The creation of alternative weapons, comparable in strength to nuclear bombs, is one of the most promising areas of defense departments in advanced countries. High risks of environmental catastrophe compel us to look for other principles of defeat, which at the same time carry a massive destructive effect. The ideas of thermobaric and vacuum weapons correspond to these parameters, since they do not imply the creation of radiation exposure. The first tests and even the use of volumetric bombs already took place in the middle of the last century, and today active work is underway to improve them. In recent years, Russian developers have made serious headway in this direction, which makes it possible to create an effective thermobaric weapon that is not inferior to its Western counterparts.
Volume explosion principle
To understand how the thermobaric bomb works, you can study in detail its composition and chemical reactions that occur at the time of activation. The result of the operation of these weapons was clearly “demonstrated” more than once at domestic enterprises when factories and plants with mines for coal mining, processing of sugar raw materials and even in ordinary carpentry shops exploded. In general, the explosion technique can be represented as the ignition of accumulated explosive dust, which floods the space. Moreover, a gas explosion in ordinary apartments can be put on a par with similar phenomena - this is how a thermobaric bomb works. Weapons of this type form an aerosol cloud, which subsequently produces a deadly effect.
Differences from Nuclear Weapons
Large-caliber ammunition to ensure the power of a vacuum bomb can be compared with nuclear ammunition for tactical purposes. However, thermobaric bombs do not leave a radiation field after the defeat. In addition, large volumes of explosive mixtures, which are used in vacuum bombs, provide a high degree of negative pressure half-wave. According to this indicator, nuclear weapons, the defeat of which is concentrated on the radiation effect, loses to thermobaric counterparts.
In addition to the shock wave, during the explosion of volumetric bombs, a high level of oxygen burnout is also noted. Such an explosion does not form a vacuum in the area of effect - this factor determines the ambiguous attitude of specialists towards the positioning of volume explosions as vacuum ones.
Power potential of vacuum bombs
By their strength, vacuum bombs are not inferior to advanced models and modifications of traditional weapons of mass destruction. The warheads in such complexes are capable of generating shock waves in which the overpressure index is of the order of 3000 kPa. If we talk about how the principle of a vacuum bomb differs from the action of thermobaric analogues, it is important to note the creation of a practically air-free environment after an explosion. Such a difference in pressure can break everything that is at the epicenter: structures, equipment, technical equipment, people, etc.
Explosive filling
In warheads used in thermobaric bombs, solid components are not used. They were replaced by gaseous substances, which provide a shock wave, which is several times larger than the explosion of a nuclear bomb equipped with ultra-small charges. The following substances are used as combustible fillings:
- varieties of combustible gases;
- hydrocarbon-based fuel evaporation products;
- other combustible substances, crushed to a state of fine dust.
In some cases, atmospheric air is also required to activate a warhead. Despite a number of advantages over nuclear bombs, this powerful weapon does not require the same serious investments and labor costs to obtain the optimal composition.
Detonation principle
An explosion is created after feeding into a gaseous filling of fire. At the same time, the component consumption is several times less than that required for blasting bombs of similar power. When the charge reaches the desired height, the finished mixture is sprayed. When the gas cloud reaches its optimum size, the detonator is activated. Then a volumetric explosion is realized, which also entails a shock wave. It is noteworthy that the second blow from the air flow exceeds the first one in terms of power - this happens after the vacuum has been formed.
Defeat factors
The amazing effect of the ammunition depends on the fireball formed during the explosion. When using a vacuum weapon, thermal exposure in an open area, as a rule, occurs directly in the attacked zone with a fatal outcome (burns) at a distance that is determined by the parameters of the fireball. In this regard, a nuclear bomb explosion is not so effective, as it provides for a less intense impact after implementation (of course, not to mention the effect of radiation). The area over which fatal injuries from a shock wave are inevitable usually exceeds the radius of thermal damage. Nevertheless, it is quite natural that the decrease in the impact force efficiency is proportional to the increase in the distance from the explosion epicenter. Pressure reduction also reduces lethal lesions.
Limited space application
The most effective vacuum bomb demonstrates in confined spaces. The force of action of the shock wave, supplemented by the defeat of the fireball, is able to overcome angles and pass where fragments cannot propagate. Personal protective equipment, various barriers and barricades, not to mention the walls, can act as an obstacle to traditional bombs, while thermobaric weapons bypass such barriers. Moreover, the force of action is enhanced when a wave is reflected from surfaces. Another thing is that the effect of the lesion may vary depending on various factors.
Thus, in a confined space, the destructive effect of a bomb increases due to the increasing pressure of the shock wave. Therefore, it is advisable to use such weapons when defeating bunkers, caves, fortifications and other enclosed objects.
