What is the most powerful weapon in the world? The most powerful weapons in the world: firearms, nuclear, small arms The best weapons in the world of mass destruction

If you want peace, prepare for war. So says the wisdom familiar to all. It is not surprising that many countries spend huge amounts of money on the creation and development of the most advanced new weapons. Most often, the purpose of such means is more psychological than practical. In this article, we will talk about what is the most powerful weapon in the world, as well as the ten most destructive military means. Fortunately, these types of weapons were rarely used in real combat conditions, ensuring the security of their state and repelling the desire of neighbors to carry out aggression against it.

First place - Tsar Bomba

The most dangerous weapon in the world was produced in the middle of the last century in our country. We are talking about the so-called Tsar bomb. This is a very powerful hydrogen bomb, which was tested at one of the test sites. A year and a half after the tests, the leadership of the Soviet Union officially announced the presence of a bomb with a capacity of one hundred megatons. For comparison, the most powerful projectile in the US was about four times weaker. The presence of these weapons played a big role in the Cold War. It was the risk of very severe damage that kept the two opposing camps from starting hostilities.

Second place - Castle Bravo

American thermonuclear bomb, which was created as a counterweight to the Soviet Tsar bomb. Its power is much less, but still quite awesome - 15 megatons. This force is able to wipe out a large metropolis from the face of the earth.

The bomb was a projectile with two stages. In addition to thermonuclear fuel, it also used a solid lithium isotope, closed in a uranium shell. More than ten thousand people watched the test explosion of weapons, ships, aircraft and specially fortified bunkers used as observation posts were used.

The explosion itself was carried out on March 1, 1954. The weapon turned out to be so powerful that its actual power exceeded the planned result several times. After the explosion, a giant funnel remained, having a diameter of almost 2 kilometers.

Third place - Atomic bomb

The most famous formidable superweapon in the world. The first atomic bomb was created in the USA in 1945. After successful tests, the American military command hastened to test the weapon in the context of the ongoing war with Japan.

As a result, two Japanese cities, Hiroshima and Nagasaki, were destroyed. The whole world was horrified by the power of the new weapon. Fortunately, this was the only combat use of nuclear weapons in the history of mankind. In 1950, the Soviet Union created its own atomic weapons, thanks to which a certain balance appeared in the world, guaranteeing mutual destruction in the event of a new hot war.

Such a "cool" weapon caused the need for the development and means of its delivery. For strategic strikes, ballistic missiles and, much less frequently, strategic bombers are used.

The improvement of air defense systems, which gained the ability to shoot down aircraft very effectively, gave priority to missiles. To this day, they are the main means of delivering nuclear warheads.

Fourth place - "Topol-M"

A modern missile system, which is the flagship in the Russian army. A three-stage missile is capable of bypassing any type of air defense that exists today. The projectile, which can also carry a nuclear charge, is capable of hitting a target at a distance of 11,000 kilometers. The Russian troops are armed with about a hundred such complexes.

It is worth saying that the development of Topol-M began in the Soviet Union in the 80s. In 1994, the first tests were carried out. Of the 16 test launches, only one ended unsuccessfully. Despite the fact that the weapon has already entered combat duty, it continues to improve. The direction of modernization is the head of the rocket.

Fifth place - chemical weapons

For the first time this type of mass weapon was used during the First World War. Then the German troops on the outskirts of the city of Ypres faced the Russian corps. In order to win, the Germans sprayed chlorine over the Russian positions. More than 15,000 people died due to poisoning. In World War II, lethal chemical weapons were used quite often by Japanese troops.

There are several types of chemical weapons:

• Nerve paralytic. They affect the human nervous system. They are used for the lightning-fast withdrawal of a large number of troops from the battle.
• Bursting character. They affect a person by penetrating through his skin (and / or respiratory organs).
• general toxic nature. They disrupt the transport of oxygen to cells.
• Asphyxiating nature - affect a person through the respiratory system

There are examples of the use in combat of other chemicals that are not lethal, but can affect the combat capability of soldiers. These include odorants that create an unbearable smell, and defoliants that cause leaf fall (used by the US Army during the Vietnam War).

The last use of chemical weapons occurred in 2013 in the Syrian Republic during the ongoing civil war there. In this case, both parties shift the responsibility for its use to each other.

