Vacuum bombs can completely vaporize a person!
What is a Vacuum Bomb?
A vacuum bomb (also known as an aerosol bomb or thermobaric weapon) is a type of bomb or projectile that creates extremely large explosions with very high lethality. This type of bomb is launched by missiles or artillery. Its name originates from the Greek word meaning heat and pressure.
While most conventional weapons use a mixture of fuel and oxidizers to create explosions, vacuum bombs consist of nearly 100% fuel and rely on oxygen in the air to detonate.
This type of vacuum bomb operates in two stages:
- Stage one releases a large cloud of combustible material, usually fuel or small metal particles like aluminum.
- Stage two ignites this material to create a large fireball and a shock wave.
The shock wave can last significantly longer than that of conventional explosives and has the potential to vaporize a human body, according to The Guardian.
A horrifying bomb explosion during the strategic exercises Caucasus 2016. (Photo: Sergei Savostyanov / TASS via Getty Images)
The effect is similar to that caused by accidental dust explosions in coal mines or flour mills, where flammable particles become so dispersed that, when ignited, they create a large explosion.
The materials used are often highly toxic and can be as dangerous as chemical weapons.
The effectiveness of a vacuum bomb depends on its target. Vacuum bombs are not considered effective against heavily armored targets.
Devastating Power
David Johnson, a retired U.S. Army colonel and senior researcher at the Rand Corporation (a U.S. non-profit global policy think tank), stated: “Vacuum bombs are terrifying weapons with tremendous destructive power.” Nbcnews reports.
Thermobaric weapons are also referred to as vacuum bombs because the explosion sucks all the oxygen surrounding the device. This process renders victims near the explosion unable to breathe and kills them by asphyxiation. In addition to suffocation, the pressure from the explosion can essentially crush a person to death and cause significant internal injuries to the body’s organs, such as ruptured lungs.
The impact of a vacuum bomb is much stronger and far more destructive than that of conventional bombs. The explosion of a vacuum bomb typically lasts longer and occurs at much higher temperatures. Therefore, vacuum bombs can devastate vast areas, destroy buildings, and even vaporize human bodies due to the extreme temperatures.
In a report from February 2000, Human Rights Watch cited a CIA study: “Those near the ignition point will be completely vaporized. Those at the edge of the explosion are likely to suffer many internal injuries (referred to as invisible injuries), including ruptured eardrums, crushed inner ear organs, lung contusions, and blindness,” DW reports.
Merciless Killer
Recently, with the emergence of precision-guided munitions, interest in volumetric explosions has been rekindled. Modern guided bombs can approach targets from desired angles and follow specific trajectories. If the fuel is sprayed by an intelligent system capable of adjusting the density and configuration of the fuel cloud in a certain direction and detonating at specific points, it can create bombs with unprecedented power.
In 1976, the United Nations passed a resolution labeling thermobaric weapons as “inhumane means of warfare that cause excessive suffering to humans.” However, this document is non-binding and does not directly prohibit the use of thermobaric bombs. This is why there are occasional reports of the use of “vacuum bombs” in the media. Although this does not involve the use of chemical weapons, the international community is calling for a ban on the use of thermobaric weapons in urban areas.
