UK MoD takes
explosive new direction in urban warfare
Many in the UK
were surprised to learn recently that in August 2000 the UK Ministry of
Defence issued a requirement for a 'thermobaric weapon': a system
typically used to highly destructive effect in urban environments --
which thus prompted the question of why the UK armed forces would need
such a system. So what is the UK requirement, and what is a thermobaric
weapon anyway?
The weapon envisaged by the UK MoD is a new urban warfare system that
would be capable of destroying buildings and incapacitating their
occupants. The purpose of this new weapon would be to neutralise
snipers, command bunkers and other strongpoints. It would penetrate the
building through the structure; not just through an aperture.
The requirements states it should be lighter than 10kg and be capable of
shoulder-launch by a single infantryman -- even from an enclosed space,
thus having no blow-back. Its standard range would be 150 metres. The
requirement was issued by the Defence Procurement Agency's Dismounted
Close Combat project team for service in 2005.
The warhead developed would be fragmentation or thermobaric (heat,
blast). A thermobaric warhead is currently in early stages of
development at the Defence Evaluation Research Agency (DERA) in Fort
Halstead, Kent; the UK currently has no thermobaric weapons in active
service.
How does the thermobaric weapon work?
The thermobaric weapon works by propelling a warhead that scatters an
aerosol explosive on or before impact with the target and then
immediately igniting this to create a high-pressure blast wave. The
effect is a much more rapidly expanding blast than a conventional
explosion. Significant damage can be inflicted by the resulting heat and
shockwave on structures, including field fortifications, and lightly
armoured vehicles.
Compared with a fuel-air explosive, the thermobaric weapon has a much
higher expanding concussion effect and lacks the degree of vacuum
implosion produced by fuel air weapons. Primarily, this is because fuel
air weapons take time to distribute the aerosol explosive widely before
ignition.
So who has the technology?
Russia is currently the world leader in thermobaric weapons, and has
already used them in action, for example to clearing Mujahideen from
caves in Afghanistan and more recently Chechen guerrillas from buildings
in Grozny. The Russian RPG-7 thermobaric warhead, fired from a
manportable rocket-launcher, is said to produce effects comparable to
the detonation 2kg of TNT, while the effects of the Russian RPO-A Shmel
rocket-propelled incendiary/blast projectile are reportedly similar to
those produced by a 122mm howitzer projectile. Russian variants of this
latter weapon include one that combines a thermobaric warhead with a
small hollow charge, which is designed to penetrate structures prior to
detonation of the main warhead, thus considerably enhancing its effects.
The anti-personnel effects of these Russian weapons -- larger than the
one under development in the UK -- are devastating: any troops in the
target area are crushed to death, while those further away from the
blast site experience crushing injuries, concussions, numerous internal
injuries or even displacement of the eyes from their sockets.
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