To date, chemical weapons are prohibited by the Geneva and Hague conventions. At the time of writing, the Russian Federation, which is a party to the conventions, has destroyed about 80% of all chemical weapons accumulated over the years of production in the USSR.

6th place - Laser weapon

A fairly modern type of weaponry, but still underdeveloped. At the end of 2010, scientists from the United States reported on the successful conduct of relevant tests.

According to the information that got into open sources, a laser beam with a power of 30 megawatts hit several drones at a distance of 4 kilometers. The successful use of laser weapons against ballistic missiles was also reported.

Seventh place - Bioweapon

Another pretty scary weapon. In ancient times, some peoples tried to win military successes by spreading the plague to certain territories. The most commonly used weapon is the anthrax virus. Everyone knows cases when the virus was spread using ordinary letters. During World War II, biological weapons were actively tested and used by the Japanese.

It is also customary to consider entomological and genetic weapons as types of biological weapons. The first is to use various insects to attack the enemy, and the second allows you to selectively attack some people according to some genetic trait.

Modern types of biological weapons, as a rule, are a mixture of various viruses. This is done in order to increase the likelihood of death of the attacked people. It is also customary to use strains that are not transmitted between people so that the disease does not spread beyond the attacked areas.

Eighth place - Multiple Launch Rocket System "Smerch"

A formidable weapon, which is a descendant of the famous Katyusha, which caused panic in the ranks of the fascist troops on the fields of the Great Patriotic War. The system is preparing for its salvo in just a few minutes. Rockets easily destroy both heavy armored vehicles and infantry over a vast area.

This missile system is used by the armies of thirteen countries, including Venezuela, the United Arab Emirates, India, Kuwait, Peru. The cost of one machine on the market is about 12.5 million US dollars. The work of one complex is capable of stopping the movement of an entire division.

Ninth place - Neutron bomb

This type of weapon affects only living organisms. It is much less destructive than conventional atomic weapons, although it has a number of similarities with it. Being the development of American scientists, neutron bombs were in service with the American army for some time, but today they are not used.

This type of weapon turned out to be ineffective due to the fact that the atmosphere of our planet actively absorbs neutrons, thereby reducing the power of such a projectile. As a rule, their power did not exceed 5-6 kilotons of TNT.

Neutron charges have found much greater use in anti-missile defense systems. An anti-missile that exploded in the path of an enemy projectile created a stream of neutrons that disrupted its movement.

Also today exist and develop neutron guns. This type of weapon is not related to nuclear weapons. It is a generator that creates a directed stream of neutron particles. The power of such guns depends on the power of the generator itself and is limited only by this indicator. Today, such guns serve in the armies of the United States, France and Russia.

Tenth place - Intercontinental ballistic missile RS-20 "Voevoda"

Soviet type of strategic weapons. In NATO countries, this type of missile was nicknamed Satan, because of its exceptional destructive properties. "Voevoda" even hit the pages of the book of records as the most dangerous ballistic missile.

The weapon is capable of hitting a target at a distance of 11 thousand kilometers. The missile warheads were equipped with special means to bypass many missile defense systems, which made Satan an even more dangerous weapon.

Many believe that the arms race is an attribute of only one period of time in the twentieth century, associated with the Cold War. However, if you think globally, it began long before that. Its ancestor can be called the war of the shield and the sword, that is, building up defense and firepower.

The concept of the most powerful weapon

To figure out which is the most powerful weapon in the world, you should introduce certain categories, so to speak, classes of weapons. And divide them by lethal force exclusively within their class. This is necessary because comparing a nuclear bomb and a sniper rifle is simply stupid and illogical.

So, we present you the top most powerful weapons in the world. This article discusses nuclear and small arms, as well as firearms. Before each rating list, an explanation is given of how this class differs from another.

The most powerful firearm in the world

Firearms use the principle of dispersing a projectile by exploding a charge of gunpowder. Since the invention of gunpowder and mass production, it has been the most diverse type of weapon. It is divided into many types:

• Small arms - this includes various pistols, machine guns, submachine guns, rifles, shotguns, carbines and more.
• Artillery - this type includes artillery, aviation, coastal and a class that is completely incomprehensible in terms of lethal power - artillery of large and especially large power.
• Guns.
• Howitzers.
• Mortars.
• Grenade launchers.
• Mortars.

