The largest nuclear bomb in the world. The most powerful nuclear bombs in the world
The most powerful bombs - what do we know about them? Everyone has heard about the long-suffering Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, on which experimental bombs were dropped during the Second World War. nuclear bombs. The whole world knows about the consequences of these two explosions. In this article we will talk about the development and testing various kinds bombs and find out what the most powerful bomb was invented by man.
Nuclear bombs in Nagasaki and Hiroshima
Japan had to immediately capitulate in 1945 after two powerful nuclear explosions that occurred in the infamous cities of Nagasaki and Hiroshima. After the surrender of the Japanese authorities, the Second World War was officially finished. bombs were dropped American bombers first in Hiroshima and then in the city of Nagasaki three days later. After the explosion in Hiroshima and its consequences, 140 thousand people died. This nuclear bomb was called "Kid" and its capacity was 20 thousand kilotons. In Nagasaki, the Fat Man bomb, identical in power, was used, but at the same time it was different appearance and its size, several times larger than the size of the "Baby". In Nagasaki, more than 80 thousand people died because of the explosion.
According to the US authorities, it was these two explosions that became the consequence of the end of the Second World War. Since then, nuclear weapons have never been used again against civilians.
The most powerful hydrogen bomb in the world
A hydrogen or thermonuclear bomb is several times more powerful than any nuclear bomb, because its power is practically incalculable. Before the start of World War II, several countries were busy creating the hydrogen bomb - Germany, the USA and the USSR. The first explosion of a hydrogen bomb occurred on June 16, 1945, its force was estimated at 20,000 tons of TNT.
Well, the largest and most powerful hydrogen bomb was given the name "Kuzkin's mother" and it was produced in the USSR. A bomb weighing 24 tons was 8 meters long and 2 meters in diameter.
The most powerful non-nuclear bombs in the world
Despite the fact that the time of the "cold" war has long come to an end, the development of modern powerful bombs did not stop for a single year. On the this moment modern scientists are working on the creation of improved and very powerful non-nuclear bombs. most powerful bomb of this type is the American-made bomb GBU-43/B. This bomb also has the unofficial name "The Mom of All Bombs". "Mom" has a mass of 9 tons, a length of 10 m and a diameter of 1 m. The bomb was made in 2002 and its explosive power is 11 tons of TNT.
But a little later, the most powerful non-nuclear weapons were created by Russian scientists and engineers. An aviation vacuum bomb with an explosive power of 41 tons in TNT equivalent received a very bold and reciprocal name "Dad of all bombs." Thus, the Russians showed that they have created a much more powerful weapon than the Americans.
The most powerful atomic bomb
As you know, atomic and nuclear weapons are the most destructive weapons ever created by man. At the moment, Russian scientists can boast of the most powerful bomb in the history of mankind, who created the previously mentioned "Kuzkin's mother" or, as it was called by the people, the "Tsar bomb". The power of the bomb in TNT equivalent was almost 60 megatons, but later the creators of the bomb admitted that they planned to create it with a capacity of 100 megatons. To this day, the Tsar Bomba remains the most powerful in the world.
The test of the AN602 bomb or "Tsar bomb" was carried out in October 1961. The bomb was detonated in the air, over Novaya Zemlya, at a distance of 4 thousand kilometers. At that time, none of the aircraft in the world could cope with the delivery of the bomb to the right place, so a special Tu95-V aircraft was created for testing. During the explosion, the diameter of the fiery cloud or ball was almost 10 kilometers. Almost everyone in the world could feel the blow from the blast wave, because the seismic wave managed to go around the Earth three times in a row.
The explosion left no stone unturned, the consequences were horrendous. The surface of the island on which the explosion occurred became completely smooth, like a skating rink. The village, located at a distance of 400 kilometers from the explosion, also suffered. All wooden buildings were destroyed, and every stone house was left without a roof. It is terrible to imagine what kind of destruction could result from the use of this bomb by the USSR authorities against one of the countries.
It was this test that prompted most countries in the world to sign an agreement to end nuclear weapons testing on land, under water, in the atmosphere and even in space. Also, as a result of the treaty, clauses appeared on limiting the power of nuclear weapons being created. The treaty was signed by one hundred and ten countries.
Test "Tsar bomb":
The United States tested the "mother of all bombs" in 2003 at a test site in Florida. Until now, it has never been used in combat, although one copy was sent to Iraq. In total, the Pentagon has 14 such bombs in its arsenal.
