The most powerful intercontinental ballistic missile- Russian SS-18 Model 5, officially called RS-20, equipped with 10 individual targeting warheads of 750 Kt each. Another model has one 20 Mt warhead. During cold war The RS-20 were the most dangerous missiles in the arsenal of the Warsaw Pact countries. Each warhead had an accuracy of hitting within 250 meters.
Latest use of nerve gas
On March 20, 1995, in Tokyo, Japan, members of the Aum Shinrikyo sect released sarin, a deadly nerve gas in the subway. 11 people died and more than 5,500 were poisoned.
Largest stock of chemical weapons
According to International Institute strategic research, Russia has the largest stocks of chemical weapons. Its total weight is about 40,000 tons. The USA, with a total stock of 25,000 tons, is in second place.
The most powerful nuclear explosion
The most powerful thermonuclear device is the Tsar Bomba. Equivalent to approximately 57 megatons of TNT, it was dropped from a height of 10,500 meters by parachute system for a conditional target within the nuclear test site on the remote Arctic island of Novaya Zemlya. The bomb was detonated on October 30, 1961 at 8:33 GMT. The shock wave circled the Earth three times, and the first wave lasted 36 hours and 27 minutes. The explosion mushroom cloud rose to a height of 67 kilometers, and the diameter of its cap reached 95 kilometers.
The largest number of victims of anthrax
The largest number of lives was claimed by the anthrax epidemic that broke out in Sverdlovsk (USSR; now Yekaterinburg, Russia) in April 1979. At least 68 people died after inhaling the infection. The source of the epidemic has not been identified.
Highest nuclear explosion
A nuclear device weighing 1.7 Kt was detonated at an altitude of 749 km (466 mi) above ground surface September 6, 1958 as one of a series of tests conducted by the United States under the covert Operation Argus. The W-25 warhead weighing 98.9 kg was launched from a three-stage Lockheed X-17A gun from the USS Norton Sound, which was in the South Atlantic Ocean, 1,770 km southwest of Cape Town, South Africa.
Strongest nerve gas
Nerve gas VX, or O-ethyl-S-2-diisopropylaminoethyl methyl thiophosphonate, was developed at the Experimental Chemical Defense Facility (Porton Down, Wiltshire, UK) in 1952. It is almost 300 times stronger than phosgene, which was used during the First World War. A dose of gas in 1/8 of a raindrop is enough to kill a person. In the 1950s, the US tried to buy from Britain a method of producing this gas with thermonuclear technology.
The largest number of simultaneous nuclear explosions
On October 24, 1990, at least 8 (possibly 9) nuclear charges were simultaneously detonated at the Russian test site Novaya Zemlya.
Longest Environmental Campaign
Greenpeace opposes nuclear tests since its foundation in 1971. The first action was directed against the explosions off the coast of Alaska (USA). Greenpeace continues to carry out international actions against nuclear weapons.
The smallest nuclear bomb
Atomic bomb The W54, which was produced in the years 1961-1971 in the United States and Europe, is the smallest nuclear weapon ever produced. Its radius of action was 4 km, weight - 34.47 kg. The diameter of the bomb at its widest point was only 27 cm.
The largest number of victims of a nuclear bombing
On August 6, 1945, 155,200 people died as a result of the explosion of an American nuclear bomb in Hiroshima, Japan. This number includes those who died from radiation sickness during the year following the bombing. The bomb exploded 509 meters above the city. The explosion completely devastated 10 km2 of Hiroshima. Bopee 65% of the city's buildings were destroyed.
First nuclear bombing
The first nuclear bomb was dropped by the United States on Hiroshima (Japan) on August 6, 1945 at 8:16. The explosion power was 15 Kt in TNT equivalent. Three weeks before this bombing, the first nuclear test was carried out in New Mexico (USA). The bomb, codenamed "Baby", was 3 meters long and weighed 4082 kg.
The largest non-nuclear bomb
The weapon system BLU-82B / C-130, nicknamed "Daisy Cutter", contains a warhead with 5715 kg of explosives. The bomb has a radius of 91-274 meters. It was used in Afghanistan in 2001.
