Manufacturer catalog

Air Force Research Laboratory and Dynetics

Air Force Research Laboratory and Dynetics identifies the U.S. development partnership credited for the GBU-43/B MOAB, pairing AFRL Munitions Directorate's rapid air-delivered munition work with Dynetics engineering support.

1 weapons

The Air Force Research Laboratory is the Department of the Air Force's primary science and technology organization. Its Munitions Directorate at Eglin Air Force Base develops air-delivered weapon technologies, including guidance, effects, autonomy, survivability, and affordability work for future Air Force and Space Force munitions.

For the GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast bomb, public sources describe a compressed development effort led by AFRL's Munitions Directorate with contractor participation from Dynetics. U.S. Air Force reporting says the late-2002 request moved quickly into prototype production, test activity, explosive fill, and delivery to the operational theater in 2003.

Dynetics was later acquired by Leidos and operates as a wholly owned Leidos subsidiary. The combined manufacturer name is therefore best understood as a program-specific AFRL-and-contractor attribution for MOAB, not as a standing joint venture across all AFRL or Dynetics weapons work.

air-delivered munitionsmunitions research and developmentrapid prototypingdefense engineering

Notable Systems

GBU-43/B MOAB, GPS/INS-guided massive ordnance air blast bomb, Munitions

GBU-43/B MOAB

GPS/INS-guided massive ordnance air blast bomb

Massive Ordnance Air Blast bomb developed rapidly by AFRL's Munitions Directorate, with Air & Space Forces Magazine listing AFRL and Dynetics as contractors.

Sources: Air & Space Forces Magazine GBU-43 MOAB, U.S. Air Force Mother of All Bombs feature, Air Force Armament Museum GBU-43/B MOAB

Manufacturer History

  1. AFRL officially launches

    The Air Force Research Laboratory officially launched in 1997, consolidating former Air Force laboratories and the Air Force Office of Scientific Research.

    Sources: U.S. Air Force AFRL fact sheet

  2. MOAB rapid-development request

    U.S. Air Force reporting says the MOAB request came during Thanksgiving 2002 and moved quickly to AFRL's Munitions Directorate for prototype production.

    Sources: U.S. Air Force Mother of All Bombs feature

  3. MOAB first flight

    Air & Space Forces Magazine lists March 11, 2003 as the GBU-43/B MOAB first flight date.

    Sources: Air & Space Forces Magazine GBU-43 MOAB

  4. Leidos completes Dynetics acquisition

    Leidos completed its acquisition of Dynetics, making Dynetics a wholly-owned subsidiary of Leidos.

    Sources: Leidos completes acquisition of Dynetics

Subsidiaries
Dynetics is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Leidos.
Website links
AFRL Munitions DirectorateAFRL fact sheetLeidos acquisition of Dynetics

Public sources tie AFRL Munitions Directorate and Dynetics together most clearly for the GBU-43/B MOAB. Broader AFRL, Leidos, or Dynetics programs should be attributed separately when sources do not identify the same AFRL-and-Dynetics partnership.

Manufacturer Sources

  • AFRL Munitions DirectoratePublisher: Air Force Research Laboratory | Note: Official AFRL Munitions Directorate page supporting its air-delivered munitions research and development focus. | Accessed: 2026-07-11
  • U.S. Air Force AFRL fact sheetPublisher: U.S. Air Force | Note: Official fact sheet supporting AFRL's mission, 1997 launch, Wright-Patterson headquarters, and Department of the Air Force research role. | Accessed: 2026-07-11
  • U.S. Air Force Mother of All Bombs featurePublisher: U.S. Air Force | Note: Official Air Force feature supporting AFRL Munitions Directorate's rapid in-house MOAB prototype, build, test, and inventory delivery context. | Accessed: 2026-07-11
  • Air & Space Forces Magazine GBU-43 MOABPublisher: Air & Space Forces Magazine | Note: Reference profile supporting the AFRL and Dynetics contractor listing, MOAB first flight, IOC, guidance, warhead, dimensions, and MC-130H integration. | Accessed: 2026-07-11
  • Leidos completes acquisition of DyneticsPublisher: Leidos | Note: Official Leidos release supporting Dynetics' acquisition, wholly-owned subsidiary status, Huntsville base, and national security solutions role. | Accessed: 2026-07-11
  • The 'Mother of All Bombs' photoPublisher: U.S. Air Force | Note: Image provenance for the GBU-43/B MOAB photograph; the Air Force photo page marks the image public domain and cleared for release. | Accessed: 2026-07-11
  • Air Force Armament Museum GBU-43/B MOABPublisher: Air Force Armament Museum Foundation | Note: Museum artifact page supporting the AFRL/Dynetics manufacturer listing, MOAB specifications, and 2003 development, test, and fielding timeline. | Accessed: 2026-07-11

Produced weapons

Category

Munitions

Standalone missiles, bombs, rockets, torpedoes, and guided or unguided explosive payloads.

1/1
GBU-43/B MOAB, GPS/INS-guided massive ordnance air blast bomb, Munitions2001 War in AfghanistanGBU-43/B MOABGPS/INS-guided massive ordnance air blast bombBuilt in: United StatesThe GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast, widely known as MOAB or the "Mother of All Bombs," is a very large U.S. GPS/INS-guided conventional bomb developed rapidly by the Air Force Research Laboratory with Dynetics support. It uses a BLU-120/B high-explosive body, tail and grid-fin control, and cargo-aircraft ramp deployment rather than fighter carriage. Its only documented combat use was the April 13, 2017 U.S. strike on an ISIS-K tunnel complex in Afghanistan, where commanders selected its blast effect to reduce obstacles facing Afghan and U.S. clearing forces.