[DBrow]

“So, you want to compare the combustibles, not the energy release”

And in a thermobaric, where does the energy release come from?

And death by suffocation over five minutes? What do you mean?

Thermobaric bombs don’t have a terribly negative oxygen balance, due to the type of fuel used. If they did, you’d never get all of the fuel to detonate. TNT is quite oxy negative by contrast.

A gasoline-based FAB or thermobaric would be limited to the air in the immediate vicinity. That’s why they don’t use it.

If you want to believe that the Russian thermobarics can completely eliminate human life within three miles you are free to do so, but I remain skeptical.

[muawiyah]

Just human life down in a qanat ~ it's not like you're working against an enormous atmosphere ~ just a local network of tunnels that another type of bomb would have difficulty reaching.

No doubt you'd explode this thing fairly close to the ground.

[muawiyah]

Besides, the target would be the bio- and chemical weapons down in the qanats, not necessarily all the human beings in the area.

Bet this sucker works great on bacteria.