The Soviet Union is believed to have used a thermobaric weapon against China during the Sino-Soviet conflict of 1969, and in Afghanistan as part of its takeover of that country in 1979. 2023 BBC. LinkedIn. [59] Research continues on thermobaric weapons capable of reaching 2,500 degrees. Four years later, Russia developed a similar device, the Father of all bombs". [55], Israel was alleged to possess the technology as early as 1990. FAEs such as first-generation CBU-55 fuel-air weapons saw extensive use in the Vietnam War. The TOS-1A uses thermobaric rockets, creating incendiary and blast effects. Russia used them in its war in Chechnya in 1999 and was condemned by Human Rights Watch for doing so. It is a huge weapon - a 30ft (9m), 21,600lb (9,800kg), GPS-guided munition that is dropped from the cargo doors of an MC-130 transport plane and detonates shortly before it hits the ground. Troops within the immediate blast radius are subjected to temperatures double that of conventional munitions, leading to severe burns of any exposed tissue. The GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast (MOAB / m o b /, colloquially intended as the snowclone "Mother of all bombs") is a large-yield bomb, developed for the United States military by Albert L. Weimorts, Jr. of the Air Force Research Laboratory. Putin accused of using devastating 'vacuum bomb' in Ukraine", "Libye l'Otan utilise une bombe FAE | Politique, Algrie", "Thermobaric and enhanced blast explosives (TBX and EBX)", A 'Crushing' Victory: Fuel-Air Explosives and Grozny 2000, "Ukraine conflict: What is a vacuum or thermobaric bomb? [11] The typical blast wave of a thermobaric weapon lasts significantly longer than that of a conventional explosive. The pressure generated by a TOS-1 blast amounts to 427 pounds per square-inchfor comparison, most conventional bomb blasts create roughly half that amount, and regular air pressure is fourteen pounds per square inch. In a tweet, the MoD said that Russia had confirmed the use of the TOS-1A weapon system in Ukraine. This lethal non-nuclear bomb explodes mid-air . The vacuum bomb is . The Mother of All Bombs- Massive Ordinance Air Blast (MOAB) is different.It's a thermobaric . In 2003, the US tested a 9,800kg bomb, nicknamed the "Mother of all bombs". The destructive weapon is dropped from a jet and detonates . Intense radiant heat has nothing to ignite here, Aftermath of explosion, with unburned flour on the ground, Most conventional explosives consist of a fueloxidizer premix, but thermobaric weapons consist only of fuel and as a result are significantly more energetic than conventional explosives of equal weight. The KAB-500-OD variant of the KAB-500KR has a 250kg (550lb) thermobaric warhead. Image source, Getty Images. [87][88] On 28 February 2022, Ukraine's ambassador to the United States accused Russia of deploying a thermobaric bomb. People near the center of a TOS-1 blast radius are crushed to death. Also, anyone caught in the blast radius of a vacuum bomb will be severely injured. A new report from Human Rights Watch makes it clear the Russian invasion of Ukraine is illegal. The bomb's thin aluminium casing was designed specifically to maximise the blast radius. It's rumoured to produce a blast equivalent to 44 tons of TNT over a 300-metre area. Cat-and-mouse chase with China in hotly contested sea, Explore in 3D: The dazzling crown that makes a king. A thermobaric bomb (also called a vacuum or aerosol bomb - or fuel air explosive) consists of a fuel container with two separate explosive charges. Thermobaric weapons only double the volume or increase the lethal blast radius by 1/3 compared to an equal weight of HE, and they do it at the expense of . Russia has systems right across the spectrum from quite small tactical weapons, to huge, air-launched bombs. [43] The RMG is a further derivative of the RPG-26 that uses a tandem-charge warhead, with the precursor high-explosive anti-tank (HEAT) warhead blasting an opening for the main thermobaric charge to enter and detonate inside. [58], China is reported to have other thermobaric weapons, including bombs, grenades and rockets. They are, however, considerably more effective when used in enclosed spaces such as tunnels, buildings, and non-hermetically sealed field fortifications (foxholes, covered slit trenches, bunkers).[9][10]. Most populous nation: Should India rejoice or panic? Lester W. Grau and Timothy L. Thomas (Marine Corps Gazette, April 2000) ", Armament Research and Development Establishment, Azerbaijan International Defense Exhibition, United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research, Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons, "What are thermobaric weapons and how do they work? 