A new ordnance, claimed by the Russian military the world's most powerful non-nuclear bomb, is parachuted during a test in this undated television image shown by Russian Channel One television, September 11, 2007.
Photo: Reuters
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The Race of Vacuum Bombs
The statement of Russia’s military about the recent test of the world’s most powerful vacuum bomb has been noticed by the world at large. Yesterday, for instance, retired Air Force Lt. General Thomas McInerney vowed the United States has much more powerful bomb. The Bush administration, however, took with clear understanding the Kremlin’s desire to build up defense potential.
Russia’s bomb was dropped by the aircraft but it wasn’t the penetrating bomb, said Tom McInerney, once deputy chief of the U.S. Air Force Staff and today’s director of the expert council at non-government Iran Policy Committee. The United States has the penetrating bomb, of course, McInerney pointed out not giving details but specifying that Ahmadinejad has nothing that they cannot break. The bomb mentioned by McInerney is the weapon of 14 tons designated to destroy fortified underground facilities.
As to the new bomb of Russia, the military reported its emergence in early this week. This vacuum bomb, dubbed the farther of all bombs, has the power of roughly 40 tons of TNT, but it weighs slightly above seven tons. It was dropped by Tu-160 strategic bomber over the testing ground and the drop was followed by powerful explosion. The father of all bombs is the latest in a series of new Russian weapons and matches the policy of sabre-rattling so favored by the Kremlin.
Until its creation, the United States had had the most powerful vacuum bomb, the 10-ton MOAB equipped with the satellite guidance system. The experts say it can raze to the ground a few street blocks and the temperature in explosion epicenter reaches 538°Ñ.
www.kommersant.com
All the Article in Russian as of Sep. 14, 2007
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