NORINCO Shows Off Massive Conventional Bomb

Chinese defense firm NORINCO says it has developed its own version of the U.S. military's GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast (MOAB) conventional bomb, reports the Global Times. 

The state-owned defense firm successfully tested the new munition, which it showed off in a video released last month. 

The bomb was dropped from a H-6K bomber, resulting in a huge explosion, according to the video. 

The Chinese weapon appears to be smaller and lighter than the U.S. version, which allows the H-6K to carry a single bomb. The U.S. MOAB must be delivered by a cargo aircraft due to its size. 

Experts estimated that the comb is 16-20 feet (5-6 m) long. 

The weapon can be used to destroy fortified ground targets or clear landing zones, said analysts. NORINCO officials said the bomb was not thermobaric, without providing further details.