The first use of smallpox as a weapon
The first documented use of the smallpox virus as a biological weapon occurred during the 1754-1763 war. between French and Indians (North America). British soldiers, fighting simultaneously against the French colonialists and the Native Americans, gave the Indians blankets that were used by the smallpox sufferers. The ensuing epidemic claimed the lives of more than 50% of the infected tribes.
The most powerful nuclear explosion in space
July 9, 1962 at an altitude of 399 km above Johnston Island in Pacific a nuclear explosion with a capacity of 1.45 Mt was made. The 755 kg warhead, codenamed Starfish Prime, was launched by the US Air Force using a Thor rocket. The explosion occurred at the height at which the orbital spaceships... The power of the explosion was 100 times the power of the bomb dropped on Hiroshima.
First use of biological weapons
In the 6th century BC, the Assyrians living in the territory of modern Iraq poisoned the water in the wells of their enemies with rye ergot. The poisoning caused bouts of paranoid schizophrenia, and many of the victims died.
Largest supply of smallpox vaccine
The United States has the world's largest stockpile of vaccine to fight the deadly smallpox virus. At present, there are 15.4 million doses, and by the end of 2002 their number will reach 286 million. This amount will be enough for all Americans. This is how the United States is preparing for possible terrorist attacks.
The largest crater from a nuclear explosion
On January 15, 1965, a 104 Kt nuclear bomb was detonated at a test site near Semipalatinsk at a depth of 178 meters under the dry bed of the Chagan River. The explosion created a crater 408 meters wide and 100 meters deep. In this area, it is called Lake Chagan.
Heaviest nuclear bomb
The heaviest nuclear bombs were the Mk.17, which was used by the American Convair B-36 Peacemaker long-range bombers in the mid-1950s. They weighed 19,050 kg and were 7.49 meters long. The maximum power of these bombs is 20 Mt, 1000 times more powerful than the bomb dropped on Hiroshima (Japan) during World War II.
The biggest accident at a nuclear submarine
The largest accident on a nuclear submarine occurred on October 6, 1986, when the Soviet submarine K-219 (Project 667-A) sank in the Atlantic Ocean 965 km north of Bermuda. The submarine is currently at the bottom of the ocean at a depth of 5800 meters; it has 2 nuclear reactors and 16 nuclear missiles.
The most powerful weapon without casualties
The BLU-114 / B graphite bomb used by NATO during the Serbian operation in May 1999 knocked out 70% of Serbia's power system with a minimum number of casualties. The bomb ejects ultra-thin carbon fiber conductors, causing electrical short circuits.
Today, August 29, the latest secret American technology, the Delta IV spy satellite, was launched at an air force base in California, States. The object is the most powerful rocket in the history of mankind. Its height is 71 meters, engine capacity is 17 million. Horse power, and one launch of the monster cost the United States one million dollars.
Source: dailymail.co.uk
America has always had a special attitude towards worldwide organizations and their large-scale events. Therefore, the owners of the most powerful rocket in the world decided to launch it on August 29 - the International Day against Nuclear Tests. The funny thing is that the States never admitted what the purpose of developing, building and launching the Delta IV was.
Source: dailymail.co.uk
The men's online magazine MPORT remembers that not only the States have super powerful weapons. There are many more countries in the world that also boast ICBMs. Find out what you, a peaceful inhabitant of planet Earth, should be most afraid of?
The most mobile - Topol-M
Source: waronline.com
Manufacturer - Russia, the first launch was carried out in 1994. The launch weight is 46 and a half tons. It is considered the backbone of Russian nuclear weapons.
The most protected - Yars RS-24
Source: waronline.com
Manufacturer - Russia, the first launch - in 2007. The flight range is 11 thousand kilometers. Unlike Topol-M, it has multiple warheads. In addition to warheads, Yars also carries a complex of means of breaking through anti-missile defense, which greatly complicates the enemy's detection and interception. This innovation makes the RS-24 the most successful combat missile in the context of the deployment of the US global missile defense system. And you can even place it on a railway carriage.
