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Concept
Thermobaric weapon
Summary
A thermobaric weapon, also called an aerosol bomb, or a vacuum bomb, is a type of explosive that uses oxygen from the surrounding air to generate a high-temperature explosion. The fuel–air explosive is one of the best-known types of thermobaric weapons.
Thermobaric weapons are almost 100% fuel and as a result are significantly more energetic than conventional explosives of equal weight. The fuel is often elemental. Many types of thermobaric weapons can be fitted to hand-held launchers, and can also be launched from airplanes. The largest bomb in the Russian arsenal, nicknamed Father of All Bombs, is claimed to contain a charge of approximately seven tons of a liquid fuel that when detonated creates an explosion of 39.9 tons TNT equivalent.
The term thermobaric is derived from the Greek words for 'heat' and 'pressure': thermobarikos (θερμοβαρικός), from thermos (θερμός) 'hot' + baros (βάρος) 'weight, pressure' + suffix -ikos (-ικός) '-ic'.
Other terms used for the family of weapons are high-impulse thermobaric weapons, heat and pressure weapons, vacuum bombs, and fuel-air explosives.
File:Dust explosion 00.jpg|Experimental setup
File:Dust explosion 01.jpg|Finely-ground [[flour]] is dispersed
File:Dust explosion 02.jpg|Cloud of flour is ignited
File:Dust explosion 03.jpg|Fireball spreads rapidly
File:Dust explosion 04.jpg|Intense [[radiant heat]] has nothing to ignite here
File:Dust explosion 05.jpg|Fireball and superheated gases rise
File:Dust explosion 06.jpg|Aftermath of explosion, with unburned flour on the ground
Most conventional explosives consist of a fuel–oxidizer premix, but thermobaric weapons consist only of fuel and as a result are significantly more energetic than conventional explosives of equal weight. Their reliance on atmospheric oxygen makes them unsuitable for use under water, at high altitude, and in adverse weather. 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).
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