"Mother of All Bombs"
GBU-43 / B Massive Ordnance Air Blast, MOAB, "mother of all bombs", - American high-explosive aerial bomb, created in 2002-2003.
MOAB continues to be one of the largest satellite-guided bombs.
By the nature of the damaging effect, MOAB is a high-explosive aerial bomb. MOAB has a length of 9.17 m and a diameter of 102.9 cm, the weight of the bomb is 9.5 tons, of which 8.4 tons are accounted for by the Australian-made explosive H-6 - a mixture of RDX, TNT and aluminum powder - which is more powerful than TNT 1.35 times.
The force of the explosion is 11 tons of TNT, the radius of destruction is about 140 m, partial destruction occurs at a distance of up to 1.5 km from the epicenter.
The cost of one such bomb is $16 million.
1. "Tsar bomb"
AN602, also known as the Tsar Bomba, is a thermonuclear aerial bomb developed in the USSR in 1954-1961. a group of nuclear physicists under the leadership of Academician of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR IV Kurchatov.
The most powerful explosive device in the history of mankind. The total energy of the explosion, according to various sources, was 58.6 megatons of TNT, or about 2.4 x 1017 J (which corresponds to a mass defect of 2.65 kg).
The development team included A. D. Sakharov, V. B. Adamsky, Yu. N. Babaev, Yu. N. Smirnov, Yu. A. Trutnev and others.
The name "Kuzka's mother" appeared under the impression famous saying N. S. Khrushcheva: "We will show America Kuz'kin's mother!" Officially, the AN602 bomb had no name.
The explosion of AN602 according to the classification of nuclear explosions was a low-air nuclear explosion of extra high power.
His results were impressive. The fireball of the explosion reached a radius of approximately 4.6 km.
Theoretically, it could grow to the surface of the earth, but this was prevented by a reflected shock wave that crushed the bottom of the ball and threw the ball off the ground.
The light radiation could potentially cause third-degree burns at distances up to 100 km.
The nuclear mushroom of the explosion rose to a height of 67 km, the diameter of its two-tier "cap" reached (near the upper tier) 95 km.
A perceptible seismic wave resulting from the explosion circled three times Earth.
2. Nuclear bomb B-41
The B-41 is America's most powerful thermonuclear bomb, with an equivalent of about 25 megatons. The only three-stage thermonuclear bomb in the US Air Force's arsenal. The most powerful mass-produced thermonuclear weapon. Was in service from 1960 to 1976.
Introduced into service with the US Air Force in 1961, the bomb was a significant part of the total megatonnage of American strategic bombers and was considered an important weapon within the framework of both the doctrine of "massive retaliation" (as a means of effectively destroying civilian targets) and the doctrine of "flexible response" (as a means of destruction of fortified facilities, large military bases, naval bases and airfields).
The powerful charge of the bomb allowed even a single bomber to cause significant damage to the affected object.
The B41 bomb is considered the most effective thermo nuclear weapons ever created. Based on the ratio of "megatons of TNT per tonne of structural mass," the B41Y1, weighing 4.8 tons, had a charge of 25 megatons, that is, 5.2 megatons per ton.
3. "Castle Bravo"
"Castle Bravo" - an American test of a thermonuclear explosive device on March 1, 1954 at Bikini Atoll (Republic of the Marshall Islands, associated with the United States).
The first of a series of seven "Operation Castle" challenges.
During this test A two-stage charge was detonated, in which lithium deuteride was used as a thermonuclear fuel.
The energy release during the explosion reached 15 megatons, which makes Castle Bravo the most powerful of all nuclear testing USA.
The explosion led to severe radiation contamination environment, which caused concern around the world and led to a serious revision of existing views on nuclear weapons.
4. Atomic bomb "Ivy Mike"
"Ivy Mike" - the world's first test of a thermonuclear explosive device.
Due to its weight and dimensions, as well as the use of liquid deuterium as a fuel for thermonuclear fusion, the device had no practical value as a weapon and was intended solely for experimental verification of the "two-stage" design proposed by Ulam and Teller.
The experiment was a success; the estimated yield of the explosion was 10-12 megatons of TNT equivalent.
5. Nuclear bomb MK-36
Two-stage thermonuclear strategic bomb.
All Mk-21s were converted to Mk-36s in 1957. Replaced by Mk-41s.