The heaviest - R-36M Satan
Source: waronline.com
The first launch - 1970, weight - 211 tons, flight range - 11,200 - 16,000 kilometers. Missile systems located in mines cannot be too light by definition. Satan just broke the record of all heavyweights.
Most accurate - Trident II D5
Source: waronline.com
Manufacturer - USA, first launched in 1987. Weight - 58 tons, flight range - 11,300 kilometers. Trident is based on submarines, and is capable of hitting protected ICBM silos and protected command posts with the highest possible accuracy.
The fastest - Minuteman LGM-30G
Source: waronline.com
Manufacturer - USA, first launch - 1966. The mass of the rocket is 35 and a half tons. The range is 13,000 kilometers. It is believed that this missile is one of the fastest ICBMs in the world and can accelerate to more than 24 thousand kilometers per hour in the terminal phase of flight.
The most sophisticated - MX (LGM-118A) Peacekeeper
Source: waronline.com
Manufacturer - USA, first launched in 1983. Weight - 88.44 tons, flight range - 9600 kilometers. The Peacemaker Heavy Intercontinental Ballistic Missile is simply the epitome of the latest technology. For example, the use of composite materials. It also has a higher hitting accuracy, and - which is especially characteristic - increased "survivability" of the missile in a nuclear attack.
The very first - R-7
The atomic bombs were just the beginning. Over the past half century, the planet's greatest military minds have developed an arsenal of eerie weapons.
Could the transformation of animals into cyborgs end well? Should lasers be attached to aircraft? Is spraying people a better alternative than burning their skin alive? It's up to you to judge.
Atomic bomb
First and foremost on the list, perhaps the most terrifying from start to finish. Whether you are one of those who say that its use prevented the invasion of Japan and much more human casualties, or those who declare its use a war crime, but this is perhaps the only weapon whose effect is so vividly imprinted in public consciousness after so few uses (twice). The destructive effect of the bomb extends far beyond the immediate range; virtually half of all victims of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945 died from burns, radiation exposure, and cancer.
X-ray Beam Project
In the early years of American intervention in the Second world war, a Pennsylvanian dental surgeon came up with a plan to tie tiny explosives to bats and scatter them by the thousands over Japanese cities. Mice (capable of carrying three times their own weight) had to scatter in the night and take refuge in traditional, flammable Japanese houses made of wood and paper. As dawn approached, the timers on the explosive devices were supposed to use "mouse bombs", and entire cities would burn to the ground with virtually no human casualties, as in the case of, say, the atomic bomb. The project slowed down due to many complications and was finally closed in 1944 because the mice would not be ready for combat use and by 1945.
MK-ULTRA
Beginning in the 1950s as a CIA response to Korean technology used during the Korean War, MK-ULTRA was the codename for an extensive and secret program dedicated to investigating the possibilities of mind control using psychotropic substances. She became especially famous for using LSD on unsuspecting people and observing their behavior. Another experiment involved an injection of barbiturates followed by an injection of amphetamines, which put the test subjects into a trance-like state during which asking a person questions led to various motor responses. In 1973, Richard Helms, then director of the CIA, ordered the destruction of all documents related to the MK-ULTRA project, effectively thwarting any adequate investigation that Congress would undertake two years later, in 1975.
Stargate Project
This operation began in the bowels of the American military intelligence in the 70s. The project used a small group of "remote observers" who were people who claimed to have a variety of psychic abilities, from reading tarot cards to foreseeing the future. And although the results of each particular experiment were kept in strict confidence, so as not to disturb the confidence of clairvoyants, we can confidently conclude that they were not very accurate, since in 1995 the project was transferred to the CIA and soon closed.
Angle shot
William Prescott admonished his men at the Battle of Bunker Hill with the famous words, "Don't shoot until you see the whites of their eyes!" Fortunately, his men fought during the American Revolution, not on the modern battlefield, against Coalblade, a weapon specially designed to prevent your opponent from seeing the whites of your eyes at all. A miniature camera and LCD screen replaces the arrow of the eye, while the front half of the rifle flexes around a corner so that it can shoot without exposing its owner to return fire. This is achieved by mounting the semi-automatic pistol on a swivel front end with a remote trigger connection at the rear, allowing the gun to flex within a 120-degree arc.
