What is a thermobaric bomb? Fears Putin will use weapon which can destroy cities block-by-block

[flamingdem]

https://inews.co.uk/news/what-is-thermobaric-bomb-fears-putin-will-use-weapon-destroy-cities-kyiv-1485984

The so-called ‘vacuum bombs’ are capable of vapourising human bodies and reducing cities to rubble.

After a night of fighting in Kyiv, Ukrainian troops have so far managed to repel Russian troops from seizing the capital.

But Western officials have warned that if the Ukrainian military resistance continues to hold up the Russian assault, President Putin could resort to using thermobaric weapons.

But what is a thermobaric weapon and how dangerous is it?

What is a thermobaric weapon?

Dubbed the ‘father of all bombs’, a thermobaric weapon works by using oxygen from the surrounding air to generate a high-temperature explosion, making it far deadlier than a conventional weapon.

The so-called ‘vacuum bombs’ are capable of vapourising human bodies, crushing internal organs and reducing cities to rubble causing huge loss of life.
Who developed them?

Both the United States and the Soviet Union developed thermobaric weapons in the 1960s.

In September 2007, the largest thermobaric weapon ever made was detonated by Russia and created an explosion equivalent to 39.9 tons.

The US version reportedly costs over £11 million ($16 million) each.

In 2017, the US dropped one which weighed 21,600 pounds on the Taliban in Afghanistan. It left a crater more than 300 metres wide after it exploded six feet above the ground.

Is the West concerned Russia will resort to using them?

Western allies fear Russia could use thermobaric weapons against Ukrainian forces if they continue to hold up their advance.

They believe because Russian forces missed most of their day one objectives of the invasion, they could resort to indiscriminate firing to make up ground.

[dalton99a]

1. Mass slaughter.

[Dirty Socialist]

2. Biden should warn Putin

that use of even one of those bombs means WORLD WAR THREE

[relayerbob]

4. Um, we use them, too

[jimfields33]

10. Horrible advice. Plus we use them. How can we criticize others when we do it?

[Dirty Socialist]

11. That's true

Still, we should give them some sort of milder consequence

[relayerbob]

3. Thermobaric bombs don't have to be large

It’s a weapon that detonates, often with oxygen from the air and essentially sends the explosive out from the bomb, so that rather then simply exploding in the wheel, the shock wave continues to grow u til the fuel is expended. They are considered 50% or so more effective than conventional explosives. The explosive can be used in basically any size shell or bomb to increase their impact. Fuel-air explosives like the US “daisy cutters” are similar in nature, although they work somewhat differently.

As far as Russia using the giant ones … they could, but they are expensive, and hard to carry. Ukraine has already shot down two transports, and those bombs require a plane about the size to carry them. So unlikely they will risk losing the aircraft and the bomb, but you never know.

[Dial H For Hero]

6. Quite true. The man-portable RPG-7 can fire a thermobaric warhead.

[ProfessorGAC]

9. The Detonatable Substance in Them...

...actually doesn't require oxygen from the air.
It's the unusual organic compound that can burn at 100% concentration. The molecule itself has sufficient internal oxygen to burn 50% of the way with zero added air. (Ethylene oxide)
When dissipated into a much lower concentration in air, it takes up a huge volume which when detonated, burns at around mach 5 and creates a very rapid shock wave and massive volume of hot gasses (a few thousand kelvins). It can detonate at a concentration as low as 3%.
A few thousand pounds makes a HUGE cloud all of which can explode. The design has them exploding pretty close to the ground, so it's a crushing shockwave from above.
They're the second most devastating explosive device used in warfare.
I've done lab work with it & boy did we take precautions.

[Jedi Guy]

5. Not surprised. Thermobaric weapons are ideal for urban combat.

Traditional explosives (apart from bunker busters) don't reach all that far into hallways, tunnels, etc., apart from the possibility of collapsing them. Thermobarics, on the other hand, are nasty in a lot of ways. What makes them particularly useful for urban combat is that the fuel/air explosive mixture violently expands through all available space prior to ignition, so there's not really any place to hide. Then the post-explosion vacuum hits...

Putin has no conscience and couldn't give less of a shit about civilian casualties, so of course he's going to greenlight the use of thermobarics.

[uponit7771]

7. Yep, it aint going fast enough for Putler so its time to murder everything moving.

[C_U_L8R]

8. I'd hope mass killing civilians would incite a military response from every decent nation

Where's the line Putin cannot cross?