What is thermobaric weapons

During the Cold War, the Soviet Union was the first country to create thermobaric weapons. The Soviet military sought to develop a weapon that could be used against caverns, subterranean bunkers, and other fortified locations that were impenetrable to conventional weaponry. They thus created the fuel-air explosive (FAE), a class of thermobaric weapon that discharges a cloud of flammable vapour into the air, which is then set ablaze by a spark or explosive charge. A large shockwave with a speed of up to 2,000 metres per second and a temperature of up to 2,000 degrees Celsius is produced by the ensuing explosion.

Thermobaric weapons are especially effective against people and objects in small places because to their design. The initial explosion produces a fireball that completely consumes the target, which is followed by a huge pressure wave that can cause buildings to collapse and kill everybody inside. Anyone who is not immediately killed by the explosion asphyxiates due to the explosion's consumption of the oxygen in the air. The absence of oxygen and the tight areas in underground bunkers and caves can magnify the impact of the blast, making thermobaric weapons extremely powerful against them.

Thermobaric weapons can be delivered by a variety of means, including aircraft, missiles, artillery, and hand-held launchers. Some variants of thermobaric weapons are even designed to be used in urban environments, where they can be used to clear buildings and other structures of enemy combatants. The use of thermobaric weapons in such environments, however, raises ethical concerns, as their effects on civilian populations and collateral damage can be substantial.

In summary, thermobaric weapons are a lethal class of munitions that are created to unleash a powerful shockwave, heat, and pressure that can seriously harm both human beings and material structures. They can penetrate underground bunkers and caves, target difficult-to-reach regions, and neutralise opposing troops thanks to their special design. Complex ethical and political questions have been raised by the creation and usage of thermobaric weapons, particularly in relation to their employment in urban settings and their effects on non-combatant populations. Notwithstanding these issues, thermobaric weapons are nevertheless a potent and efficient instrument in contemporary combat.