Graphic: What Sort of Exploding Ordnance Is This?

BBC ^ | October 27, 2001 | BBC

[Ironword]

The following graphic is from a current BBC front-page article discussing the latest bombing sorties targeting the Taliban front-line positions in Afghanistan.

That's some nasty aftereffect. Is it a fuel-air bomb?

[Joe 6-pack]

"Thanks for all the insights. With Diogenes' close up photo, I'd agree it isn't a fuel-air explosion."

If, indeed, Diogenes' close up is of the same detonation...

I've personally observed test blasts of cratering charges, sheltered by earthen bunkers produce the same effect. There was also the NBS (Nuclear Blast Simulator) which was basically a 55 gal. drum of gas, with some c4 mixed in, that was used in training exercises to simulate the visual aftermath of a nuke detonation...of course it lacked the EMP and overpressure effects, but it did create a bright mushroom that allowed NBC personnel to claculate cloud height, flash-to-bang time, etc...

[DugwayDuke]

"...imagine highly refined gasoline being sprayed out of a lysol air freshener can, and lingering...then setting of a match in the room...such is the effect(in microcosm)of an FAE."

But, as they say: "this is for professionals only. Do not attempt this at home."

[Joe 6-pack]

"But, as they say: "this is for professionals only. Do not attempt this at home."

You should have seen the looks on the faces of my cajun neighbors this past summer, as this transplanted yankee waged war on the fire-ants in his yard...

...They swear to GOD, General Sherman had come back to haunt them...

Amazing what a box of tide, mixed with high octane gas will do...

[6ppc]

Here's an FAE.

[SwankyC]

Yup, definitely looks like it was a bomb.

[Terrorista Nada]

Not fuel/air. Looks like a std. Mk84 to me.

[Chemist_Geek]

Somebody must have seriously not liked whoever was living in that house.

Duke: Dugway Proving Groud? I'm buying, if so.

[linn37]

next time just give the ants uncooked grits and spare your neighbors

[Terrorista Nada]

When did 100 pound bags of Red Cross rice start burning for 2 hours with black billowing smoke? I've noticed this both times CNN says we bombed the Red Cross.

[jwalsh07]

Fuel Air Explosive In Action

[jwalsh07]

Sorry dude, I was a day late and a gif short.

[Joe 6-pack]

"next time just give the ants uncooked grits and spare your neighbors"

Tried that...I guess I just had a grits-resitant strain of fire-ant. In any case, my campaign was successful...I'd go lay down in my lawn right now, naked as a jay-bird, local laws permitting...the stars are shining bright tonight.

Of course, I'm sure I'll have to restart the campaing again next spring, when the talib-ants resurface. They're simple insects, and haven't quite yet learned when to give up...

[ken5050]

Just speculating..but the cloud looks like a lot of earth being displaced..it's a dust cloud...not an explosion.therefore the target ould be a deeply buried bunker..20-30 feet of dirt on top of it...so it could be a C&C bunker..taken out by a deep penetrating bomb.....can't recall the designation..but there have been severeal threads posted on it....supposedly it can go through 30 feet of concrete......normal bunker construction in a place like Afghanisatn would have a reinforced concrete roof to bear the load...covered with 20 feet of dirt..they don't have that much concrete in the country...so the deep underground exposion would displace the eath up, create a huge dust cloud..

[LonePalm]

I agree with the three explosions hypothosis. It was definately NOT a FAE. The shape of the cloud is indicitive of an explosion in contact with the ground and not above ground level. Also I think that it was a fairly small (240kg) initial explosion with about 750-1500 kg secondary blast and a smaller tertiary explosion. It was localized to a fairly small area. It was NOT a cluster munition as I would expect to see more dirt and dust over a larger area. It was NOT a fuel storage site, you would see flame and a lot of black smoke.

Garde la Foi, mes amis! Nous nous sommes les sauveurs de la République! Maintenant et Toujours!
(Keep the Faith, my friends! We are the saviors of the Republic! Now and Forever!)
LoanPalm, le Républicain du verre cassé (The Broken Glass Republican)

[Ironword]

If, indeed, Diogenes' close up is of the same detonation...

The photos are from different angles and distances, seems to me. The clouds are definitely different, but the area of the smaller photo is hard to discern. Can anyone enlarge the smaller photo?

Wonder how many pool journalists are walkin' around there? Sherman once said if he shot all the journalists, he was sure there would be dispatches from hell the next morning!!

[mercy]

WWWWOOOOOOOWWWWWWWW!

[Ironword]

Not sure but it's pretty cool looking. Maybe we'll drop a few more million of them!!!!!!!

Of course, at some point we'll have to do more than make big holes in the ground.

[Ironword]

Looks like an ID ten T Bomb to me. better known as the ID10T.

And what does that bad ass do?

[Ironword]

The other advantage to the fuel/air bomb is that it uses a lot of the ambient oxygen to make all that fire. Sorta denies the locals their breathing air if they survive the blast.

One of the ex-Soviet veterans of Afghanistan that had been interviewed said they had used them (called them "vacuum bombs") to try and asphyxiate the mujahideen in their caves.

[Ironword]

It is the new exploding turbin bomb...I would nickname it Jiffy-Pop!

If I saw that cloud, I'd be poppin' outa that valley right quick.

Speaking of valleys, what sort of strategy is it to place a (proposed) ammo dump in the middle of a plain?