'Bunker Buster' even bigger than MOAB. The RPO-A and either the TGB-7V thermobaric rocket from the RPG-7 or rockets from either the RShG-1 or the RShG-2 is claimed to have been used by the Spetsnaz during the initial storming of the school. The bomb that Russia has is a thermobaric bomb. FOAB is also known as the 'Monster Bomb'. [94] Others contend that in 2012 the Syrian government used an ODAB-500 PM bomb in Azaz. These weapons have been employed in conflicts around the world, particularly over the course of Russias military intervention into the Syrian Civil War. Putin is not the only one to have made threats like this. The overpressure and heat causes damage to enemy fortified structures like bunkers and buildings and for soft targets like enemy personnel and light armoured vehicles. It's called the GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast, nicknamed the Mother of All Bombs, and it is the largest non-nuclear bomb currently in the U.S. Air Force's arsenal. Detonation of the last BLU-82. The MOAB must be distinguished from the class of volumetric weapons, such as thermobaric weapons and fuel-air explosive weapons that have been used against fighters within cave complexes in Afghanistan. The bomb is designed to damage underground facilities and tunnels. Father Of All Bombs can cause damage in a radius of 300 meters. 2023 BBC. (1973). ", http://www.iae.cta.br/Arquivos/Relatorio_de_atividades_2011.pdf%7Ctitle=Relatorio, "MoD admits use of controversial 'enhanced blast' weapons in Afghanistan", "UK Troops Using Deadly 'Thermobaric' Weapons In Syrian Civil War: Report", "MoD accidentally reveals British drones firing thermobaric missiles in Syria", "120 mm Thermobaric (TB) Ammunition For MBT Arjun | Defence Research and Development Organisation DRDO, Ministry of Defence, Government of India", "120 mm Penetration Cum Blast (PCB) and Thermobaric (TB) Ammunition For MBT Arjun | Defence Research and Development Organisation - DRDO, Ministry of Defence, Government of India", "Fire-power of DRDO's Arjun Tank takes quantum jump with new ammunition: MoD", "Ukraine developed a new thermobaric weapon", "Protecting Civilians from the Effects of Explosive Weapons An Analysis of International Legal and Policy Standards", CBU-72 / BLU-73/B Fuel/Air Explosive (FAE) - Dumb Bombs, "US Uses Bunker-Busting 'Thermobaric' Bomb for First Time", "BLU-118/B Thermobaric Weapon Demonstration / Hard Target Defeat Program", "Fact Sheet: Russia's Use of Thermobaric Weapons in Ukraine", "This Russian Tank-Mounted Rocket Launcher Can Incinerate 8 City Blocks", "Foreign Military Studies Office Publications A 'Crushing' Victory: Fuel-Air Explosives and Grozny 2000", "Russian forces faulted in Beslan school tragedy", Russia: Independent Beslan Investigation Sparks Controversy, Searching for Traces of "Shmel" in Beslan School, A Reversal Over Beslan Only Fuels Speculation, "Russian army deploys its TOS-1 heavy flamethrower capable of vaporizing human bodies near Ukrainian border, footage shows", "Oil depot burns after artillery shelling in Okhtyrka, Sumy Oblast", "Ukraine envoy to U.S. says Russia used a vacuum bomb in its invasion", "Syria rebels say Assad using 'mass-killing weapons' in Aleppo", "Dropping Thermobaric Bombs on Residential Areas in Syria_ Nov. 5. Leonid Faerberg / SOPA Images / LightRocket via Getty Images. Its primary fireball blast radius is 300 meters, while that of the MOAB . Mark Episkopos is a national security reporter for theNational Interest. Its clear that the Ukrainians are hunkering down in some of the cities as that continues the Russians are going to resort more and more to using whatever weapons they have including thermobaric weapons in built-up urban areas., Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning, 2023 Guardian News & Media Limited or its affiliated companies. As the name implies, the shells, when they hit a target, produce blast overpressure and heat energy for hundreds of milliseconds. These devastating devices, which create an oxygen-eating fireball followed by a deadly shockwave, are far more powerful than most other conventional weapons. The first-stage charge distributes an aerosol made up of very fine material - from a carbon . In 1998 India tested a "thermonuclear device . In the 1980s, the Soviet Union developed TOS-1A MLRS capable of firing thermobaric warheads to attack fortified positions and destroy armored vehicles. Its principal effect is a massive blast wave - said to stretch for a mile in every direction - created by 18,000lb of TNT. Crude versions of thermobaric weapons were developed by Germany during World War Two. First, in 2001 to try to destroy al-Qaeda forces hiding in the caves of the Tora Bora mountains, and in 2017, against Islamic State forces. FOAB's blast radius is said to be 300 metres, twice that of the BLU-82. In addition to being thoroughly represented throughout Russias ground forces and air-launched arsenal, many of these systems have seen