Dolphin reconnaissance mission
The US Navy has trained bottlenose dolphins since at least the late 1980s to patrol and protect warships, hunt for mines, and even attack scuba divers with special darts. But as soon as rumors of this program leaked out, animal rights activists raised a public fuss, forcing the Navy to immediately classify all information on the project; to date, very little is known about current state operations. We know that animals were equipped with electronic harnesses that allowed them to transmit specific commands, and that they were trained to recognize scuba divers in underwater suits. How the dart-firing mechanism was supposed to work is not known to anyone.
Gay bomb
This project has never progressed beyond a short 3-page report. In a document created at the US Air Force Research Laboratory in Ohio in 1994, it was proposed to develop several varieties of unusual bombs (at a cost of $ 7.5 million), including: a smelly bomb that was supposed to smell so strong that it would force opponents to leave fortified positions ; a bomb that was supposed to make opponents sweat uncontrollably; and even a "halicytic bomb" that would hit enemy soldiers with bad breath. But the decisive blow was the bomb, collectively called the Gay Bomb. Using a hypothetical aphrodisiac of unprecedented power, the bomb was supposed to spray enemy soldiers with a substance that would literally turn them into homosexuals, forcing the soldiers "to feel an irresistible attraction to each other," and, apparently , forget that at this moment they are actually under bombardment.
Active Defense System Trophy
Tanks are terrible machines in and of themselves, without any need to increase their degree of horror. But what could make these heavily armored vehicles even more unstoppable? An invisible force field, that's what. In fact, the Active Defense System is not literally a force field, but it is closer to it than any of the existing ones on this moment protection systems. Using an extremely complex network of sensors located throughout the tank's hull, the SAZ can detect a rocket-propelled grenade or other low-tech projectile, target it, and destroy it with pinpoint fire even on approach. The SAZ has the ability to track multiple targets in almost any direction, making the tank equipped with it almost bulletproof.
Iron storm
Iron Storm is an Australian company that develops a series of weapons that fire multiple rounds. Multi-projectile weapons differ from traditional weapons in that they have no moving parts. Rather than loading a cartridge into the chamber, Iron Storm uses electronics to ensure the sequence is fired. The bullets are closely lined up inside the weapon and each is surrounded by explosives; as a result, the weapon can fire at a much faster rate than traditional automatic weapons. The next bullet enters the bore before the previous one leaves, creating a whirlwind of projectiles, with a firepower not much different from the combat laser from science fiction books.
Cyborg moths
As if most people no longer had a fear of insects, DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency; approx. Mixednews) is now working on the creation of cybernated spy moths. DARPA, the Defense Department's research arm, has already learned how to successfully implant chips in cockroaches and rats, allowing humans to "drive" animals with joysticks. In the case of moths, the chip is implanted at the pupal stage so that the insect grows around it and forms a “secure tissue-machine interface”. Spy moths would then have to be released on the front lines and sent remotely deep into enemy territory, transmitting video and audio information along the way.
Railgun
The naval forces are exploring the possibility of replacing the explosive energy of conventional warheads with the kinetic energy of conventional projectiles. At first glance, this sounds like a technological step backward. But when you see a prototype rail gun in action, launching a 3kg projectile at seven times the speed of sound, you begin to understand the power generated by the tremendous acceleration: a non-exploding piece of scrap metal has the same destructive potential as a Tomahawk rocket. The rail cannon works by storing a huge amount of electricity (the US Air Force is targeting the 64 Megajoule model) which is then sent to parallel rails, generating a strong magnetic field that propels any projectile to fantastic speeds. The final version of the gun will hit a 5-meter target from a distance of 370 kilometers.
