The website Deagel.com describes the MOAB as follows: the GBU-43/B, also known as Massive Ordnance Air Blast (MOAB) or Mother Of All Bombs, is a 20,000-pound class bomb designed to hit large areas of enemy territory to achieve a terrifying psychological impact. It uses a GPS-based navigation system and a single blast-type warhead. The yield of this weapon is equivalent to 11-tons of TNT, obliterating an area of 200-250 meters radius.

The MOAB bomb was developed to be available for the Iraq campaign in 2003 (Operation Iraqi Freedom), but it was not deployed. It has been designed to be dropped by an MC-130 Combat Talon aircraft. The final developmental test was carried out on March 11, 2003. It was employed for the first time by the US Air Force to fight the Islamic State in Afghanistan on April 13, 2017.

When this weapon was used operationally in Afghanistan, video of the drop and explosion was all over the news. I kept thinking that somebody is going to release a kit of this beast before too long. That before too long has turned into now.

Our pals, Eduard in the Czech Republic, have come up with a 1/72nd scale model of the beast. Their 1/72nd scale MOAB kit contains eighteen resin parts and what looks to be an insane number (five sheets) of photo etch bits plus a small decal sheet. Most, if not all, of that brass is for the bomb cradle/transport platform that you can use to display this beast when finished.

[Note: Eduard has released a 1/48th scale version of this kit. This review, however pertains only to the 1/72nd scale MOAB. After a cursory glance at the 1/48th scale assemble instructions, that kit looks to be a scaled-up version and not at all dissimilar from the its smaller brethren.]

A quick gander at either set of assembly instructions will give you an idea of where all that brass goes should you decide to add this kit to your collection >> https://www.eduard.com/out/media/672160.pdf

If you are new to folding and assembling photo-etched brass or just don't like the stuff, you may want to steer clear of this kit. While not particularity tricky to assemble, you may spend more time cutting and sanding the parts than you do on actual assembly, or at least I did. It seems to me that this release, is a tad over-engineered and is a more complicated than I would have preferred. It should also be noted that I have zero experience engineering a model kit or any working knowledge of the intricacies of using and/or manufacturing photo-etched brass as a modeling medium.

Painting this beast is a snap, you either paint the bomb some shade of gray or go with the green and yellow version that is on display outside the Air Force Ordnance Museum. Operational weapons are gray. There are photos of an overall orange version so you could go with that if you wish. One might even put a shark mouth on this thing...just for grins. The transport/launch cradle is either silver or gunmetal gray.

This is pretty much an exact replica of the real thing so intricacies and detail are a must. Eduard's GBU-43/B MOAB will make a most interesting and satisfying addition to your collection once completed. One might even toy with the idea of a diorama featuring this kit with a MC-130H during loading, or launch.

My thanks to Eduard and IPMS/USA for the review copy. Bombs away!