Thermobaric weapon
A thermobaric weapon, also called an aerosol bomb, or a vacuum bomb,[1] is a type of explosive munition that works by dispersing an aerosol cloud of gas, liquid or powdered explosive.[2][3] The fuel is usually a single compound, rather than a mixture of multiple molecules.[4] Many types of thermobaric weapons can be fitted to hand-held launchers,[5][6] and can also be launched from airplanes.
Terminology[edit]
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 (FAE).
Experimental setup
Cloud of flour is ignited
Fireball spreads rapidly
Fireball and superheated gases rise
Aftermath of explosion, with unburned flour on the ground
Development[edit]
German[edit]
The first attempts occurred during the First World War when incendiary shells (in German 'Brandgranate') used a slow but intense burning material, such as tar impregnated tissue and gunpowder dust. These shells burned for approximately 2 minutes after the shell exploded and spread the burning elements in every direction.[27] In World War II, the German Wehrmacht attempted to develop a vacuum bomb,[28] under the direction of the Austrian physicist Mario Zippermayr.[29]
History[edit]
Attempted prohibitions[edit]
Mexico, Switzerland and Sweden presented in 1980 a joint motion to the United Nations to prohibit the use of thermobaric weapons, to no avail.[54]
United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research categorizes these weapons as "enhanced blast weapons" and there was pressure to regulate these around 2010, again to no avail.[73]
International law[edit]
International law does not prohibit the use of thermobaric munitions, fuel-air explosive devices, or vacuum bombs against military targets.[113][28] As of March 2024, all past attempts to regulate or restrict thermobaric weapons have failed.[114][28]
According to some scholars, thermobaric weapons are not intrinsically indiscriminate by nature, as they are often engineered for precision targeting capabilities. This precision aspect serves to provide humanitarian advantages by potentially minimizing collateral damage and also lessens the amount of munitions needed to effectively engage with the chosen military goals. Nonetheless, authors holding this view recommend that the use of thermobaric weapons in populated areas should be minimized due to their wide-area impact and multiple harm mechanisms.[115]