In order to understand what is the most powerful weapon in the world among firearms, it is necessary to compile a list of increasing lethal power. It will feature exclusively superguns. This is due to the fact that if you give examples from other classes of firearms, the spread of calibers and destructive power will be very large.

firearm rating

In fourth place on the list is the Gamma Mörser, a German super-heavy 420 mm howitzer.

The first copy saw the light in the thirty-seventh year of the last century. During World War II, only one such gun was used. The reason for this is that, according to the Treaty of Versailles, Germany had to destroy all its weapons, but one copy was hidden. And only he from the whole party participated in the military conflict.

Third place is held by the Obusier de 520 modèle 1916, a French railway howitzer. The caliber was 520 mm, only two guns were built. Trouble happened to the first one - the shell exploded inside the breech and completely disabled the entire howitzer. The second in the fortieth year was captured by the Germans during the French campaign. However, two years later it also failed for the same reason. It was unsuitable for repair and was captured by the troops of the Soviet Union.

The second place is taken by the Dora, a super-heavy, unparalleled railway-based weapon. Built in the forty-first year and named after the wife of the chief designer. It had truly destructive power, which is not surprising with a caliber of 807 mm.

During the Second World War, it was carefully hidden by the German troops, and for a long time the Allies could not understand what was causing them such significant damage. In April 1945, the remains of two guns, "Dora" and "Gustav", were found in Bavaria, and subsequently sent for remelting.

The first place is occupied by the Babylon project. It could be the most powerful artillery piece in the world if built. A caliber of a thousand (just think about this figure!) Millimeters is an incredible destructive power. This tool can demolish skyscrapers. It was conceived during the Iraqi-Iranian war. Fortunately, its construction did not take place, as some parts were captured and stolen in order to prevent the creation of this giant.

The most powerful small arms in the world

Small arms involve the use of bullets, shot or similar objects as a striking element. According to GOST, all barreled weapons of 20 mm caliber and less fall under the definition of small arms. Basically, the types of small arms are distinguished according to the method of transferring energy to the projectile:

• Pneumatic - uses compressed air from a cylinder or by pumping.
• Electric - the theoretical weapon of the future, based on the acceleration of the projectile using an electromagnetic field.
• Mechanical - kinetic energy is transmitted using a very strong spring.
• Gunshot - the basis of everything is a powder charge, which is located in the sleeve or charged separately.

In terms of lethal force, firearms take the first place from this list. In order to figure out which is the most powerful weapon in the world among small arms, we bring to your attention the rating of the most lethal weapon.

Rating of firearms

The fourth place in the ranking is occupied by the famous Colt "peacemaker" - Colt Single Action Army. Legend of the Wild West. Produced in many calibers, including rifles. The weight of this revolver is almost four kilograms - this is done in order to reduce recoil.

In third place is the Pfeifer Zeliska, a super-heavy revolver manufactured in Austria.

The reason for its presence in this ranking is the use of 600 Nitro Express as the main cartridge - the largest pistol cartridge in the world. It is used in the savannas to hunt elephants. The recoil of the revolver is such that for normal shooting its weight is more than eight kilograms.

Second place goes to "OSV-96" and similar weapons. This is the most powerful sniper rifle in existence. Its muzzle energy is almost 19 kilojoules, the effective firing range is almost two kilometers. It is in service with the armies of the CIS countries and India. Designed to destroy lightly armored targets at long distances.

The first place on this list is deservedly occupied by the Utochnitsa, a monstrous caliber shotgun used, as the name implies, for hunting ducks. The length of the barrel sometimes reached four meters, and the caliber - five centimeters. With its help, hunting was carried out not for a single individual taken, but, thanks to almost half a kilogram of shot, immediately for a small flock. Shooting from the hands for this weapon was not possible in principle. Therefore, it was mounted on a boat, this also made it possible to reduce the recoil effect.

A Brief History of Nuclear Weapons

Nuclear weapons are the newest of all means of mass murder of people. Its destructive power is enough not only for a house, but for a million-plus city. Add to this radioactive vapors and an electromagnetic pulse - and you get the most powerful weapon in the world.

