Russia Claims New Bomb Rivals Nukes and Environmentally Friendly, Too!

Well, isn't that just nice, a green bomb:

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia has tested the world's most powerful vacuum bomb, which unleashes a destructive shockwave with the power of a nuclear blast, the military said on Tuesday, dubbing it the "father of all bombs".

--snip--

Such devices generally detonate in two stages. First a small blast disperses a main load of explosive material into a cloud, which then either spontaneously ignites in air or is set off by a second charge.

This explosion generates a pressure wave that reaches much further than that from a conventional explosive. The consumption of gases in the blast also generates a partial vacuum that can compound damage and injuries caused by the explosion itself.

"The main destruction is inflicted by an ultrasonic shockwave and an incredibly high temperature," the reports said. "All that is alive merely evaporates."

--snip--



Sounds like a Type of Fuel-Air Explosive to me.

Rukshin said: "At the same time, I want to stress that the action of this weapon does not contaminate the environment, in contrast to a nuclear one."

--snip--

This ought to tell you that our enemies still view the Left as udeful idiots who will aid them in their goals.


Tu-160

The Tu-160 supersonic bomber that dropped the bomb, widely known under its NATO nickname of "Blackjack", is the heaviest combat aircraft ever built.

Putin, who has overseen the roll-out of new tactical and anti-aircraft missiles and combat aircraft, has ordered "Blackjacks" and the Tu-95 "Bear" bombers to patrol around the world.

The report said the new bomb was much stronger than the U.S.-built Massive Ordnance Air Blast bomb -- MOAB, also known under its name "Mother of All Bombs". "So, Russian designers called the new weapon 'Father of All Bombs'," it said.

Showing the orange-painted U.S. prototype, the report said the Russian bomb was four times more powerful -- 44 metric tons of TNT equivalent -- and the temperature at the epicenter of its blast was two times higher.

Source: Reuters

44 metric tonnes translates into 48.4 tons, or 96,800 lbs for us Americans, and those Brits who haven't yet cowed tot he rising EU Empire.

The claim to rival a nuke is just hyperbolic beating on their chest, as the smallest of Atomic Demolition Munitions had a TNT equivalent of several hundred tons to a few kiltons.

I still think that Neutron Bombs are a better alternative, unless you're smoking out people and things buried deep underground.