In the war in Ukraine, so-called thermobaric weapons are also being used. How do they work and what damage do they cause?

Colonel Jürgen Schlechter is the head of the Bundesheeres ABC Defense Center, which deals with nuclear, biological, and chemical threats. He explains what these weapon systems are all about.

The Bundesheer Expert Says:

What is a thermobaric weapon?

A thermobaric weapon - also called a vacuum bomb or aerosol bomb - is a weapon that works in two steps: first, with an explosion, fuel (usually a harmful substance such as ethylene oxide, propylene oxide, or decane) is distributed in the air. Then the resulting aerosol cloud (a cloud of tiny droplets) is ignited. Such weapons were developed in the 1960s and their use is prohibited near civilian infrastructure or even against civilians according to the 1980 Geneva Convention on incendiary weapons.

How do thermobaric weapons work?

After igniting the aerosol cloud, a pressure wave with a diameter of up to 50 meters is created. The fuel can penetrate indoor spaces (buildings, basements, bunkers), which makes these weapons effective against fortified targets. The pressure effect lasts much longer than conventional explosives, and the resulting heat is significantly greater. This makes this bomb more effective against humans or for the destruction of vehicles. Immediately after the pressure wave, a vacuum effect occurs because the explosion of the air also deprives the oxygen of the fuel to burn beyond the pressure area. The resulting vacuum destroys buildings and also leads to severe lung injuries similar to suffocation, eardrum damage, and injuries to internal organs for people who have sought shelter in buildings. 

The vacuum created by the explosion sucks in the air backward into the building's underground passages - along with the fire cloud of burning liquid. People who have survived the first pressure wave and are gasping for air in the vacuum are literally breathing in the fire. The thermobaric weapon kills almost for the second time.

The pressure effect over a large area also led to the development of systems designed to clear mines with this effect.

Have thermobaric weapons been used before and how do you protect yourself from them?

In 2007, a seven-ton thermobaric bomb called the "Father of All Bombs" was tested in Russia, with an explosive power equivalent to 44 tons of TNT and would thus be the most powerful conventional bomb in the world. It would surpass even the explosive power of the smallest atomic bombs. The Russian rocket launcher system TOS-1 for thermobaric warheads, developed in the 1980s, has already been used in the Soviet-Afghan war, the Second Chechen War, the Battle of Mosul 2016/2017 against IS positions, and in the Syrian Civil War in Latakia. The first use of aerosol bombs by Russia was reported by the Ukrainian side on March 1, 2022.

Protection against the effects of these weapons is scarce and possible only in robust, airtight shelters.

BUNDESHEER on the Internet

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– UKRAINE: 3 QUESTIONS – 3 ANSWERS, PART 14: PANZERKAMPF?

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