Military And Intelligence News Briefs -- April 14, 2017

The military used a GBU-43 (pictured), which weighs a staggering 21,600 pounds, and has earned the moniker 'Mother Of All Bombs

Daily Mail: ISIS hammered as US drops biggest non-nuclear weapon ever: 21,000lb bomb is used in anger for the first time to obliterate jihadists' caves in Afghanistan

* U.S. dropped its largest non-nuclear weapon after targeting ISIS in Afghanistan
* The GBU-43 bomb weighs 21,600 pounds, is 30 feet long, contains 11 tons of explosives and carries a mile-wide blast radius
* It can create a blast crater more than 300 meters wide after being dropped from a Hercules MC-130 cargo plane
* Trump pledged in 2015 that if he became president he would 'bomb the s**t out of ' ISIS
* On Thursday he called the bombing 'another successful job' and said he had delegated strike authority to his military commanders
* Pentagon denies that it was revenge for the death on Saturday of a Green Beret soldier in the same region of Afghanistan

The United States dropped its largest non-nuclear weapon on Thursday after it targeted an ISIS network of caves and tunnels in eastern Afghanistan.

U.S. forces used a 30-foot long, GPS-guided GBU-43 bomb, at around 7.30pm local time in the Nangarhar Province.

The weapon weighs a staggering 21,600 pounds.

It is known as the 'Mother Of All Bombs' – a play on 'MOAB,' an acronym that stands for 'Massive Ordnance Air Burst.'

A crater left by the blast is believed to be more than 300 meters (1,000 feet) wide after it exploded six feet above the ground. Anyone at the blast site was vaporized.

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Military And Intelligence News Briefs -- April 14, 2017

U.S. unleashes 'mother of all bombs' for first time in Afghanistan -- Reuters

36 Isis militants killed in US 'mother of all bombs' attack, Afghan ministry says -- The Guardian

What you need to know about the 'Mother of All Bombs' -- Defense News

Why the US dropped the ‘mother of all bombs’ in Afghanistan -- Ellen Mitchell, The Hill

Japanese warships to join US fleet near North Korea as tensions rise -- The Guardian

North Korea's hidden submarine threat is another worry as regime warns it's 'ready' for war -- CNBC

Assessing North Korea’s Weapons Programs -- Will Edwards, Cipher Brief

Russian nuclear-capable bombers fly near Japan, US officials say -- FOX News

Russia developing 152 mm tank gun and small battlefield nuclear weapons -- Next Big Future

Show of strength: More than 1,100 NATO-led soldiers from the US, Britain and Romania bolster Poland's armed forces after Moscow stations nuclear-capable missiles nearby -- Daily Mail

Saudi military pledges to share ISIS, Iran, Syrian intelligence with US -- Washington Examiner

US Senators seek to limit arms sales to Saudis -- The Hill

From Afghanistan to Syria: Trump's major military operations in his first 100 days -- FOX News

Trump considers military push in Yemen war. US lawmakers push back -- Defense News

Trump: I'm giving the military 'total authorization' -- Military Times

U.S. boosting stockpile of deployed nuclear weapons -- WND

Navy Set To Expand Opposing Force Training Requirement; ATAC In Search of 140 4th Gen Fighters -- USNI News

US Navy requests proposals for new high power surface laser -- Defense Systems

Army Analyst: We Will Fight Russian & Chinese Tanks, Weapons -- Scout Warrior

US Army: New 30mm Stryker Gun Changes Infantry Combat -- Scout Warrior

The U.S. Army Is Repainting Its Tanks Green—Hint Hint -- War Is Boring

Lockheed says it can double F-16's service life, but will have to compete for opportunity -- Defense News

Lawmaker pushes to keep Patriot missile variant in Army inventory -- Defense News

U.S. Air Force Pilot Shortage – Creative Solutions for a Key Concern -- Richard McCool, RCD

This Could Be the Army's Next-Gen Helicopter -- Popular Mechanics

To Save Millions, Military Grounds Planes Worth Billions -- Roll Call

No Drug Epidemic Among SEALs, Command Says -- Military.com

Keep ahead of North Korea: Redesign US missile defense -- Richard Weitz, The Hill

CIA director calls WikiLeaks 'hostile intelligence service' -- AP

Trump used the phrase 'my military' — a former US defense secretary was not amused -- Business Insider

How to Make the Nuclear Button Safer -- Michael Krepon, NYT

Will Policymakers Ever Stop Underestimating the True Cost of War? -- John Grover, RCD

Worries deepen about Trump's military tilt -- Bryan Bender, Politico