Aviation Vacuum Bombs
The concept of vacuum warheads currently shows the highest results in the class of aircraft bombs. In such devices, the following design is assumed: the nasal region contains a high-tech sensor, which serves to activate and distribute the combustible mixture. The process of forming an explosive cloud begins immediately after the electromagnetic device is reset. The aerosol activated in this way goes into the state of a gas-air substance, which subsequently explodes after a set time.
Russian samples of thermobaric weapons
Today, the thermobaric arsenal of Russian troops (except for prototype bombs) includes the Bumblebee rocket thrower, TBG-7 grenades, the Kornet missile system, and RShG-1 rockets.
The Pinocchio flamethrower heavy system deserves special attention. This is a mixture of tank and multiple launch rocket launchers. The action is implemented according to the same principle of atomization and explosion of a combustible mixture, during which a shock wave is also formed. Although activation of an explosive filling in this complex is incomparable with the potential possessed by a thermobaric weapon with other combustible substances (3000 versus 9000 m / s), its quality and the result of the defeat justify this drawback. Compared to its counterparts, the flamethrower system operates with a large radius and fades out more slowly.
The Pinocchio filling includes liquid and light metal (a combination of propyl nitrate and magnesium powder). In the flight of the projectile, the substances are mixed to a uniform state, which ultimately ensures the creation of an air-gas mixture.
Nuclear weapon improvement
Despite the desire of the world community to take measures to control and reduce the total nuclear potential, the significance of these weapons is still relevant.
The directions of future development are mainly focused on the neural effects that affect living organisms. Experts are also exploring the possibilities of using gamma radiation, which eliminates the need for nuclear fission processes. For example, from a hafnium nucleus, a powerful bomb can turn out, which at the same time will have a miniature size. Such a high power potential is achieved due to the fact that at the time of the explosion the particles are in a high-energy state - for comparison, by combat power 1 gram of hafnium in an optimally charged state is equivalent to tens of kilograms of trinitrotoluene.
The family of modern nuclear weapons includes kinetic, x-ray and microwave laser systems. They also use nuclear pumping, expanding the methods and scope of the lesion.
Remedies
The development of nuclear capabilities in a number of countries, coupled with improved performance and increased damage to them, necessitates the creation of more advanced defense systems. This part of the work takes into account the principles by which new bombs are created, as well as the effects of destruction. For example, the application of neutron fluxes, the parameters of gamma and electromagnetic radiation are taken into account. The development of new means of detecting explosions, devices for measuring and monitoring the background radiation , methods of deactivation and prevention of neural radiation.
Along with this, work on improving the quality of collective and individual security means does not stop. This is especially true for protection against chemical weapons. Depending on the characteristics of the toxic substances , disinfection methods and subsequent processing of the area are developed in order to maintain environmental safety. High-tech lethal weapons pose more complex challenges. For example, there are problems in organizing measures to ensure the safety of industrial complexes from precision weapons. In this regard, the main emphasis is on disguising objects and minimizing the possibility of declassifying them.
Modern weapon
At the moment, there are different areas of military development to create fundamentally new approaches to hostilities. Among them are acoustic, beam, laser weapons, as well as other concepts of high-tech devices that can affect the human body, breaking concrete and metal barriers.
Among promising concepts can be noted accelerating lethal weapons, a feature of which is the special preparation of particles by acceleration, which will expand the scope of its application. This is one of the projects designed not only for use within the atmosphere, but also in outer space. Prototypes of such devices may be tested for commissioning in the coming years.
In one category with high-precision weapons, electromagnetic weapons are also worth mentioning. Their action is also aimed at eliminating specific objects, as a rule, the enemy’s energy complex. At the same time, they can also be used as weapons against humans, causing pain effects.
Conclusion
The last decades, nuclear weapons are perceived by mankind as the worst. This is true, and only careful control, coupled with deterrence measures, excludes even the theoretical possibility of a global catastrophe as a result of its application. In this regard, the thermobaric weapon, which can rightfully be considered the most powerful non-nuclear weapon of destruction, becomes a more real tool of force influence.
The concept of volumetric explosions is also used in small arms, and through effective action in confined spaces, it becomes an unrivaled assistant in special operations, the principles of which are used to build tactical actions in modern conflicts. Of course, new developments are not limited to this area - neural, laser, electromagnetic and ultrasonic weapon prototypes will undoubtedly change the idea of tactical actions on the battlefield in the coming years. In terms of technological military progress, Russia is not inferior to Western competitors, covering all advanced areas and developing defense mechanisms appropriate to the new time .