The history of nuclear weapons began at the end of World War II, when German scientists were chosen during secret attacks on enemy territory. This was from both America and the Soviet Union. Development began almost simultaneously.

However, only America has used nuclear weapons for military purposes. The result of the application was the destruction of the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Seeing a force capable of destroying entire cities, countries that did not have such weapons were horrified. This was the beginning of a silent conflict called the Cold War. In the end, this incident was settled, and first, in the sixty-eighth year, a treaty on the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons was concluded, and thirty years later a ban on its testing was also established.

The most powerful nuclear weapon in the world

The fourth and third places are shared by the bombs "Kid" and "Fat Man". They were dropped on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki at the end of World War II by the United States of America. This was done in order, firstly, to show their power, and secondly, to quickly end the military conflict with Japan, since America's inaccessibility made it too protracted and economically unprofitable. The explosions of both bombs were equal to 21 kilotons of TNT. The epicenters of the explosions are still uninhabitable and remain monuments to the human desire to destroy.

In second place is "Castle Bravo" - again an American bomb, but this time a thermonuclear one. It is the most powerful bomb that the US has ever experienced. The energy released during the explosion was equal to fifteen megatons and completely destroyed the section of the atoll where the tests took place.

The first place, undoubtedly, is occupied by "AN602" also known as "Tsar Bomba". This is the most powerful weapon that has ever been created by man in his entire history. The tests were carried out in the sixty-first year on Novaya Zemlya.

The explosion was so powerful that it instantly burned through more than three meters of age-old ice and turned the sand that was under it into glass. The blast wave circled the globe three times, and four hundred kilometers from the epicenter in the village demolished all the wooden buildings. Considering that the explosion was only half the calculated power, according to experts, the detonation of the full power of such a bomb would entail cracks in the earth's crust and powerful natural disasters.

Outcome

Throughout its history, mankind has come up with many ways to destroy itself. However, of all inventions, perhaps only the nuclear bomb can accomplish this task most effectively. She is awarded the title of "the most powerful weapon in the world."

On January 16, 1963, Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev informed the world community that a new weapon of terrible destructive power had appeared in the USSR - the hydrogen bomb. Today is a review of the most destructive weapons.
Hydrogen "Tsar bomb"

The most powerful hydrogen bomb in the history of mankind was detonated at the Novaya Zemlya test site about 1.5 years before Khrushchev's official statement that the USSR had a 100-megaton hydrogen bomb. The main purpose of the tests is to demonstrate the military power of the USSR. At that time, the thermonuclear bomb created in the USA was almost 4 times weaker.

The Tsar Bomba exploded at an altitude of 4200 m above sea level 188 seconds after being dropped from a bomber. The mushroom cloud of the explosion rose to a height of 67 km, and the radius of the fireball of the explosion was 4.6 km. The shock wave from the explosion circled the globe 3 times, and the ionization of the atmosphere created radio interference within a radius of hundreds of kilometers for 40 minutes. The temperature on the surface of the earth under the epicenter of the explosion was so high that the stones turned into ashes. It is worth noting that the "Tsar Bomba", or as it was also called, "Kuzkin's Mother" was quite clean - 97% of the power came from a thermonuclear fusion reaction, which practically does not create radioactive contamination.

Atomic bomb

On July 16, 1945, in the United States of America, in the desert near Alamogordo, the first explosive nuclear device, the plutonium-based Gadget single-stage bomb, was tested.


In August 1945, the Americans demonstrated the power of the new weapon to the whole world: American bombers dropped atomic bombs over the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The USSR officially announced the presence of the atomic bomb on March 8, 1950, thus ending the US monopoly on the world's most destructive weapons.

Chemical weapon

The first case in history of the use of chemical weapons in war can be considered April 22, 1915, when Germany used chlorine against Russian soldiers near the Belgian city of Ypres. From a huge cloud of chlorine released from cylinders installed on the front flank of the German positions, 15 thousand people received severe poisoning, of which 5 thousand died.

