Russia Tests New Nanotech Vacuum Bomb On 11 September - Symbolic Statement

[Provolution]

Russia says builds most powerful vacuum bomb


MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia said on Tuesday it had tested the world's most powerful vacuum bomb.

"Test results of the new airborne weapon have shown that its efficiency and power is commensurate with a nuclear weapon," Alexander Rukshin, deputy head of Russia's armed force chief of staff, told Russia's ORT First Channel television.

"You will now see it in action, the bomb which has no match in the world is being tested at a military site," the report said. It showed a Tupolev Tu-160 strategic bomber dropping the bomb over a testing ground. A large explosion followed.

A vacuum bomb, or fuel-air explosive, causes widespread devastation. A typical bomb of that type is dropped or fired, the first explosive charge bursts open the container at a predetermined height and disperses the fuel in a cloud that mixes with oxygen. A second charge ignites the cloud, which can engulf objects or buildings.

"At the same time, I want to stress that the action of this weapon does not contaminate the environment, in contrast to a nuclear one."

http://www.canada.com/topics/news/world/story.html?id=4d3df441-8852-4e67-b8af-bae3ac051aa6&k=20384

 

[Samuelson]

In what way is it a symbollic statement? It's been six years.

 

[Provolution]

I think they picked the test day on purpose.

 

[amadeus]

So how long have we had them for?

 

[Colonel]

I would question the truth of this article simply on the fact that to devolp such a weapon would eat up a considerable amount of Russia's R&D budget. Very few countries have the means to fund such a project and Russia isn't one of them, anymore atleast. If it is true I seriously doubt that the West doesn't have a comparable weapon of non-nuclear strength.

 

[Samuelson]

They pick all test days on purpose. Their are so many different dates that could be considered symbollic, their are probably some russian massacres that the U.S. test weapons on.

 

[BEHIND_THE_MASK]

If this proves true then thank god we finally got something right!!!

 

[Provolution]

I think it is true, as they got seismic measurement systems as well as the OSSE organization that monitors Russian excercises and tests.

 

[MobBoss]

So how long have we had them for?

We have been using them since Vietnam. http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/munitions/fae.htm

 

[Riffraff]

I would question the truth of this article simply on the fact that to devolp such a weapon would eat up a considerable amount of Russia's R&D budget. Very few countries have the means to fund such a project and Russia isn't one of them, anymore atleast. If it is true I seriously doubt that the West doesn't have a comparable weapon of non-nuclear strength.

The article simply states that Russia has testet the apperantly most powerful version of such a bomb. It makes no claim that the Russians invented the technology.

 

[Masquerouge]

So they have the biggest version of an existing type of bomb.

Meh.

 

[AL_DA_GREAT]

The whole world isn't obsessed with the USA.

 

[Fugitive Sisyphus]

"At the same time, I want to stress that the action of this weapon does not contaminate the environment, in contrast to a nuclear one."

That makes me feel so much better.

 

[Kozmos]

So they have the biggest version of an existing type of bomb.

Meh.

You are missing teh point that it's power rivals that of a nuke, but unlike a nuke it doesnt screw up the environment. Way to make it more appealing to actually use it. This could mean that WW3 could be survivable and IMO that may make some people more willing to start it.

 

[MobBoss]

You are missing teh point that it's power rivals that of a nuke, but unlike a nuke it doesnt screw up the environment. Way to make it more appealing to actually use it. This could mean that WW3 could be survivable and IMO that may make some people more willing to start it.

You are missing the point that we have had FAE bombs as powerful as nukes (tactical nukes anyway) for almost two decades now.......its not exactly new technology here.

 

[Kozmos]

Tactical nukes might be good for surgical strikes but they are still nukes(messy) are not too suited for city destruction. It depends if this bomb can reach into the megaton range.

Anyway, forgot to say nanotech rules and should be the prime science to invest in. It's potential are too great to pass up.

 

[Gogf]

So how long have we had them for?

I think we tend to prefer air-burst weapons.

 

[MobBoss]

Tactical nukes might be good for surgical strikes but they are still nukes(messy) are not too suited for city destruction. It depends if this bomb can reach into the megaton range.

Anyway, forgot to say nanotech rules and should be the prime science to invest in. It's potential are too great to pass up.

I fail to really understand how nanotech improves a Fuel-Air explosive. The power of the bomb is completely wound up in the dispersal of the aerosol explosive and I fail to see how any nanotech would greatly enhance this part of the bomb.

 

[Elrohir]

First - there's no mention of nanotech in the article, where did you get that? Second, the US can build these too.

Kind of cool, I guess, but not all that important, especially since we don't know how powerful this was. (Equivalent to one kiloton of TNT? Less?) Honestly, I'm not sure how this is that much more impressive than typical US conventional munitions, or how it is supposed to be terribly frightening - so they can blow us up with a different type of bomb, great. If the Russians having a couple of thousand nuclear warheads doesn't make me hide under my bed, why should a less powerful conventional weapon do so?

 

[Irish Caesar]

So they have the biggest version of an existing type of bomb.

Meh.

Sentiment agreed with.

They had the biggest version of the fusion bomb, too, and that didn't get them anywhere, either.