FOAB
| "The Father of All Bombs" (FOAB) | |
|---|---|
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| Type | Thermobaric bomb |
| Place of origin | Russia |
| Service history | |
| Used by | Russian Air Force |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Russian military |
| Produced | 2007 |
| Specifications | |
| Weight | 7,100 kg (15,650 lb) |
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| Filling | High explosive and fine aluminium powder and ethylene oxide mix. |
| Blast yield | 44 tons TNT / 80,000 Ibs |
Aviation Thermobaric Bomb of Increased Power (ATBIP) Russian: Авиационная вакуумная бомба повышенной мощности (АВБПМ), nicknamed "Father of All Bombs" (FOAB) Russian: "Отец всех бомб" ("Овб"), is a Russian-designed, bomber-delivered thermobaric weapon.
The bomb is reportedly four times as powerful as the US military's GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast bomb (whose official military acronym "MOAB" is often unofficially rendered as "Mother of All Bombs"). This Russian device would therefore be the most powerful conventional (non-nuclear) weapon in the world. The veracity of Russia's claims concerning the weapon's size and power have been questioned by US defense analysts.
"FOAB" was successfully field-tested in the late evening of September 11, 2007. The new weapon is to replace several smaller types of nuclear bombs in its arsenal.
The thermobaric device yields the equivalent of 44 tons of TNT using about seven tons of a new type of high explosive. Because of this, the bomb's blast and pressure wave have a similar effect to a small tactical nuclear weapon, although on a smaller scale. The bomb works by detonating in mid-air. Most damage is inflicted by a supersonic shockwave and extremely high temperatures.Thermobaric weapons differ from conventional explosive weapons in that they generate a longer, more sustained blast wave with greater temperatures. In doing so, they produce more damage over a larger area than a conventional weapon of similar mass.
According to General Alexander Rushkin, the Russian deputy chief of staff, the new bomb is smaller than the MOAB but much deadlier because the temperature at the centre of the blast is twice as high. He says the bomb's capabilities are comparable to nuclear weapons, but unlike nuclear weaponry known for its radioactive fallout, use of the weapon does not damage or pollute the environment beyond the blast radius.
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Wikipedia