Vomiting flashlight
This weapon is intended for use by the police and the military. Developed as part of non-lethal weapons programs, the flashlight uses super-bright, fast-pulsing LEDs to first blind the enemy and then cause him severe dizziness and even vomiting. The pulsation quickly changes color and duration, which causes a psychophysical reaction in many people. A similar effect is sometimes unwittingly observed by helicopter pilots when the sun quickly flashes through the blades of their cars, disorienting them in flight. The flashlight has obvious drawbacks - the victim must be right in front of the light source and must not think fast enough to look away - but overall it is a promising development for law enforcement.
Restraint system
This system works like this: two polymers mix together - liquid and powder - and form a suspension, which is then fed into the barrel of the weapon, where it mixes with a stream of water. On contact with water, the slurry turns into a sticky and slippery gel that can be sprayed onto almost any surface. It remains liquefied for many hours, and when it dries it can be scraped off or reactivated with fresh water. Its use is aimed at suppressing crowds and protecting building entrances or other key points. The only real danger with this weapon comes from falling; according to reports, people have less control over their movement on this gel than on slippery ice.
Stinking bomb
Researchers at the Monell Chemical Center in Philadelphia are working with the Department of Defense to create the most disgusting smell you can get. An important aspect this work is the combination of different odors - because the brain can quite easily adapt to any one of them. But spray half a dozen of them and the enemy will fall prey to his own gag reflex. As a result, the powerful chemical cocktail can be used as a bomb to disperse large crowds.
Scream
The Israeli army is developing a device called the Scream, which emits short bursts of high-frequency sounds designed to force the enemy to leave the device's range as soon as possible. The sound is not very loud, and its effect has nothing to do with standing next to the speakers at a big rock concert. Instead, it is tuned to a specific frequency that targets the inner ear and disrupts the opponent's sense of balance. As a result, he experiences severe nausea and dizziness, even when he leaves the range of the device. It is an unbearable sensation, and plugging your ears will not protect you from this weapon.
Active Counteraction System
This system is more commonly known as Hot Beam. The Hot Beam device looks like a conventional satellite dish mounted on the roof of a news service truck. But instead of collecting and focusing incoming radio waves, the weapon focuses millimeter waves and sends them out. The effect of these waves on human skin is an intense burning sensation that humans can tolerate for only a few seconds. The military claims that the waves penetrate the skin to a depth of only a fraction of a millimeter and do not cause long-term damage, but the system is still in the early stages of development. , and has not yet been field tested.
Rods of God
The Rods of God is a kinetic energy device, similar to a rail gun, but instead of using electricity to achieve destructive speeds, it uses gravity. For now, the hypothetical system will consist of two satellites orbiting the Earth. One will contain communications equipment and guidance systems, and the other will contain the rods themselves, each about thirty centimeters in diameter and six meters long. When fired, they will simply be released and fall to the ground (with a small remote control). By the time they reach the surface, they will move at a speed of about twelve kilometers per second, and have a destructive force. nuclear warhead, only without radioactive contamination.
Urban disc wing projectiles
Developed under the oversight of the US Air Force, these death frisbees are robotic drones in the form of flying discs and are designed for short flights in hard-to-reach areas, such as the top floors of tall buildings or over large obstacles. Launched from a special installation, the drones can fly both independently and remotely piloted from the ground. They will be equipped with armor-piercing explosive shells and can be set to detonate all shells at the same time or to scatter them within a certain radius.
Air laser
As the Pentagon continues to fund the fantastically unsuccessful Star Wars project to shoot down missiles from space, the U.S. Air Force is heading towards a modified Boeing 747 that can shoot rockets out of the atmosphere with a giant laser. Known as the Air Laser, this complex will include a multi-megawatt chemical laser capable of striking targets many hundreds of kilometers away. At its core, this is the same basic technology that we see in a conventional laser pointer, but in millions times more powerful.
Sedatives
With this delightful name, the Pentagon masks the words “ chemical weapon". The most recent developments in the field of sedatives are substances based on derivatives of fentanyl. These are very potent opiates - carfentanil, for example, is a commercially available analogue used to euthanize elephants - and are also very dangerous. Many believe that one of these substances was used by the Russian police against Chechen militants during an operation to rescue 850 hostages at the Moscow Theater Center in 2002. More than a hundred hostages died from respiratory depression as a result of exposure to the substance. Despite the fact that these compounds are classified as "non-lethal" by the US The armed forces it is obvious that they can easily have the most dire consequences.
