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A History of thermobaric weaponry
Since its introduction in World War II by the German army, which used six-barreled Nebelwerfer rocket launchers on the Eastern Front to vaporize their enemies and obstacles, nations such as the United States, Russia and now, reportedly, Israel have utilized the deadly capabilities of thermobaric munitions.
‘It just blows your lungs out of your mouth’: A history of thermobaric weaponry
Palestinian officials have recently accused Israel of using American-made thermobaric weaponry in Gaza.
www.militarytimes.com
How it works
Thermobaric weapons, often erroneously referred to as vacuum or aerosol bombs, work by initially dispersing an aerosol cloud of gas, liquid or finely powdered explosive, according to the Journal of Military and Veterans’ Health.This cloud then flows around objects and into the cavities and structures of buildings, bunkers and engine bays of armored vehicles before igniting. The subsequent plasma cloud is capable of reaching 6,332 degrees Fahrenheit, vaporizing anything in its path.
The overpressure from a thermobaric detonation contains a longer than normal blast time, roughly 1,000 pounds per square inch, then reflects back and forth, submitting the target to “multiple insults,” according to the journal. (For context, normal atmospheric pressure is 14.7 pounds per square inch.)
“It just blows your lungs out of your mouth. It kind of turns you inside out,” Edward Priest, a former Air Force Special Operations combat controller, told Scientific American in less scientific, but equally graphic terms.