At the time of decommissioning, the Mk-36 accounted for almost half of the US arsenal in terms of power.
Explosion energy - 9-10 Mt.
6. Nuclear bomb MK-17
Mk.17 - the first thermonuclear bomb on lithium deuteride in the US arsenal, the first mass-produced American thermonuclear bomb.
The largest and most massive thermonuclear weapon in American arsenal. It was developed by Los Alamos National Laboratory. Its length is 7536 mm, its diameter is 1560 mm, and its mass is 21 tons, the explosion energy is 10-15 megatons.
In May 1957, one Mk.17 bomb was inadvertently dropped from a B-36 bomber approaching Kirtland Air Force Base.
Separated from the mounts, the bomb broke through the doors of the bomb bay and fell from a height of 520 m.
Although the bomb was not armed, on impact the primer's explosive partially detonated, destroying the bomb and scattering radioactive material.
The measures taken to clear the area were successful, but, nevertheless, individual radioactive fragments of the bomb are still being found.
7. Nuclear bomb B-53
B-53 - American thermonuclear bomb, the oldest and most powerful nuclear weapon in the arsenal of strategic nuclear forces USA until 1997
Development of the bomb began in 1955 at the Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico and was based on the design of the earlier Mk.21 and Mk.46 products.
The B53 aerial bomber entered service with the B-47 Stratojet, B-52 Stratofortress and B-58 Hustler bombers in the mid-1960s.
On October 13, 2010, the US National Nuclear Security Administration announced the start of a program to dispose of the B53, which has been in service with the Air Force for 35 years.
According to calculations, with an air blast at the optimum height, a 9-megaton explosion will lead to the formation fireball ranging in size from 4 km to 5 km in diameter.
The power of light radiation will be enough to cause fatal burns to any openly positioned person within a radius of 28.7 km.
The impact of the shock wave will be enough to destroy residential and industrial buildings within a radius of 14.9 km from the epicenter.
8. Nuclear bomb MK-16
Throughout its history, humanity has hardly invented something more terrible and deadly than atomic weapons. Falling to the ground, it creates a wave of terrifying force, destroying everything in its path. The most powerful nuclear bomb in the world is the Tsar bomb. Today we will talk about her and her brothers.
Tsar bomb
In 1961, when the USSR was in a state of cold war with the United States, the most powerful thermonuclear weapon in the world was tested for the first time - the AN-602 hydrogen bomb, which was immediately dubbed the "Tsar Bomba". This device was loaded with 58 Mt of pure TNT. The best scientists of the country at that time worked on the bomb - Sakharov, Smirnov, Adamsky and others.
When the Tsar Bomba was dropped from the Tu-95 aircraft, an incredible blast wave circled the planet three times - fluctuations were recorded in all parts of the world. In some way, the goal was achieved, everyone was convinced of the power that Soviet Union. Scientists, for their part, benefited theoretically from the experiment - it clearly showed that there are no restrictions on the power of thermonuclear devices.
Castle Bravo
This name was given to the testing of a bomb in 1954 in the Marshall Islands, USA. Lithium deuteride served as the thermonuclear fuel. The explosion generated energy in the amount of 15 Mt, which caused irreparable harm to the environment. After this event, many thought about the numerous shortcomings of this type of weapon.
An explosive device called Shrimp ("shrimp") was launched on March 1, watched from a special bunker at a distance of more than 30 km. The explosion took three seconds to cover a diameter of 5500 meters, destroying all life in the radius of action. The observation bunker was shaking like an earthquake. The explosion left behind a funnel that forever changed the contour of Bikini Island, and also greatly increased the level of radiation activity in the air.
Another test from the Castle series of American nuclear experiments. The device was also blown up on the Bikini Atoll in 1954, only in early May. The process released 13.5 Mt of TNT, although no more than 10 were expected. It is known that the Yankee was developed in a hurry to have an answer to the Soviet nuclear program.
The height of the “leg” of the mushroom formed during the explosion was almost 40 kilometers, and the diameter of the “cap” was 16 kilometers. A few days later, a huge cloud of radiation reached the city of Mexico City, despite the fact that it was 11,000 kilometers from the site of the explosion. The impression that this event made on people was displayed even by the creators of the series Lost in their creation.