During World War II, Japan used chemical weapons many times during the conflict with China. During the bombing of the Chinese city of Woqu, the Japanese dropped 1,000 chemical shells, and later another 2,500 bombs near Dingxiang. Chemical weapons were used by the Japanese until the end of the war. In total, 50 thousand people died from poisonous chemicals, both among the military and among the civilian population.

The next step in the use of chemical weapons was made by the Americans. During the years of the Vietnam War, they very actively used poisonous substances, leaving the civilian population no chance of salvation. Since 1963, 72 million liters of defoliants have been sprayed over Vietnam. They were used to destroy the forests in which the Vietnamese partisans were hiding, and during the bombing of settlements. Dioxin, which was present in all mixtures, settled in the body and caused diseases of the liver, blood, deformities in newborns. According to statistics, about 4.8 million people suffered from chemical attacks, some of them after the end of the war.

laser weapons

Laser gun

In 2010, the Americans announced that they had successfully tested laser weapons. A 32-megawatt laser cannon shot down four unmanned aerial vehicles off the coast of California, according to media reports. The planes were shot down from a distance of more than three kilometers. Earlier, the Americans reported that they had successfully tested an air-launched laser, destroying a ballistic missile in the upper stage of the trajectory.

The US Missile Defense Agency notes that laser weapons will be in great demand, since they can be used to strike several targets at once at the speed of light at a distance of several hundred kilometers.

Biological weapons

Letter with white anthrax powder

The beginning of the use of biological weapons is attributed to the ancient world, when in 1500 BC. the Hittites sent a plague to enemy lands. Many armies understood the power of biological weapons and left infected corpses in the enemy’s fortress. It is believed that the 10 biblical plagues are not divine acts of vengeance, but biological warfare campaigns. Anthrax is one of the most dangerous viruses in the world. In 2001, letters containing white powder began to arrive at US Senate offices. Rumor has it that these are spores of the deadly bacterium Bacillus anthracis, which causes anthrax. 22 people were infected, 5 were killed. The deadly bacterium lives in the soil. A person can become infected with anthrax if they touch, breathe in, or swallow the spores.

MLRS "Smerch"

Multiple launch rocket system "Smerch"

The Smerch multiple launch rocket system is called by experts the most terrible weapon after the nuclear bomb. It takes only 3 minutes to prepare the 12-barreled Smerch for combat, and 38 seconds for a full salvo. "Smerch" allows you to effectively fight modern tanks and other armored vehicles. Rocket projectiles can be launched from the cockpit of a combat vehicle or using a remote control. The Smerch retains its combat characteristics in a wide temperature range - from +50 C to -50 C and at any time of the day.

Missile complex "Topol-M"

The upgraded Topol-M missile system is the core of the entire grouping of strategic missile forces. The Topol-M intercontinental strategic complex is a 3-stage monobloc solid-propellant missile “packed” in a transport and launch container. In such packaging, it can be 15 years. The service life of the missile system, which is produced both in the mine and in the soil version, is more than 20 years. The integral Topol-M warhead can be replaced with a multiple warhead carrying three independent warheads at once. This makes the missile invulnerable to air defense systems. The agreements that exist today do not allow Russia to do this, but it is possible that the situation may change.

Specifications:

hull length with head - 22.7 m,
diameter - 1.86 m,
starting weight - 47.2 tons,
payload payload 1200 kg,
flight range - 11 thousand km.

neutron bomb

The neutron bomb by Samuel Cohen

The neutron bomb, created by the American scientist Samuel Cohen, destroys only living organisms and causes minimal damage. The shock wave from a neutron bomb is only 10-20% of the released energy, while in a conventional atomic explosion it accounts for about 50% of the energy.

Cohen himself said that his offspring is "the most moral weapon that has ever been created." In 1978, the USSR proposed to ban the production of neutron weapons, but this project did not find support in the West. In 1981, the United States began the production of neutron charges, but today they are not in service.

Intercontinental ballistic missile RS-20 "Voevoda" (Satana)

Intercontinental ballistic missiles "Voevoda", created in the 1970s, terrify a potential adversary only by the fact of their existence. SS-18 (model 5), as Voevoda is classified, entered the Guinness Book of Records as the most powerful intercontinental ballistic missile. It carries a 10,750 kiloton charge of independent homing warheads. Foreign analogues of "Satan" have not been created so far.