markedexport successin past years. If the fuel deflagrates but does not detonate, victims will be severely burned and will probably also inhale the burning fuel. [28] A thermobaric bomb uses some type of arousal that turns the oxygen in the air surrounding the impact as fuel for a massive fiery explosion. Even the British and French resort to nuclear pressure, and former US president Donald Trump, when threatening North Korea, used similar language. The US holds around 5,500 nuclear weapons of its own, and its nuclear policy promises nuclear devastation to opponents. The thermobaric weapon, also known as an aerosol bomb or fuel air explosive, is a two-stage munition. The TOS-1A uses thermobaric rockets, creating incendiary and blast effects." Peter Lee of the University of Portsmouth explained precisely how these bombs work in 2016 in the aftermath of Russia . The 1980 Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (commonly called the Inhumane Weapons Convention) addresses incendiary weapons, but states have managed to avoid an explicit ban on thermobaric bombs. Its blast radius is 1 mile and yield is equivalent to 11 tons, or 22,000 lbs, of TNT. [40], The RPO-A and upgraded RPO-M are infantry-portable rocket propelled grenades (RPGs), designed to fire thermobaric rockets. These shells burned for approximately 2 minutes after the shell exploded and spread the burning elements in every direction. Thermobaric weapons are generally deployed as rockets or bombs, and they work by releasing fuel and explosive charges. Russia has around 6,000 nuclear weapons and an escalation of conflict could result in their use either deliberately or inadvertently during the fog of war. [86], During the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, CNN reported that Russian forces were moving thermobaric weapons into Ukraine. It was first tested in 2003. Does that matter? The bomb works by detonating in mid-air.Most damage is inflicted by a supersonic shockwave and extremely high temperatures. Russia's big-bomb thermobaric leap came in 2007, when it unveiled its Father of All Bombs (FOAB), a true thermobaric munition, (unlike the BLU-82), claimed to be four times more powerful than the MOAB. Defense Intelligence Agency, "Future Threat to the Soldier System, Volume I; Dismounted Soldier Middle East Threat", September 1993, p. 73. The thermobaric weapon, also known as an aerosol bomb or fuel air explosive, is a two-stage munition. Copyright 2023 Center for the National Interest All Rights Reserved. Different fuels can be used, including toxic powdered metals and organic matter containing oxidant. Aerial bombs, even if aimed at military objectives, pose a grave threat to civilians because of their wide blast radius. Because of the wide area of the ignited particles, the blast sucks in oxygen from the . Different fuels can be used, including toxic powdered metals and organic . [99], Thermobaric and fuelair explosives have been used in guerrilla warfare since the 1983 Beirut barracks bombing in Lebanon, which used a gas-enhanced explosive mechanism that was probably propane, butane, or acetylene. No. They have come to be known under many names - enhanced blast weapons, vacuum bombs, or even a 'poor man's nuclear weapon', because of the dramatic impact that they can have upon combatants, especially those in confined spaces. . The TOS-1A uses thermobaric rockets, creating incendiary and blast effects. In September 2007, Russia exploded the largest thermobaric weapon ever made, and claimed that its yield was equivalent to that of a nuclear weapon. shown thermobaric rocket launchers on Russias TOS-1 vehicles. It is believed the weapon - often called a vacuum bomb - was used in the Chernihiv region, 80 miles north of Kyiv. [25] A Human Rights Watch report of 1 February 2000[26] quotes a study made by the US Defense Intelligence Agency: The [blast] kill mechanism against living targets is uniqueand unpleasant. The GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast Bomb (MOAB) - or, in military speak, Mother of All Bombs - was launched on Thursday. It is reported that Bashar Al-Assad's regime used a vacuum bomb in the strike. The British defense ministry said in March 2022 that the weapon system causes "incendiary and blast effects" due to the oxygen required to create the explosion. The goal of the programme was to develop a thermobaric bomb, the BEAC (Bomba Explosiva de Aire-Combustible). And why should they be banned? An improved version called the PF-97A was introduced in 2008. The MOAB falls from the aircraft on a pallet, which is then tugged aside by a parachute allowing the weapon to glide down, stabilised and directed by four grid-like fins. Russia has not signed (nor has the US, China or India), but until now it has largely respected the conventions provisions. The target was said to be a network of