience.

Weapons designers . . . wouldn't they have enough imagination, regarding the impact of these devices, that they would have very bad dreams??? The subconscious mind is normally very powerful. . .

[Erika]

6. The reality is that these weapons are used on civilians

No Iraqi citizen was ever a threat to us. But W bragged about our shock and awe capabilities.

[daleo]

5. I thought the Massive Ordnance Air Blast was used in Afghanistan

I don't know if I believe them about Iraq - its not like the Pentagon to hold back from trying out a nice new bomb.

[Up2Late]

7. The bombs they used in Afghanistan were the Vietnam-era "Daisy Cutter"

It was used in Vietnam to clear large areas of Jungle to make Helicopter Landing zones.

Similar weapon, but I don't think those were satellite guided.

<http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/dumb/blu-82.htm>


The 15,000 pound BLU-82B "Daisy Cutter"

I think they only made 2 of the MOAB, I have pictures of one, which I could upload.

[daleo]

16. Thanks, I thought there was a big bomb used in Afghanistan (or more)

I recall photos of the Florida test blast. Since the test was widely publicized, I guess it was meant to intimidate (i.e. terrorize) Iraqis in the run-up to the war.

[Up2Late]

8. Here's two pictures of the MOAB I took at the Air Force Armament Museum

at Eglin AFB in Florida (actually, they are video stills from my Sony D8 camera):


Note: Those are not Adults next to it, those are kids who are about 4' to 4 1/2' tall.


These are Adults, but as you see, they are blocking more of the bomb.

[phusion]

14. ugh

the parading/worship of bombs.

Repulsive. :(

[Up2Late]

15. Now that you mention it, it does remind me of the bombs and ICBM's

they used to parade though Red Square in the U.S.S.R./Cold War days.

[Hissyspit]

9. A WMD, it could be argued. Bomb was demonstrated in Florida in March 2003

just before the start of the second Iraq war. The "Massive Ordinance Air Blast. It also refers to the 'land beyond Jordan' as referred to in the history of Moab, Utah. The residents of Moab, Utah, fear the association of this bomb with their town (Reuters p.1).

The US Air Force ran a test dropping a 21,000 pound bomb in Florida on March 11th 2003, at the Eglin Air Force base. The production and testing of this latest and largest of the US arsenal constitutes a part of the Air Force Research Lab Technology Demonstration Project. The aim of the test it has been stated was to place fear into the minds of the Iraqi's." http://www.shianews.com/hi/articles/politics/0000362.php

An act of terrorism? It scared the shit out of much of the free world.

[Up2Late]

11. I forgot about that. Do you know if they ever issued a report...

...on how effective it was or that it was not worth going forward with it?

In a war theater they would call it a "battle damage assessment," I don't know what they call it when it's just being tested.

[apple_ridge]

10. Good riddance.

[NIGHT TRIPPER]

18. beat me to it! Weapons makers are Lowest of all Lowlife- Read Edgar Cayce-

Good riddance anytime another destroyer leaves this planet !

These guys take their creative talents and put it to use for the side of "evil".
Just like in the comics or the movies--Batman--Austin Powers--
These weapons designers are working for "Chaos" (the bad guys on Get Smart).

They know what they're doing and can walk away oif they want to
for example: A friend of mine got a masters after college in Laser Technology,
went to work on weapons/ Guidance Systems for Missiles, and other fun stuff
for Hughes Corporation in Redondo Beach,
--he had a fat salary, had a cool pad in Manhattan Beach, got to surf every day, etc.,
One day he made the realiztion that it was "WRONG",
walked away from it all moved back to New Orleans to become a Poet.

Let's praise those who walk away from the side of "EVIL" to work for the side of good-
Most of the time they take a huge loss financially but the planet is much better for it.

[pretzel4gore]

12. alfred nobel just invented dynamite!

and he spent rest of his days regretting and atoning for it...robert oppenheimer worked on the A bomb and later became an anti war activist ....yet this silly boor died in his boots on having never regretted anything, the 'banality of evil' should be his epitaph

[IndianaGreen]

13. Another mad scientist meets his Maker

The world is better off without people like Weimorts, who wasted his talents and intelligence in the business of people-killing rather than in the betterment of humanity.