Posted on 11/07/2001 6:49:10 AM PST by USNA74
Since daisy-cutters (aka BLU-82s) are in the news these days, thought you might be interested in a little discussion of their application to terrorists and anthrax...
The BLU-82 'daisy-cutter' is not some esoteric form of cookie cutter. The moniker is a nickname (given by G.I.s who handle them) to hypo barometric bombs fuel-air mixture bombs. Nicknames being ephemeral, they are often called f-a's as well, short for fuel-air.
Hypo-barometric refers to the fact that these things are activated above ground surface at a given atmospheric pressure calculated to clear the surface of structures and life. Everything within a ~600 yard radius, 1200 yard diameter, is incinerated; all protoplasm within a 1 mile radius, 2 mile diameter, is essentially pulverized by the extreme overpressure, which requires that the bomb be dropped from a special operations C-130 Hercules from at least 6000 feet.
The 'fuel-air' mixture is dispersed (by an appropriate charge detonated first) into a cloud in the atmosphere where it mixes with the surrounding air producing a chemical (vice nuclear) explosion burning all available oxygen within 600 yard radius to produce a rapid expansion of gases.
The first generation of daisy cutters used gasoline, making them a HUGE Molotov cocktail.
The second generation, in current use, uses aluminum powder which is highly explosive and burns extremely hot. They cover a mile wide diameter when detonated and reach temps circa 10,000F. The blast generates pressures sufficient to crush underground tunnels - even reinforced arches 12 feet deep are crushed.
Third generation daisy cutters use uranium powder which burns even hotter, etc. Note: this is still not a nuclear device but both 2nd and 3rd generation fa's are easily mistaken for such as they produce a similar mushroom cloud.
Initially the blast uses up all nearby O2 (oxygen), vaporizing or melting everything. When the atmospheric oxygen does finally rush back in (@15 min later) every organic compound ignites spontaneously creating another smaller explosion contained within the mushroom cloud. The ground blast pattern yielded resembles that of a daisy shaped cookie cutter.
Since fa's produce a quick pervasive ground crushing blast at such high temperatures, without any nuclear fallout, they are ideal for decontaminating soils which may have been infected with anthrax spores or terrorists.
There is no proven chemical disinfectant, nor physical procedure save burning, that will kill and eradicate anthrax spores which are known to live almost forever, and terrorists, which have a much shorter life expectancy. The estimated life of anthrax spores is said to be in excess of 5,000 years. Immersed in boiling water for at least 30-45 minutes is effective in killing them but that would, of course, destroy any living host.
I say we collapse all the tunnel entrances immediately.
"The BLU-82 is a 15,000 pound GP bomb originally designed to clear helicopter landing zones in Vietnam. The warhead contains 12,600 pounds of GSX slurry and is detonated just above ground level by a 38-inch fuze extender. The weapon produces an overpressure of 1,000 pounds per square inch. Eleven BLU-82s were dropped during Desert Storm, all from Special Operations C-130s. The initial drops were intended to test the ability of the bomb to clear mines; no reliable bomb damage assessment exist on mine clearing effectiveness. Later, bombs were dropped as much for their psychological effect as for their destructive power."
Check here:http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/dumb/blu-82.htm
From another thread last night.
/john
I think this statement is wrong if this bomb, whatever generation or combustable material is used, is a two part explosion. The first part spreads out a combustable material which, when detonated, consumes the available oxygen making the second explosion. The F doesn't have to stand for gasoline to be an FAE.
When the atmospheric oxygen does finally rush back in (@15 min later)
Is this correct? What keeps the atmospheric oxygen at bay for 15 minutes?
By way of background, I spent over 21 years in the Navy.
Gelled Slurry Explosive, GSX
An explosive slurry containing red water, a nitrocellulose containing propellant, oxidizer, passivated aluminum and a thickening agent.
GSX is not an aersolized fuel. It is a standard explosive for GP bombs. It contains it's own oxidizer and does not rely on air to support the explosion.
You've seen the clips on Fox News, I suppose. Where was the parachute? The clip on Fox was a FAE. It was not of Big Blue.
/john
The media, including FOX, has been mixing these with fuel/air bombs since the story first broke.
Either one would do serious damage to anyone's plans for the future.
The media got it wrong, and they've been cribbing each other's info instead of going to the military web sites. It's easy to understand the confusion. Fox ran a clip with an FAE explosion, and called it a daisy-cutter ie.. BLU-82.
/john
May need to use a few here in the U.S. because the most dangerous terrorists are not the ignorant braggarts with the headless goat but the sleeper agent here in the U.S.
As Rumsfeld said, "To kill people."
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