From: MSN NicknameEagle_wng  (Original Message)    Sent: 9/12/2007 5:34 AM
Wednesday, September 12, 2007

Moscow Announces Powerful New Vacuum Bomb

September 12, 2007 (RFE/RL) -- It has been dubbed the "father of all bombs."



The new Russian weapon is delivered by air. On impact, a blast spreads a cloud of explosive material that either spontaneously ignites or is set off by a second blast, creating a massive shock wave and extreme heat.

The deputy chief of the General Staff of Russia's armed forces, General Aleksandr Rukshin, unveiled the bomb on Channel One television on September 11. "The results of the trial of the newly created aviation bomb have shown that its effectiveness and potential are comparable to a nuclear bomb," he said.

The broadcast showed a Russian bomber dropping its payload and then a large explosion.

Old Technology, But On Larger Scale

Russian generals have said that the new bomb is more powerful than the U.S. Massive Ordnance Air Blast (MOAB), which has been dubbed the "mother of all bombs."

Rukshin emphasized that the bomb does not have any "long-term ecological or environmental consequences."

Robert Hewson, the editor of "Jane's Air-Launched Weapons," says Russia's vacuum bomb is not new technology, but just technology applied on a larger scale.

"It looks like this is a thermobaric weapon, which is a particular kind of explosive that generates a very high level of heat and pressure, and the Russians are past masters at designing this kind of weapon," Hewson says. "They've used them in Afghanistan, they've used them in Chechnya. This air-dropped bomb just seems to be the biggest one we've ever seen."

Military On Parade

In recent months, Russia has frequently flexed its military muscles. Earlier this year, it test-fired what it said were new intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM).

Then, in August, Moscow announced that it was resuming regular bomber flights beyond its borders, a practice that had stopped in 1992. The Kremlin has also announced a $100 billion program to modernize Russia's military.

"I think that this is part of a sustained campaign just to remind people that Russia is a powerful military force," "Jane's" Hewson says. "This is not a majorly significant military weapon, because it's a free-fall bomb that has to be dropped by bomber, so it's not going to be used in any advanced conflict. But it is clearly destructive and it's attention-getting, and that's what its most important purpose is."

The muscle-flexing comes amid a standoff between Russia and the United States over Washington's plans to deploy parts of an antimissile system in Central Europe.

Moscow is opposed to the U.S. plans, saying they are a threat to Russia's security. Washington says the shield is meant to defend against potential attacks from states such as Iran.

Many observers have said that Russia's military moves are aimed at domestic consumption, ahead of parliamentary elections in December and a presidential election early next year.
http://www.rferl.org/featuresarticle/2007/09/8AA95345-8689-4FF1-B564-56009C9BEE79.html