Specifications:
hull length with head - 34.3 m,
diameter - 3 m,
payload payload 8800 kg,
flight range - more than 11 thousand km.

Rocket "Sarmat"

In 2018-2020, the Russian army will receive the latest Sarmat heavy ballistic missile. The technical data of the missile has not yet been disclosed, but, according to military experts, the new missile is superior in its characteristics to the complex with the Voyevoda heavy missile.

Dream up and imagine the wars of the future: there are no tanks and machine guns, and the opponents fire at each other from electromagnetic guns with projectiles that can reach 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 probably has not even been invented yet.

1. Tsar bomb

The Soviet Union blew up the most powerful thermonuclear charge 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 had a hydrogen bomb with a capacity of 100 megatons.
The political purpose of the tests was to show America its military power, since it was able to create a hydrogen bomb 4 times smaller than the power. The test was aerial - the "tsar bomb" (then it was called "Kuzkin's mother" in Khrushchev's language) 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, another 40 minutes after it the ionized atmosphere spoiled the quality of radio communication for hundreds of kilometers around. The heat from the explosion directly below the epicenter was so strong that it turned even stones into ashes. Fortunately, this gigantic 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

It was the American answer to the “kuzkin mother”, but much more “thin” - some miserable 15 megatons. But if you think about it, this figure should impress. 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 strength 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 were considered ballast, also participated in the reaction. The explosion was ground-based (the charge was in a special bunker) and left behind a giant funnel, but the main thing is that it was incredibly “dirty” - it contaminated a large space with radiation. Many local residents, Japanese sailors and even the American military themselves suffered from it.

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3. Atomic bomb

This type of weapon started 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 New Mexico. It was a single-stage plutonium device called the Gadget. Not satisfied with the first successful test, the US military hastened almost immediately to test it 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. That use of nuclear weapons on real targets, fortunately, turned out to be the only one. In 1950, the USSR got its own atomic bomb, as a result of which an equilibrium was created in the world based on inevitable retribution and mutual nuclear destruction in the event of a “hot war” unleashing.
Having acquired such a powerful weapon, the two countries had to resolve the 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, preference was given to missiles, which are now the main delivery vehicle for nuclear charges.

4. Topol-M

This modern missile system is the best delivery vehicle in the Russian army. Its 3-stage missiles are invulnerable to any modern type of air defense. A missile designed to carry nuclear charges is ready to hit a target 11,000 km away. The Russian army has about 100 such complexes. The development of Topol-M began back in the USSR, and its first tests took place in 1994, with only one of 16 launches ending in failure. Although the system is already on alert, it continues to be improved, in particular, the head of the rocket.

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5. Chemical weapons

The first mass use of chemical weapons in combat conditions occurred near the Belgian city of Ypres in April 1915. Then the Germans launched clouds of chlorine at the enemy from cylinders previously installed on the front line. Then 5,000 died and 15,000 Frenchmen, who were not ready for such a turn, were seriously poisoned. Then the armies of all countries indulged in the use of mustard gas, phosgene and bromine, far from always getting the expected result.
The Japanese in the next world war repeatedly used chemical weapons in the fighting in China. For example, when they bombed the city of Woqu, they dropped a thousand chemical shells on it, and another 2,500 bombs were thrown on Dingxiang. The Japanese used chemical weapons until the end of the war. According to rough estimates, about 50,000 soldiers and civilians died from the use of chemical weapons.
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 jungles, with the help of which they sought to destroy the vegetation in the thick of which the Vietnamese guerrillas, who so annoyed the Yankees, hid. These mixtures contained dioxin, which had a cumulative effect, as a result, people developed diseases of the blood and internal organs, and genetic mutations occurred. Almost 5 million Vietnamese suffered from 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 much. Although Russia destroyed 80% of the stocks of chemical weapons it inherited from the USSR.

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6. Laser weapons

This is more of a hypothetical weapon under development. So, in 2010, the Americans reported a successful test of a laser gun off 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 a weapon will be able to destroy targets hundreds of kilometers apart from space in a matter of seconds.

