Your Guide to All the Devastating Weapons You Hear About on the News
Follow the news and you are guaranteed to hear about conflicts in some part of the world. But there are many terms associated with weapons that are used without explanation, and even public figures have no idea what these weapons do . Here’s everything you need to know about MOAB, Tomahawk missiles, barrel bombs, chemical weapons and more.
Tomahawk missiles
Long-range all-weather subsonic surface-to-surface cruise missiles, which were developed back in the 70s. They are designed to be fired from battleships or submarines and can engage targets up to 1,500 miles away. Their combat load includes 24 containers of 166 submunitions, six or seven rounds of ammunition per container. The canisters are fired two at a time, back to front, one on each side, at five separate targets within close range. They are usually used to engage valuable or well-protected ground targets. Each rocket costs about $ 1 million .
Tomahawks were first used during the 1991 Gulf War, 288 of which were produced during the conflict. Since then, they have been used in many conflicts, including the invasion of Iraq in 2003, when more than 800 of them were fired upon. Most recently, 59 Tomahawk missiles were launched from Shayrat airbase near Homs in Syria in response to a chemical attack allegedly carried out by Syrian President Bashir Assad.
There are Tomahawk missiles only in two countries: the US and the UK. The United States Navy has about 3,500 in stock and the British Royal Navy has about 60 . Other countries, such as the Netherlands, Spain and Poland, expressed their desire to acquire them, but did not.
Ballistic missiles Hwasong-10
The Hwasong-10 , also known as Mirim, No Dong B, Musudan and BM-25, is an intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) developed by North Korea. It has a range of 2,500 to 4,000 km (almost 2,500 miles) and is equipped with a single 500 to 1,200 kg nuclear warhead . They can be launched from the ground as well as from specific vehicles. Ballistic missiles are launched in an ascending trajectory, and then, under the influence of the Earth’s gravity, they fall towards their target.
North Korea has tested these missiles for the past two years , but many of the tests failed or did not go very far at launch. Even at maximum range, the Hwasong-10 BRD cannot reach any part of the United States. However, South Korea, Guam and Japan are under threat. It is not known how many such missiles North Korea has ( possibly 200 ), but the Pentagon estimates North Korea has only about 50 launchers capable of launching these MRBMs. There are also rumors that Iran has 19 or so, but this has not been confirmed.
ICBMs (intercontinental ballistic missiles)
Intercontinental ballistic missiles are guided missiles with a minimum range of 3,400 miles and are primarily designed with thermonuclear weapons in mind. But they can also be used to deliver other weapons, including conventional explosives, chemical or biological weapons. Current models carry multiple independently guided missiles, each with its own warhead capable of hitting several different targets at once. These are the terrible missiles that struck fear in the hearts of many during the Cold War.
Fortunately, ICBMs have only passed test launches, and since then, the United States, Russia, France, India and Israel have developed missile defense systems capable of shooting down ICBMs before they reach their target. However, many countries have their own ICBM arsenals , many of which are already in place. The US has the LGM-30 Minuteman , Russia has the RS-28 Sarmat and RS-26 Rubezh , China has the DF-41 , and North Korea has the Taepodong-2 (although it is technically listed as the technology base for the Unha space launch system ).
Barrel bombs
These are homemade unguided bombs that are made from a large metal barrel filled with up to 1000 kg of explosives, shrapnel, oil, chemicals and other nuisances. They are usually dropped from helicopters or airplanes, for which they are nicknamed “Flying IEDs” ( Improvised Explosive Devices ).
Barrel bombs are incredibly inaccurate and are often dropped into populated areas , destroying everything around them. They are typically used by the governments of unstable countries to counter insurgency because they are cheap to manufacture – $ 200 to $ 300 per bomb – and take advantage of the government’s airborne advantage. They are illegal under international conventions .
They were first used by the Israeli military in the late 1940s and later by the United States during the Vietnam War. Since then, they have participated in hostilities in Sri Lanka, Iraq, Croatia, Sudan and currently during the ongoing Syrian civil war .