Unfortunately, humanity is accustomed to destroying its own kind and therefore has invented a huge number of ways to kill yourself. Let's try to remember the most destructive of them and talk about the most powerful weapon in the world.
In the first place on this list, of course, is the thermonuclear Tsar Bomb, created by Academician Sakharov and with which Khrushchev tried to intimidate America. By the way, successfully. For its tests shocked not only the Americans, but also the USSR, because no one expected such a scale. When tested on Novaya Zemlya, the blast wave circled three times Earth... This happened on January 16, 1963, and until now humanity has not come up with anything more terrifying.
Tsar-Bomba AN-602
Compared to Tsar Bomba, the bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki are just toys. However, it is worth noting that if no one was injured in the explosion of a Soviet thermonuclear bomb, the Americans killed several hundred people in August 1945 immediately at the time of the explosions, and in total about 140 thousand people died, including the effects of radiation.
In addition, there is also a neutron bomb, developed by the American scientist Samuel Cohen, which does not damage infrastructure, but destroys only living objects.
Unfortunately, among the deadliest weapons there are also chemical and biological ones. If the chemical was used in the First World War, when Germany first used chlorine against enemy troops, and then mustard gas, now chemical weapons can almost instantly destroy several thousand people. Biological weapons are equally dangerous. Everyone remembers how the anthrax envelopes were sent out. But these were pinpoint strikes, and in the case of mass use, much more dire consequences are possible.
However, we are now talking about weapons that can be delivered using intercontinental missiles. Therefore, we need to figure it out. We are armed with the RS-20 "Voevoda" (Satana) ballistic missile. This missile has already hit the Guinness Book of Records as the most powerful intercontinental range missile.
R-36M2 "Voyevoda" or SS-18 Satan III
Despite the fact that the most powerful weapons in the world are mass destruction Let's turn our attention to the "private sector". Here, perhaps, the most effective can be considered sniper rifles McMillan TAC-50. It was with the help of them that the most record-breaking shots in terms of range were fired, exceeding the mark of 2300 meters. Moreover, more than once.
McMillan TAC-50
Adding to the list of the most powerful weapons, one cannot ignore the well-known Desert Eagle. This pistol has become just a classic thanks to the action movies. It has tremendous destructive and stopping power against unprotected targets, but in fact, except for its size, unfortunately, it is not able to surprise you with anything.
However, despite the above, the Death Star can be considered the undisputed leader in terms of the most destructive weapons. After all, as any fan knows Star Wars, it is capable of shattering the planet into billions of pieces in a matter of seconds. Therefore, let's hope that humanity will never have to create its real embodiment.
And may the force be with you!
Based on materials from techcult
Imagine and imagine the wars of the future: there are no tanks and machine guns, and opponents are firing at each other from electromagnetic cannons with shells that can fly to the opposite side of the Earth in a few minutes. Some of these plans have already been implemented, so future generations will not be bored. But the most dangerous weapon in the world has probably not even been invented yet.
1. Tsar Bomb
The most powerful thermonuclear charge Soviet Union blew up at a test site located on Novaya Zemlya, and only a year and a half later N. Khrushchev "pleased" the world with the news that the USSR has a hydrogen bomb with a capacity of 100 megatons.
The political goal of the tests was to show America its military power, since it was able to create a hydrogen bomb 4 times less powerful. The test was aerial - the "Tsar Bomb" (then it was called "Kuz'kina's Mother" in Khrushchev) exploded at an altitude of 4.2 km.
The explosion mushroom rose into the stratosphere (67 kilometers), having a diameter of 9.2 kilometers. Three times the shock wave of the explosion circled the globe, for another 40 minutes after it, the ionized atmosphere spoiled the quality of radio communications for hundreds of kilometers around. The heat from the explosion just below the epicenter was so intense that even stones were reduced to ash. Fortunately, this giant explosion was quite "clean", since 97% of the energy was released due to thermonuclear fusion, and, unlike nuclear decay, it almost does not pollute the territory with radiation.