tunnels operated by the so-called Islamic State in Achin district. It draws on the Geneva Conventions to define the illegitimacy of Moscows actions, including its use or potential use of particular weapons. The U.S. version of the weapon reportedly costs over $16 . [36], FAEs were reportedly used against China in the 1969 Sino-Soviet border conflict. Most conventional explosives consist . [34] The AGM-114N Hellfire II,[35] uses a Metal Augmented Charge (MAC) warhead, which contains a thermobaric explosive fill that uses aluminum powder coated or mixed with PTFE layered between the charge casing and a PBXN-112 explosive mixture. The grenade weighed 250g (8.8oz) and contained 160g (5.6oz) of explosive, its lethality radius is 3m (9.8ft), but due to the deliberate "fragmentation-free" design of the grenade, a distance of 4m (13ft) is considered safe. Edward Teller, Stanislaw M. Ulam, and other American scientists developed the first hydrogen bomb, which was tested at Enewetak atoll on November 1, 1952. . British military sources warn it could kill tens of thousands of . Capable of firing a barrage of thermobaric 'flamethrower' rockets, the weapon can wipe out everything within a 300-yard radius. The RPO-M, for instance, has a thermobaric warhead with a TNT equivalence of 5.5kg (12lb) and destructive capabilities similar to a 152mm (6in) high-explosive fragmentation artillery shell. These can be combined with the RPO-16 grenade launcher, a demonstration of which was witnessed by Oleksandr Turchynov. This creates a high-temperature fireball and a massive shockwave that literally sucks the air out of any living being in the vicinity. [4] The fuel is often elemental. The photo shows the explosion and the beginning blast of the father of all bombs. It is probable that this . The bomb's thin aluminium casing was designed specifically to maximise the blast radius. The KAB-1500S GLONASS/GPS guided 1,500kg (3,300lb) bomb also has a thermobaric variant. Oksana Markarova, Ukraines ambassador to the United States, said Monday that the Russian military had used a vacuum bomb, which sucks oxygen from the air to trigger a huge explosion. For years, America's MOABs have lain dormant: the high potential for collateral had kept the weapon out of action, with smaller and more precise JDAMs and Hellfire . The U.K. MoD also shared a video with pre-existing footage of . [36], Following FAEs developed by the United States for use in the Vietnam War,[31] Soviet Union scientists quickly developed their own FAE weapons. a double whammy of hybrid enhanced blast explosive and high-density reactive material. [54], Iraq was alleged to possess the technology as early as 1990. Russia's most infamous thermobaric weapon has been dubbed "Father of All Bombs" (FOAB). When deployed, thermobaric ordnance is a devastating weapon as it employs oxygen from the surrounding air to generate a high-temperature explosion. A significant part of the effect of weapons like the MOAB is said to be psychological - to instil terror by the massive force of the blast. A senior defense official who spoke on the condition of anonymity confirmed that the U.S. assessed that Russia had deployed launcher systems that could be used for thermobaric weapons, but could not confirm whether the warheads were present. The weapon dates back to World War 2 and were also deployed in Afghanistan, Iraq and even Vietnam. The Russian military operates one of the worlds largest and most diverse arsenals of thermobaric explosivesbut just how much of a threat are these weapons, and how has the Kremlin used them in the past? After the explosion of the main charge ScienceDirect of a thermobaric/enhanced blast explosive (TBX/EBX) occurs, the post-detonation reaction (namely, burning of Al, etc.) . Moscow also used them in Chechnya, and has reportedly provided them to separatist rebels in eastern Ukraine. The weapons are sometimes nicknamed bunker busters because they can effectively demolish defensive barriers. Has Russia used thermobaric weapons in Ukraine? ", 10.1002/1521-4087(200211)27:5<300::AID-PREP300>3.0.CO;2-#, High explosive disseminator for a high explosive air bomb, Compatibility Of Thermobaric Mixtures Based On Isopropyl Nitrate And Metal Powders, Fundamental and Applied Studies of Fuel-Air Detonation, Advanced Thermobaric Explosive Compositions, New Thermobaric Materials and Weapon Concepts, "Backgrounder on Russian Fuel Air Explosives ("Vacuum Bombs") | Human Rights Watch", "Main Types of Artillery Ammunition in 1914-1918", "What are thermobaric weapons? Using explosive weapons in populated areas would result in indiscriminate and disproportionate attacks. Associate Professor of International Relations, The University of Queensland. However, much earlier, in September 2007, Russia launched the world's largest thermobaric weapon, resulting in a 39.9-ton explosion.