7. Bioweapon

By antiquity, biological weapons are ready to compete with cold ones. So, one and a half thousand years BC. e. The Hittites struck the enemies with a plague. Understanding the power of biological weapons, many armies, leaving the fortresses, left infected corpses there. The Japanese during World War II, in addition to chemical weapons, did not disdain biological weapons.
The causative agent of anthrax is one of the most dangerous for humans. This bacterium lives for a long time in the ground. In 2001, letters with white powder began to arrive in the American Parliament, and immediately there was a fuss 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 both genetic and entomological weapons have been equated with biological weapons. The second is associated with the use of insects that suck blood or otherwise attack a person, and the first is able to selectively act on groups of people with a certain genetic feature. In modern biological munitions, strains of various pathogens are usually used - in this way, an increase in mortality among people exposed to it 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.

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8. MLRS "Smerch"

The ancestor of this formidable weapon was the famous Katyusha, which was used with great success against the German army. After the atomic bomb, this, according to experts, is the most terrible weapon. It takes only 3 minutes to prepare a 12-barreled Smerch for battle, and a volley is fired in 38 seconds. This system effectively destroys modern tanks and other armored vehicles. Rocket projectiles can be launched from a remote control or directly from the cab of a car. "Smerch" can be successfully used in extreme heat and in severe cold, at any time of the day.
This weapon is not selective - it destroys armored vehicles and personnel over a large area. Russia exports this type of weapons to 13 states, including the United Arab Emirates, Venezuela, India, Peru, and Kuwait. The machine with the installation is not too expensive for its efficiency - about 12.5 million dollars. But the work of one such installation is capable of stopping the advance of an enemy division.

9. Neutron bomb

American Samuel Cohen invented the neutron bomb as a version of a nuclear weapon with minimal destructive power, but a maximum of radiation that kills all life. The shock wave here accounts for only 10-20% of the energy released during the explosion (in an atomic explosion, half of the explosion energy is spent on destruction).
After the development of the 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, neutron charges had a minimum power - only 5-6 kilotons. But much more useful were neutron charges in missile defense systems. A neutron anti-missile that explodes near an enemy aircraft or missile creates a powerful neutron flux that disables all 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 (actually an accelerator). The more powerful the generator, the more powerful neutron flux it can provide. The armies of the United States, Russia and France now have similar weapons.

10. Intercontinental ballistic missile RS-20 "Voevoda"

This is also a Soviet model of strategic weapons. NATO representatives 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 reentry vehicles are capable of bypassing a missile defense system, which makes the RS-20 even scarier.

On January 16, 1963, Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev informed the world community that a new weapon of terrible destructive power had appeared in the USSR - the hydrogen bomb.

Today is a review of the most destructive weapons.

Hydrogen "Tsar bomb"

Tsar bomb explosion (reconstruction).

The most powerful hydrogen bomb in the history of mankind was detonated at the Novaya Zemlya test site about 1.5 years before Khrushchev's official statement that the USSR had a 100-megaton hydrogen bomb. The main purpose of the tests is to demonstrate the military power of the USSR. At that time, the thermonuclear bomb created in the USA was almost 4 times weaker.

The Tsar Bomba exploded at an altitude of 4200 m above sea level 188 seconds after being dropped from a bomber. The mushroom cloud of the explosion rose to a height of 67 km, and the radius of the fireball of the explosion was 4.6 km. The shock wave from the explosion circled the globe 3 times, and the ionization of the atmosphere created radio interference within a radius of hundreds of kilometers for 40 minutes. The temperature on the surface of the earth under the epicenter of the explosion was so high that the stones turned into ashes. It is worth noting that the "Tsar Bomba", or as it was also called, "Kuzkin's Mother" was quite clean - 97% of the power came from a thermonuclear fusion reaction, which practically does not create radioactive contamination.

Atomic bomb

On July 16, 1945, in the United States of America, in the desert near Alamogordo, the first explosive nuclear device, the plutonium-based Gadget single-stage bomb, was tested.

In August 1945, the Americans demonstrated the power of the new weapon to the whole world: American bombers dropped atomic bombs over the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The USSR officially announced the presence of the atomic bomb on March 8, 1950, thus ending the US monopoly on the world's most destructive weapons.