Evie Mike is the very first test of a thermonuclear weapon in history. It was made in the USA in 1952. One of the most powerful nuclear bombs in the world created an explosion that released approximately 12 Mt. On November 1, a “mushroom” 37 kilometers high rose above the ground, and the diameter of its “cap” exceeded 160 kilometers.
The installation was on small island- Elugelab - and in the explosion wiped it off the face of the Earth, leaving only a crater. The area was immediately contaminated with radiation, and in addition, infected coral fragments were scattered in a diameter of 50 kilometers. An hour after the event, when the cloud had already blown away by the wind, a huge amount of scattered fermium and einsteinium was seen from the helicopter. The explosion itself was recorded on tape by the BBC and can still be seen today.
This test took place at the end of March 1954 in the USA, also as part of the Castle test series. Unlike its predecessors filled with "liquid" fuel, the Runt bomb contained "dry" fuel. It was the first ever launch of a nuclear explosive device not on the ground, but on a barge, and the force of its blast wave was 11 Mt.
The photo of Castle Romeo is now one of the most popular images of a nuclear explosion, it is used for book covers, TV shows, newspapers. This is probably due to the frightening yellow-red shades of the “mushroom”. Usually atomic explosions have a slightly different look, depending on the substances they contain.
This was the name of the most powerful bomb ever made in France. For comparison, the United States dropped explosive devices of 20 kt each on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and on coral island Mururoa rocked an explosion with a power of 50 times more. A year before, the “Unicorn” – a bomb with a capacity of more than 900 Kt – was blown up at the same place, and a few hours after that, the French Minister of Defense was bathing in the water – he wanted to prove that nuclear weapons are completely safe.
In total, France conducted more than two hundred tests in its overseas territories - Polynesia, Algeria. The last one took place in 1998.
Baker
A bomb with that name was tested as part of the Crossroads series at the end of July 1946. The bomb was attached to the bottom of the landing craft and placed this ship in the center of the fleet. The explosion occurred 27 meters underwater. Almost all the ships present were blown to pieces, but even those that survived were beyond repair due to the strong background radiation.
Photographs of Baker look unusual compared to those of other bombs, because the explosion took place under water - a flash was barely visible in the depths. The scale of the raised wave can be estimated from the ships visible in the foreground. Most famous photo displays the place where the battleship was located weighing 27 thousand tons.
In 1945, the world's first large-scale nuclear test took place in the United States. A giant explosion with a power of 21 kt has become a symbol of the beginning of the nuclear age. The original idea of creating nuclear weapons was discussed back in the 1930s, when physics was developing by leaps and bounds, and at the same time German fascism was flourishing in Europe. The authorities of many countries of the world were desperately trying to find a powerful new type of weapon that could protect them from a potential enemy.
Before the launch, many predictions were put forward - from the fact that the bomb would not explode at all to the fact that its power would be equal to 18 Kt (which almost came true). Someone said that the whole state of New Mexico and even the entire planet Earth would be destroyed. The latest theory was that the explosion would ignite the oxygen in the air and the atmosphere would be irreparably damaged. Scientists did their best to calm this panic.
A 21 kt bomb dropped on Nagasaki in 1945. It was based on implosive detonation technology. The design consisted of a 6 kilogram plutonium core surrounded by a heavy shell made of uranium-238, which reflects neurons. Outside there was another shell, aluminum, the purpose of which was to evenly distribute compression. Finally, a 2 cm ball of beryllium was mounted inside the core to serve as the initial source of neutrons.
After the end of the war, the US authorities, fully appreciating the power of this type of bomb (dubbed the Mark-III), ordered another 200 pieces for their weapons. In total, 120 devices were produced in 4 post-war years, then they were considered obsolete and replaced with more modern type– Mark IV. Subsequently, neutron initiation was practically not used anywhere else, being recognized as insufficiently effective.
A uranium bomb with a yield of approximately 13-18 Kt, made as part of the Manhattan Project. This is the world's first atomic bomb, which was used for the purpose of attack - dropped on the city of Hiroshima in 1945. The size of the device was 3 meters long, 0.71 meters thick, and weighed 4,000 kg. The kid was a cannon bomb, this technology works flawlessly, unlike implosion, and is also quite simple to manufacture.
Inside was placed 64 kg pure uranium, extracted in the USA, Canada and Congo, of which about 700 grams were directly involved in the reaction. The explosion did not provoke severe environmental pollution, because it occurred 600 meters above the earth's surface, moreover, uranium, which did not take part in the reaction, is not an object of strong radiation.