MOAB
Known as the “Mother of All Bombs”, MOAB actually stands for the GBU-43 / B Massive Ordnance Air Blast bomb. It is a high-yield thermobaric explosive and is the most powerful non-nuclear weapon in the US military’s arsenal. It is a 30-foot-long bomb with an explosion power equivalent to 11 tons of TNT. Seriously, this is deadly .
The bomb was installed on the C-130 Hercules warships and was designed to resemble the Daisy Cutter bombs used in the Vietnam and Iraqi wars for demining and demining forest areas. Since then, it has been considered for use as an anti-personnel weapon. Until recently, MOAB has never been used in combat. But recent reports show that the United States has dropped it on alleged ISIS targets in Afghanistan . Not to be outdone, Russia has a similar weapon known as the “Father of All Bombs”, which is estimated to be about four times more powerful.
Chemical weapon
Chemical weapons exploit the toxic properties of chemicals to inflict maximum destruction, especially against personnel and civilians. Because of this, they are considered “weapons of mass destruction” and are prohibited by international humanitarian law . The four most frequently cited chemical weapons these days are sarin, mustard gas, and chlorine:
- Sarin : a colorless, odorless liquid with a strong nerve effect . If inhaled in very low concentrations, it can be fatal, causing choking due to paralysis of the lung muscles. Absorption of a non-lethal dose through the skin can lead to irreversible neurological damage. The US ceased production of the substance in 1957, and in 1997 the UN outlawed sarin after it was used by sects to attack Japanese civilians on the subway. Since then, sarin has been used by Iraqi insurgents, and more recently this year during the ongoing Syrian civil war.
- Mustard gas : Also known as sulfur mustard gas , mustard gas is a cytotoxic and vesicant chemical that causes blistering of the skin and lungs of victims. Pure sulfur mustards are colorless liquids, but when used in chemical warfare, the gas looks yellow-brown, hence the name. All mustard poisonous substances are prohibited from military use, but, as with sarin, they are still common. The lethal gas can be used in several ways, including artillery shells, bombs, rockets, or overhead spraying from aircraft. Mustard gas was primarily used during World War I, but has since been used in attacks in Britain, Spain, France, China and throughout the Middle East.
- Chlorine gas : Like mustard gas, chlorine gas (or bertholite) was mainly used during the First World War. It has a metallic taste, smells like pepper and pineapple, and causes sore throat and chest pain as it affects the respiratory system, eyes, and skin. Once in the lungs, it reacts with water, forming hydrochloric acid, which burns it from the inside. It is much less dangerous than mustard gas as it is easier to filter out with gas masks, but it is still quite unpleasant. Since then, it has been used in the Iraq War in 2007 and against Kurdish forces in Iraq as recently as 2015.
- Agent VX : This synthetic chemical compound, ” Noxious Agent X “, is extremely toxic and is considered the most potent and fastest-eliminating nerve agent of all. Once injected into a victim, it can cause seizures, unconsciousness, paralysis, and death. Basically, it is a human pesticide that slowly tires and suffocates the body. It is an oily liquid of yellowish brown color, odorless and tasteless. It can be sprayed on someone, poisoned food, or even thrown into a water supply system. VX is also the most persistent nerve agent in the environment as it evaporates very slowly. Most recently, he was used to assassinate Kim Jong Nam , the half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.
Despite the fact that it is illegal and deadly for civilians, countries continue to stockpile and use chemical weapons because they are very effective and cheap to manufacture.
Drone strikes (UAV)
You’ve probably heard the phrase ” drone strike ” several times over the past few years, but you may not know what these operations actually entail. An unmanned aerial vehicle or unmanned combat aircraft (UAV) is a small aircraft without an onboard pilot, usually operated by an operator based at a remote terminal. Depending on the model, they usually carry air-to-surface missiles, air-to-air missiles and other precision-guided munitions.
Combat drones are used to destroy buildings and vehicles, but they are also often used to strike high-ranking targets. About 30 countries have active drones , but most attacks have been plotted the United States in Pakistan and Yemen, with the arsenal MQ-1 Predators , as well as the General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper and Elbit Hermes 450 (which will soon be taken out of production) .