2. Castle Bravo
This was the American answer to "Kuz'kina's mother", but much more "thin" - some measly 15 megatons. But if you think about it, then this figure should be impressive. With the help of such a bomb, it would be quite possible to destroy a large metropolis. Structurally, it was a two-stage ammunition consisting of a thermonuclear charge (solid lithium deuteride) and a uranium shell.
The explosion was carried out on Bikini Atoll, and a total of 10,000 people watched it: from a special bunker 32 km from the explosion site, from ships and aircraft. The force of the explosion exceeded the calculated one by 2.5 times due to the underestimation of the fact that one of the lithium isotopes, which was considered ballast, also participated in the reaction. The explosion was ground-based (the charge was in a special bunker) and left a giant crater behind, but the main thing was that it was incredibly "dirty" - it infected a large space with radiation. Many local residents, Japanese sailors and even the American military themselves suffered from it.
To conquer nature, man creates megamachines - the most incredible technology in the world, the possibilities and sizes of which are amazing. Yes ...
3. Atomic bomb
This type of weapon began a new chapter in military affairs. As you know, the Americans were the first to create an atomic bomb, who on July 16, 1945, conducted its first test in the desert in the state of New Mexico. It was a single-stage plutonium device called the Gadget. Not satisfied with the first successful test, the American military hastened to test it almost immediately in a real war.
We can say that the tests in Hiroshima and Nagasaki were successful - both cities were destroyed, thousands of people died. But the world was horrified by the power of the new weapon and the one who owned it. Fortunately, the use of nuclear weapons on real targets turned out to be the only one. In 1950, the USSR got its own atomic bomb, as a result of which a balance was created in the world based on inevitable retaliation and mutual nuclear destruction in the event of a "hot war" being unleashed.
Having acquired such a powerful weapon, the two countries had to resolve issues of its prompt delivery to the target. As a result, strategic bombers, ballistic missiles and submarines were developed. Since the air defense system began to outperform aviation, the preference was given to missiles, which are now the main means of delivery for nuclear charges.
4. Topol-M
This modern missile system is the best in Russian army by delivery means. Its 3-stage missiles are invulnerable to any modern type of air defense. The missile, designed to carry nuclear warheads, is ready to hit a target 11,000 km away. There are about 100 such complexes in the Russian army. The development of "Topol-M" began in the USSR, and its first tests took place in 1994, and only one of the 16 launches ended in failure. Although the system is already on alert, it continues to be improved, in particular, the missile warhead.
Since ancient times, people have traveled the seas, gradually improving their ships. Modern shipbuilding is very developed, and the range of ships has become ...
5. Chemical weapons
For the first time, the massive use of chemical weapons in combat conditions happened near the Belgian city of Ypres in April 1915. Then the Germans sent clouds of chlorine to the enemy from cylinders pre-installed on the front line. Then 5 thousand died and 15 thousand unprepared for such a turn of the French were seriously poisoned. Then the armies of all countries dabbled in the use of mustard gas, phosgene and bromine, not always getting the expected result.
In the next world war, the Japanese repeatedly used chemical weapons in hostilities in China. For example, during the bombing of the city of Woqui, they dropped a thousand chemical shells on it, and another 2500 aerial bombs were dumped on Dingxiang. The Japanese used chemical weapons until the end of the war. According to rough estimates, it was from the use of chemical weapons that about 50,000 soldiers and civilians died.
The next large-scale use of chemical weapons was distinguished by the Americans in Vietnam, who in the 60s sprayed 72 million liters of defoliants over its jungle, with the help of which they sought to destroy the vegetation in the midst of which the Vietnamese guerrillas who vexed the Yankees were hiding. These mixtures contained dioxin, which has a cumulative effect, as a result, people began to develop blood diseases and internal organs, there were genetic mutations. Almost 5 million Vietnamese were affected by American chemical attacks, and the number of victims continued to grow after the end of the war.