Many countries of the world have already abandoned the very idea of production and storage atomic weapons. Let's hope that this step will benefit the planet, and soon other states will follow their example, because war is scary, but nuclear war- even scarier.
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Atomic weapons are rightfully considered not only the most terrible, but also the most majestic invention of mankind. So much destructive power is hidden in it that not only all kinds of life, but also any, even the strongest structures, are swept away from the face of planet Earth by a blast wave. There are so many nuclear weapons in Russia's military storage facilities alone that their simultaneous detonation can lead to the destruction of our planet.
And there is nothing surprising in this Russian reserves are in second place after the American ones. Representatives such as "Kuzkin's Mother" and "Tsar Bomba" are assigned the title of the most powerful weapon of all time. The TOP 10 lists nuclear bombs around the world that have or have had greatest potential. Some of them were used, causing irreparable harm to the ecology of the planet.
10th place. Little boy (Kid) with a capacity of 18 kilotons
This bomb was the first to be used not at the test site, but in real conditions. Its use has big influence to end the war between America and Japan. From the explosion of Little boy in the city of Hiroshima, one hundred and forty of its inhabitants were killed. This bomb was three meters long and seventy centimeters in diameter. The height of the nuclear pillar formed after the explosion was more than six kilometers. This city remains uninhabited to this day.
9th place. Fat Man (Fat Man) - 21 kilotons
This was the name of the second bomb dropped by an American plane on the city of Nagasaki. The victims of this explosion were eighty thousand citizens who died immediately, despite the fact that another thirty-five thousand people became victims of exposure. This bomb is still the most powerful weapon, throughout the history of mankind, the use of which was carried out to achieve military goals.
8th place. Trinity (Thing) - 21 kilotons
Trinity owns the palm among the nuclear bombs exploded in order to study reactions and ongoing processes. The shock wave of the explosion lifted a cloud to a height of eleven kilometers. The impression that was received by scientists who observed the first nuclear explosion in the history of man, they called stunning. Puffs of white smoke in the form of a column, whose diameter reached two kilometers, rapidly rose up, where they formed a hat in the form of a mushroom.
7th place. Baker (Baker) - 23 kilotons
Baker was the name of one of the three bombs that took part in the operation codenamed Crossroads ("Crossroads"), which was carried out in 1946. During the test, the consequences of the explosion of atomic shells were studied. Animals and ships were used as test subjects. sea class. The explosion was carried out at a depth of twenty-seven kilometers. As a result, about two million tons of water were displaced, which led to the formation of a pillar more than half a kilometer high. Baker triggered the world's first nuclear disaster. The radioactivity of the island of Bikini, which was chosen for testing, has reached such a level that it has become impossible to live on it. Until 2010, it was considered completely uninhabited.
6th place Rhea - 955 kilotons
Rhea is the most powerful atomic bomb ever tested by France in 1971. The explosion of this projectile was carried out on the territory of the Mururoa Atoll, used as a testing ground for nuclear explosions. By 1998, over 200 nuclear projectiles had been tested there.
5th place. Castle Romeo - 11 megatons
Castle Romeo belongs to the category of one of the most powerful nuclear explosions carried out by America. The order to start the operation was signed on March 27, 1954. A barge was brought into the open ocean to carry out the explosion, as there were fears that an island located nearby could be destroyed by a bomb explosion. It was assumed that the explosion power would not exceed four megatons, but in fact it was equal to eleven megatons. During the investigation, it was revealed that the reason for this was the use of cheap material used as thermonuclear fuel.
4th place. Mike device - 12 megatons
Initially, Mike's device (Evie Mike) had no value and was used as an experimental bomb. The nuclear cloud from its explosion rose thirty-seven kilometers, and the cap of the cloud reached 161 kilometers in diameter. The strength of the nuclear wave was estimated at twelve megatons. This power turned out to be quite enough for the complete destruction of all the islands of Elugelab, on which the tests were carried out. Where they were, a funnel formed, reaching a diameter of two kilometers. Its depth was fifty meters. The distance over which the fragments that carried the radioactive contamination scattered was fifty kilometers, if you count from the epicenter.
