ODAB-500PM - bulk detonating aviation bomb

ODAB-500 is a series of aerosol bombs of Soviet / Russian production. The name of the series is an abbreviation of the phrase "volumetric detonating aerial bomb". The numbers in the designation indicate the rounded weight of the ammunition. According to some reports, in the series there are bombs weighing 500, 1000, 1100 and 1500 kg.

The mechanism of volumetric explosion

This type of aerial bomb uses the phenomenon in which a gas cloud exploding in the instantaneous sublimation of the initial liquid explosive (HE) explodes. By a similar mechanism there are explosions of dust clouds, known from the second half of the XIX century. At that time, repeated volumetric explosions of clouds of combustible dust were recorded at milling and textile industries, coal dust in mines, etc. Somewhat later, as early as the 20th century, there were explosions of steam clouds over oil products in tanker holds and inside refinery and oil tank farms.

Most conventional explosives are a mixture of fuel with an oxidizer (gunpowder, for example, contains 25% fuel and 75% oxidizer), while the vapor-gas cloud is almost 100% fuel using oxygen from ambient air to generate an intense, high-temperature explosion. In practice, an explosive wave resulting from the use of a volumetric detonating ammunition has a significantly longer duration of action than from a conventional condensed explosive. Therefore, volumetric bombs are much more powerful (in TNT equivalent) than conventional ammunition of equal mass.

But the dependence on atmospheric oxygen makes them unsuitable for use under water, at high altitude and in adverse weather conditions. They, however, lead to much greater damage when used inside enclosed spaces, such as tunnels, caves and bunkers, in part because of the duration of the blast wave, partly consuming the oxygen inside. In terms of power and destructive power, these air bombs are second only to tactical nuclear munitions.

History of development

Volume-detonating aerial bombs were developed by the Germans during World War II, but they did not have time to apply them until it was completed. Other countries in the post-war period also experimented with this weapon (in the western terminology it is termed thermobaric, and in the domestic media the mistaken term "vacuum bombs" has taken root). It was first used in Vietnam by the United States, which, however, denied this fact. The first American thermobaric bomb with an explosive effect, comparable to the explosion of nine tons of TNT, weighed 1,180 kg and was designated BLU-76B.

Soviet scientists and designers quickly developed their own weapons of this type, which was first used in a border conflict with China in 1969 and in Afghanistan against the mountain shelters of Islamist militants. Since then, research and development has continued.

ODAB-500 was developed by SNPP "Basalt" in Moscow in the 1980s. It was presented to the public in the early 1990s. In 1995, at the exhibition in Paris, her modified version of ODAB-500PM was shown. In 2002 there was an international exhibition of weapons Russian Expo Arms. On it, a modified ODAB-500PMV air bomb was introduced and offered for sale. Sales of these munitions are carried out through Aviaexport and Rosoboronexport.

VC Russia currently has a wide range of thermobaric weapons, which was used in the 1990s in the war in Chechnya, and is also actively used in the course of the operation against the terrorist organization IGIL in Syria. Relatively inexpensive and easy to maintain, these weapons have been in the arsenals of many countries for decades.

The original version of the bomb

It was designated ODAB-500P and had a mechanical non-contact fuse. The algorithm of its operation includes the ejection of a cable harness from the nose of the flying aerial bomb with a contact device-leader at the end. The deceleration of the leader by the earth's surface (or ground obstacle) leads to the activation of the contacts of the inertial contactor included in the electric circuit, the explosion of the air bomb body and the release of 145 kg of liquid explosive into the air. After a short time delay sufficient to form a gas cloud, the initiation charge installed in the tail section is undermined and a volumetric explosion begins.

Modified air bombs

The serial version of the ODAB-500PM with a radio altimeter can be dropped from an airplane from a height of 200 to 12,000 meters and at a speed of 50-1500 km / h. At an altitude of 30 to 50 m, a brake parachute is deployed to stabilize the bomb shell and slow it down. At the same time, a radio altimeter is started, measuring the instantaneous height of the ammunition above the ground. At an altitude of 7 to 9 m, the bomb's body is undermined, and 193 kg of liquid explosives are sprayed into the air in an unknown formulation, after which a gas cloud forms. With a delay of 100 to 140 milliseconds, this cloud detonates due to the detonation of an additional charge. In the explosion, a very high temperature and a pressure of 20 to over 30 bar is created for a short time. The force of the explosion is approximately equivalent to 1000 kg in TNT equivalent. Effective range against field fortifications is 25 m. For cars and airplanes, as well as for living targets, the range of the bomb is 30 m.

The version of the ODAB-500PMV is optimized for use with helicopters at a bombing height of 1100-4000 m at a speed of 50-300 km / h, although it can be dropped from aircraft, that is, it is all-high.

Design

The ODAB-500 bomb (and its modifications) has a cylindrical elongated body shape with a circular cross section and an arrow point. On its back there are four flat stabilizers, around which there is an annular wing. In front of the bomb is the electromechanism of the combat platoon. In the central part there is a cylindrical container with a liquid explosive and a dispersing charge. At the rear of the bomb there is a container for the brake parachute and an initiating secondary charge. The length of the ammunition is 2.28-2.6 m, and the weight - from 520 to 525 kg, depending on the version. The diameter of the body is 500 mm, and the wings of stabilizers are also about 500 mm.

"Father of all bombs"

In September 2007, the world flew round the tests of a new Russian super-powerful blast bomb, which immediately received the nickname made in the heading of this section. Describing its destructive force, Deputy Chief of the Russian General Staff Alexander Rukshin said: "Everything that is alive, just evaporates."

This ammunition, which was given the media designation ODAB-9000 (the actual is still unknown), is reportedly four times more powerful than the American thermobaric bomb GBU-43 / B, which is often referred to in the media as the "mother of all bombs." This Russian munitions became the most powerful conventional (non-nuclear) weapon in the world.

The power of ODAB-9000 is equivalent to 44 tons of TNT using about seven tons of new type of explosives. For comparison: the American bomb is equivalent to 11 tons of TNT with 8 tons of liquid explosives.

The power of the explosion and the shock wave of the Russian bomb, although they are much smaller, are still comparable to the tactical nuclear munition of minimum power (it is comparable, but not equal!). Unlike nuclear weapons, known for their radioactive fallout, the use of a volumetric blast weapon does not damage or pollute the environment beyond the radius of the explosion.

The Russian bomb is smaller than the GBU-43 / B, but it is much more dangerous because the temperature at the center of its explosion is twice as high, and the radius of the Russian munition explosion is 300 meters, which is also twice that.