initiated by bhukku on September 18, 2007 (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6990815.stm)
How powerful is bomb dubbed as the “father of all bombs”?
Russia tested the world’s most powerful non-nuclear bomb — an air-delivered thermobaric bomb to use the technical jargon — last Tuesday. The Russian designers dubbed it as the “father of all bombs” because it is four times more powerful than the US-built Massive Ordnance Air Blast bomb (MOAB more
How powerful is bomb dubbed as the “father of all bombs”?
Russia tested the world’s most powerful non-nuclear bomb — an air-delivered thermobaric bomb to use the technical jargon — last Tuesday. The Russian designers dubbed it as the “father of all bombs” because it is four times more powerful than the US-built Massive Ordnance Air Blast bomb (MOAB), which is also known as the “mother of all bombs”. The Russian bomb is smaller than MOAB in size, but it yields the equivalent of 44 tonnes of TNT. In comparison, the MOAB produces the equivalent of 11 tonnes of TNT. Its blast radius of 300 m is twice as large as that of MOAB.
Is it comparable to nuclear bombs?
Although its effect has often been compared to that of a nuclear weapon, it amounts to only about 0.3% of the power of the atom bomb used against Hiroshima. The Hiroshima blast was equivalent to 13,000 tonnes of TNT. Tsar Bomba, which is the most powerful explosive device ever deployed, was equivalent to 50,000,000 tonnes of TNT. The M-388 Davy Crockett, one of the smallest nuclear devices ever deployed, has a much lower yield, which is equivalent to 20 tonnes of TNT.
Which bomb is called ‘mother of all bombs’?
The US Massive Ordnance Air Blast bomb was nicknamed the ‘Mother of all Bombs’, also MOAB. It is a large-yield satellite-guided, air-delivered device, which previously enjoyed the honour of being the most powerful non-nuclear weapon. Its basic design is similar to that of the BLU-82 Daisy cutter, which was used in the Vietnam War and in Afghanistan, mostly for clearing rocky or heavily wooded areas. Although it has never been used, the US military says the MOAB is capable of destroying nine city blocks in one strike. The largest conventional bomb dropped in action remains the 9.98 tonnes British bomb, Grand Slam. The Grand Slam was first used in 1945, and proved devastating against German bridges, viaducts and hardened submarine pens.
What is a vacuum or thermobaric bomb?
Unlike traditional bombs, which are focused on achieving maximum fragmentation and penetration, thermobaric bombs relies more on utilising heat and pressure effects. Such a bomb detonates in two stages — in the first stage, a small part of the energy is released.
The main explosive materials are then dispersed in air and they form a cloud-like structure. The explosive either ignites spontaneously, or after a second explosion. This explosion generates a pressure wave that has a greater reach than a conventional explosive, because most of the energy of a conventional bomb is used in providing the necessary acceleration to the fragments.
An ultrasonic shockwave and an incredibly high temperature cause most of the destruction in the case of a thermobaric bomb. The consumption of gases in the blast also generates a partial vacuum that can compound damage and injuries caused by the explosion itself. The weapon creates a huge pressure wave, which effectively sucks the air out of the lungs of anyone within range.