3rd place. Castle Yankee - 13.5 megatons
The second most powerful explosion carried out by American scientists was the explosion of Castle Yankee. Preliminary calculations made it possible to assume that the power of the device could not exceed ten megatons, in terms of TNT equivalent. But the actual force of the explosion was thirteen and a half megatons. The leg of the nuclear mushroom stretched for forty kilometers, and the hat for sixteen. four days the radiation cloud was enough to reach the city of Mexico City, the distance to which from the explosion site was eleven thousand kilometers.
2nd place. Castle Bravo (TX-21 Shrimp) - 15 megatons
The Americans did not test a more powerful bomb than Castle Bravo. The operation was carried out in 1954 and entailed irreversible consequences for the environment. As a result of a fifteen mega-ton explosion, a very strong radiation contamination occurred. Hundreds of people who lived in the Marshall Islands were exposed to radiation. The length of the nuclear fungus leg reached forty kilometers, and the hat stretched for a hundred kilometers. As a result of the explosion, seabed a huge funnel was formed, the diameter of which reached two kilometers. The consequences provoked by the tests forced the introduction of restrictions on operations in which nuclear projectiles were used.
1 place. Tsar bomb (AN602) - 58 megatons
More powerful Soviet Tsar Bomba was not and is not all over the world. The length of the projectile reached eight meters, and the diameter - two. In 1961, the explosion of this projectile was carried out on an archipelago called New Earth. According to the original plans, the capacity of AN602 was to be one hundred megatons. However, scientists, fearing the global destructive power of such a charge, decided to stop at fifty-eight megatons. The Tsar Bomba was activated at an altitude of four kilometers. The consequences of this shocked everyone. The fiery cloud reached ten kilometers in diameter. The length of the “leg” of the nuclear fungus was about 67 km, and the diameter of the cap covered 97 km. A very real danger threatened even the lives of people living at a distance of less than 400 kilometers. Echoes of a powerful sound wave could be heard at a distance of a thousand kilometers. The surface of the island on which the tests were carried out became absolutely flat without protrusions and any buildings on it. The seismic wave managed to go around the Earth three times, allowing each of its inhabitants to feel the full power carried by nuclear weapons. The result of this test was that representatives of more than a hundred countries signed an agreement prohibiting this type of test. It does not matter what medium is chosen for this - earth, water or atmosphere.
On January 16, 1963, Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev informed the world community that a new weapon of terrible destructive power had appeared in the USSR - the hydrogen bomb. Today is a review of the most destructive weapons.
Hydrogen "Tsar bomb"
The most powerful hydrogen bomb in the history of mankind was detonated at the Novaya Zemlya test site about 1.5 years before Khrushchev's official statement that the USSR had a 100-megaton hydrogen bomb. The main purpose of the tests is to demonstrate military power THE USSR. At that time, the thermonuclear bomb created in the USA was almost 4 times weaker.
The Tsar Bomba exploded at an altitude of 4200 m above sea level 188 seconds after being dropped from a bomber. The mushroom cloud of the explosion rose to a height of 67 km, and the radius of the fireball of the explosion was 4.6 km. shock wave from the explosion 3 times circled the globe, and the ionization of the atmosphere created radio interference for 40 minutes within a radius of hundreds of kilometers. The temperature on the surface of the earth under the epicenter of the explosion was so high that the stones turned into ashes. It is worth noting that the "Tsar Bomba", or as it was also called, "Kuzkin's Mother" was quite clean - 97% of the power came from a thermonuclear fusion reaction, which practically does not create radioactive contamination.
Atomic bomb
July 16, 1945 in the United States of America in the desert near Alamogordo tested the first explosive nuclear device- a single-stage bomb "Gadget" based on plutonium.
In August 1945, the Americans demonstrated the power of the new weapon to the whole world: the Americans dropped atomic bombs over the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The USSR officially announced the presence atomic bomb March 8, 1950, ending the US monopoly on the world's most destructive weapons.
Chemical weapon
The first ever use case chemical weapons in the war can be considered April 22, 1915, when Germany used chlorine against the Belgian city of Ypres Russian soldiers. From a huge cloud of chlorine released from cylinders installed on the front flank of German positions, 15 thousand people received severe poisoning, of which 5 thousand died.
During World War II, Japan used chemical weapons many times during the conflict with China. During the bombing of the Chinese city of Woqu, the Japanese dropped 1,000 chemical shells, and later another 2,500 bombs near Dingxiang. Chemical weapons were used by the Japanese until the end of the war. Total from poisonous chemical substances 50 thousand people died, both among the military and among the civilian population.