The last time chemical weapons were used in Syria was in 2013, with the conflicting parties blaming each other for this. As you can see, the ban on chemical weapons by the Hague and Geneva conventions does not stop the military. Although Russia has destroyed 80% of the stocks of chemical weapons it inherited from the USSR.
Formula 1 is not just the most expensive and spectacular sport. it Newest technologies, these are the best design and engineering minds, this is any ...
6. Laser weapons
This is more of a hypothetical weapon under development. So, in 2010, the Americans reported a successful test of a laser cannon near the coast of California - a 32 MW device was able to shoot down 4 drones at a distance of over 3 km. If successful, such weapons will be able to destroy targets hundreds of kilometers apart from space in a matter of seconds.
7. Biological weapons
By antiquity, biological weapons are ready to compete with cold ones. So, for one and a half thousand years BC. NS. the Hittites struck the enemies with a plague. Realizing the power of biological weapons, many armies, leaving the fortress, left infected corpses there. In addition to chemical weapons, the Japanese during World War II did not disdain biological weapons.
The causative agent of anthrax is one of the most dangerous for humans. This bacterium lives in the ground for a long time. In 2001, letters with white powder began to come to the American parliament, and immediately there was a noise that these were anthrax spores. 22 people were infected, 5 of whom died. Most often, infection can occur through skin lesions, but it is also possible to become infected by swallowing or inhaling bacillus spores.
Now to biological weapons genetic and entomological weapons were equated. The second is associated with the use of insects that suck or otherwise attack humans, and the first is capable of selectively acting on groups of people with a certain genetic trait. In modern biological ammunition, strains of different pathogens are usually used - in this way, an increase in mortality among exposed people can be achieved. Preference is given to strains that are not transmitted between people, so that an attack on a specific target does not turn into a large-scale epidemic.
The German Technical Inspectorate issues reports on the defectiveness of different machine brands every year. Any brand that gets to the inspection is checked at least ...
8. MLRS "Smerch"
The ancestor of this formidable weapon was the famous Katyusha, which was used with great success against German army... After the atomic bomb, according to experts, this is the most terrible weapon. To prepare the 12-barreled "Smerch" for battle, it takes only 3 minutes, and the volley is carried out in 38 seconds. This system effectively destroys modern tanks and other armored vehicles. Rocket projectiles can be fired from a remote control or directly from the cab of the vehicle. "Smerch" can be successfully applied in extreme heat and in severe cold, at any time of the day.
This weapon is not selective - it destroys armored vehicles and personnel on large area... Russia exports this type of weapons to 13 states, including the UAE, Venezuela, India, Peru, Kuwait. The machine with the installation is not too expensive for its efficiency - about $ 12.5 million. But the work of one such installation is capable of stopping the advances of an enemy division.
9. Neutron bomb
American Samuel Cohen invented the neutron bomb as a variant of nuclear weapons with minimal destructive power, but maximum radiation that kills all life. The shock wave here accounts for only 10-20% of the energy released during the explosion (at atomic explosion half of the explosion energy is spent on destruction).
After the development of a neutron bomb, the Americans put it into service with their army, but after a while they abandoned this option. The action of the neutron bomb turned out to be ineffective, since the released neutrons are actively absorbed by the atmosphere, and the effect of their action is local. Moreover, the neutron charges had a minimum power - only 5-6 kilotons. But neutron charges were much more useful in missile defense systems. Exploding near the enemy aircraft or missiles, a neutron interceptor missile creates a powerful stream of neutrons, disabling all the electronics and control of the target.
Another direction in the development of this idea was neutron guns, which are a generator capable of creating a directed neutron flux (in fact, an accelerator). The more powerful the generator, the more powerful the neutron flux it can provide. The armies of the United States, Russia and France now possess such weapons.
10. Intercontinental ballistic missile RS-20 "Voyevoda"
This is also a Soviet model of strategic weapons. NATO officials nicknamed this missile "Satan" for its exceptional destructive power. For the same reason, she got into the ubiquitous Guinness Book of Records. This ballistic missile can hit objects at a distance of 11,000 kilometers. Its multiple warheads are capable of bypassing the missile defense system, which makes the RS-20 seem even more terrifying.
