How Much Does The U.S. 'Mother Of All Bombs' Really Costs

A Massive Ordnance Air Blast weapon, commonly known as the "Mother of All Bombs,” being prepared for testing at the Eglin Air Force Armament Center in 2003. DoD Photo

Business Insider: How much the US's 'mother of all bombs' really costs

The US's Massive Ordnance Air Blast bomb does not cost $314 million, or $16 million, but $170,000 a unit, the US Air Force told Business Insider on Friday.

The weapon, whose acronym inspired the nickname "Mother of All Bombs," was produced by the Air Force, not by a third party like Lockheed or Boeing, "so we don't have a standard procurement cost associated with them," an Air Force official said.

The $170,000 figure makes sense considering a general-purpose 1,000-pound MK-83 costs about $12,000. The MOAB simply features more high explosives and larger fins to direct the GPS-guided munition.

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WNU Editor: Still .... $170,000 for just a conventional bomb (albeit a big one) makes it a very expensive bomb.