The next step in the use of chemical weapons was made by the Americans. During the years of the Vietnam War, they very actively used poisonous substances, leaving the civilian population no chance of salvation. Since 1963, 72 million liters of defoliants have been sprayed over Vietnam. They were used to destroy the forests in which the Vietnamese guerrillas were hiding, and during the bombing settlements. Dioxin, which was present in all mixtures, settled in the body and caused diseases of the liver, blood, deformities in newborns. According to statistics, about 4.8 million people suffered from chemical attacks, some of them after the end of the war.
laser weapons
In 2010, the Americans announced that they had successfully tested laser weapons. According to media reports, a 32-megawatt laser cannon shot down four drones off the coast of California. aircraft. The planes were shot down from a distance of more than three kilometers. Earlier, the Americans reported that they had successfully tested an air-launched laser, destroying ballistic missile.
Agency for missile defense USA notes that laser weapons will be in great demand, since it can be used to strike several targets at once at the speed of light at a distance of several hundred kilometers.
Biological weapons
Start of application biological weapons belong to ancient world when in 1500 B.C. the Hittites sent a plague to enemy lands. Many armies understood the power of biological weapons and left infected corpses in the enemy’s fortress. It is believed that the 10 biblical plagues are not divine acts of vengeance, but biological warfare campaigns. Anthrax is one of the most dangerous viruses in the world. In 2001, letters containing white powder began to arrive at US Senate offices. Rumor has it that these are spores of the deadly bacterium Bacillus anthracis, which causes anthrax. 22 people were infected, 5 were killed. The deadly bacterium lives in the soil. A person can become infected anthrax, if it touches the spore, inhales or swallows it.
MLRS "Smerch"
jet system salvo fire "Smerch" experts call the most terrible weapon after the nuclear bomb. It takes only 3 minutes to prepare the 12-barreled Smerch for combat, and 38 seconds for a full salvo. "Smerch" allows you to lead effective fight with modern tanks and other armored vehicles. Rocket projectiles can be launched from the cockpit of a combat vehicle or using a remote control. Their combat characteristics"Smerch" preserves in a wide range of temperatures - from +50 C to -50 C and at any time of the day.
Missile complex "Topol-M"
The upgraded Topol-M missile system is the core of the entire group missile troops strategic purpose. The Topol-M intercontinental strategic complex is a 3-stage monobloc solid-propellant rocket “packed” in a transport and launch container. In such packaging, it can be 15 years. Lifetime missile system, which is produced both in the mine and in the soil version - for more than 20 years. One-piece Topol-M warhead can be replaced with a multiple warhead carrying three independent warheads at once. This makes the missile invulnerable to air defense systems. The agreements that exist today do not allow Russia to do this, but it is possible that the situation may change.
Specifications:
hull length with head - 22.7 m,
diameter - 1.86 m,
starting weight - 47.2 tons,
payload payload 1200 kg,
flight range - 11 thousand km.
neutron bomb
The neutron bomb, created by the American scientist Samuel Cohen, destroys only living organisms and causes minimal damage. The shock wave from a neutron bomb is only 10-20% of the released energy, while with the usual atomic explosion it accounts for about 50% of the energy.
Cohen himself said that his offspring is "the most moral weapon that has ever been created." In 1978, the USSR proposed to ban the production of neutron weapons, but this project did not find support in the West. In 1981, the United States began the production of neutron charges, but today they are not in service.
Intercontinental ballistic missile RS-20 "Voevoda" (Satana)
Intercontinental ballistic missiles "Voevoda", created in the 1970s, terrify potential adversary just the fact of its existence. SS-18 (model 5), as Voevoda is classified, entered the Guinness Book of Records as the most powerful intercontinental ballistic missile. It carries a 10,750 kiloton charge of independent homing warheads. Foreign analogues of "Satan" have not been created so far.
Specifications:
hull length with head - 34.3 m,
diameter - 3 m,
payload payload 8800 kg,
flight range - more than 11 thousand km.
Rocket "Sarmat"
In 2018 - 2020 Russian army will receive the latest heavy ballistic missile "Sarmat". The technical data of the missile has not yet been disclosed, but, according to military experts, the new missile is superior in its characteristics to the complex with the Voyevoda heavy missile.For everyone who is interested in the topic of atomic weapons, we offer an overview of significant events in the history of the USSR and Russia.