Context
Russia’s use of thermobaric weapons in Ukraine, exemplified by the ODAB-1500, reflects a broader global trend as several countries invest in this devastating technology for modern warfare.
About Thermobaric Weapons
- Also known as: “Vacuum bombs” or “Enhanced blast weapons”.
- Components: Fuel container with two explosive charges.
- Launch: Can be launched as a rocket or dropped as a bomb from aircraft.
- Working
- First Explosion: Splits the fuel container, releasing a cloud of fuel and metal particles.
- Second Explosion: Detonates the cloud, creating a fireball, blast wave, and vacuum that sucks up surrounding oxygen.
- Impacts
- Causes greater devastation than a conventional bomb of comparable size.
- Shockwave: Destroys buildings and infrastructure.
- Blast Pressure: Causes catastrophic damage to the human body, including organ rupture and lung collapse.
- Legal Aspects
- International Law: No specific laws banning the use of thermobaric weapons.
- War Crimes: Targeting civilians, schools, or hospitals with these weapons could result in war crime charges under the Hague Conventions of 1899 and 1907.
Source:
IE
Previous Year Question
India is an important member of the ‘International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor’. If this experiment succeeds, what is the immediate advantage for India?
[UPSC Civil Service Exam – 2016 Prelims]
(a) It can use thorium in place of uranium for power generation
(b) It can attain a global role in satellite navigation
(c) It can drastically improve the efficiency of its fission reactors in power generation
(d) It can build fusion reactors for power generation
Answer: (d)
