Table of Contents
Is napalm a thermobaric?
Napalm is not a thermobaric, however. It is a fuel-gel mixture that is dispersed through an explosive charge. That burning mixture sticks to anything it touches, causing massive damage.
How does thermobaric weapon work?
Thermobaric munitions are those munitions that, by design, produce more heat and overpressure than conventional explosives by exploding a vapour in the blast zone. Their main use initially was in airborne fuel-air explosive bombs.
Who invented the thermobaric bomb?
Nguyet Anh Duong
Nguyet Anh Duong (Dương Nguyệt Ánh; born 1960 in Saigon) is a Vietnamese American scientist responsible for the creation of the Thermobaric weapon. She is noted as the “Scientist who developed the bomb that ended the war with Afghanistan” by the Vietnamese American National Gala.
How do fuel-air bombs work?
The devices use a small charge to generate a cloud of explosive mixed with air. The main explosion is then detonated by a second charge (a fuel-air explosion), or by the explosive reacting spontaneously with air (a thermobaric explosion).
How powerful is a thermobaric bomb?
The thermobaric device yields the equivalent of 44 tons of TNT using about seven tons of a new type of high explosive. Because of this, the bomb’s blast and pressure wave have a similar effect to a small tactical nuclear weapon. The bomb works by detonating in mid-air.
What’s the most powerful explosive?
HMX is the most powerful high explosive produced in industrial quantities today. It is a relatively insensitive, temperature-stable and safe-to-handle high explosive that makes it useful in a variety of applications both in military and civilian end products.
How much does a MOAB cost?
One MOAB costs about $170,000, an Air Force representative said Friday. The Air Force has not confirmed the development costs associated with the larger weapons system. For comparison, aircraft from the USS Harry S.
How big is a MOAB blast radius?
In comparison, the MOAB produces the equivalent of 11 tons of TNT from 8 tons of high explosive….Claims.
| Indicator | MОАВ | FОАВ |
|---|---|---|
| Diameter | 1030 mm | 7 – 930+ mm |
| TNT equivalent: | 11 tons (22,000 lb) | ≈44 tons (≈88,000 lb) |
| Blast radius: | 150 meters (492 ft) | 300 meters (984 ft) |
Are cluster munitions banned?
The international treaty comprehensively bans cluster munitions and requires member countries to clear areas contaminated by cluster munition remnants within 10 years, destroy their cluster munition stocks within eight years, and provide assistance for victims. Cluster munitions are prohibited for two main reasons.
Why don’t we use thermobaric weapons?
Because our investigations into thermobaric weapons is that they are cruel and unnecessary. DARPA and the DIA (Defense Intelligence Agency, not a typo) did a lot of research into the possibility, but what was discovered is that while the bang was bigger, the weapon itself is… problematic.
What is the difference between thermobaric and conventional explosives?
Most conventional explosives consist of a fuel-oxidizer premix ( gunpowder, for example, contains 25\% fuel and 75\% oxidizer), whereas thermobaric weapons are almost 100\% fuel, so thermobaric weapons are significantly more energetic than conventional condensed explosives of equal weight.
How effective are thermobaric weapons in reducing blast injuries?
Survival rates above 90 percent have now become the standard of measure and expectation for the military health system. In contrast, thermobaric weapons in high-intensity conflict dramatically change the quantity and severity of blast injuries, and do so in an environment in which maneuver is much more difficult, and treatment is much farther away.
Did the US use thermobaric bombs in Afghanistan?
The US military also used thermobaric weapons in Afghanistan. On 3 March 2002, a single 2,000 lb (910 kg) laser guided thermobaric bomb was used by the United States Air Force against cave complexes in which Al-Qaeda and Taliban fighters had taken refuge in the Gardez region of Afghanistan.