Chemical weapon

The first case in history of the use of chemical weapons in war can be considered April 22, 1915, when Germany used chlorine against Russian soldiers near the Belgian city of Ypres. From a huge cloud of chlorine released from cylinders installed on the front flank of the German positions, 15 thousand people received severe poisoning, of which 5 thousand died.

During World War II, Japan used chemical weapons many times during the conflict with China. During the bombing of the Chinese city of Woqu, the Japanese dropped 1,000 chemical shells, and later another 2,500 bombs near Dingxiang. Chemical weapons were used by the Japanese until the end of the war. In total, 50 thousand people died from poisonous chemicals, both among the military and among the civilian population.

The next step in the use of chemical weapons was made by the Americans. During the years of the Vietnam War, they very actively used poisonous substances, leaving the civilian population no chance of salvation. Since 1963, 72 million liters of defoliants have been sprayed over Vietnam. They were used to destroy the forests in which the Vietnamese partisans were hiding, and during the bombing of settlements. Dioxin, which was present in all mixtures, settled in the body and caused diseases of the liver, blood, deformities in newborns. According to statistics, about 4.8 million people suffered from chemical attacks, some of them after the end of the war.

laser weapons

In 2010, the Americans announced that they had successfully tested laser weapons. A 32-megawatt laser cannon shot down four unmanned aerial vehicles off the coast of California, according to media reports. The planes were shot down from a distance of more than three kilometers. Earlier, the Americans reported that they had successfully tested an air-launched laser, destroying a ballistic missile in the upper stage of the trajectory.

The US Missile Defense Agency notes that laser weapons will be in great demand, since they can be used to strike several targets at once at the speed of light at a distance of several hundred kilometers.

Biological weapons

The beginning of the use of biological weapons is attributed to the ancient world, when in 1500 BC. the Hittites sent a plague to enemy lands. Many armies understood the power of biological weapons and left infected corpses in the enemy’s fortress. It is believed that the 10 biblical plagues are not divine acts of vengeance, but biological warfare campaigns. Anthrax is one of the most dangerous viruses in the world. In 2001, letters containing white powder began to arrive at US Senate offices. Rumor has it that these are spores of the deadly bacterium Bacillus anthracis, which causes anthrax. 22 people were infected, 5 were killed. The deadly bacterium lives in the soil. A person can become infected with anthrax if they touch, breathe in, or swallow the spores.

MLRS "Smerch"

The Smerch multiple launch rocket system is called by experts the most terrible weapon after the nuclear bomb. It takes only 3 minutes to prepare the 12-barreled Smerch for combat, and 38 seconds for a full salvo. "Smerch" allows you to effectively fight modern tanks and other armored vehicles. Rocket projectiles can be launched from the cockpit of a combat vehicle or using a remote control. "Smerch" retains its combat characteristics in a wide temperature range - from +50 C to -50 C and at any time of the day.

Missile complex "Topol-M"

The upgraded Topol-M missile system is the core of the entire grouping of strategic missile forces. The Topol-M intercontinental strategic complex is a 3-stage monobloc solid-propellant rocket “packed” in a transport and launch container. In such packaging, it can be 15 years. The service life of the missile system, which is produced both in mine and ground versions, is more than 20 years. The integral Topol-M warhead can be replaced with a multiple warhead carrying three independent warheads at once. This makes the missile invulnerable to air defense systems. The agreements that exist today do not allow Russia to do this, but it is possible that the situation may change.

Specifications:

• hull length with head - 22.7 m,
• diameter - 1.86 m,
• starting weight - 47.2 tons,
• payload payload 1200 kg,
• flight range - 11 thousand km.

Mushroom cloud after the explosion.

Cohen himself said that his offspring is "the most moral weapon that has ever been created." In 1978, the USSR proposed to ban the production of neutron weapons, but this project did not find support in the West. In 1981, the United States began the production of neutron charges, but today they are not in service.

Intercontinental ballistic missile RS-20 "Voevoda" (Satana)

Intercontinental ballistic missiles "Voevoda", created in the 1970s, terrify a potential adversary only by the fact of their existence. SS-18 (model 5), as Voevoda is classified, entered the Guinness Book of Records as the most powerful intercontinental ballistic missile. It carries a 10,750 kiloton charge of independent homing warheads. Foreign analogues of "Satan" have not been created so far.

Specifications:

• hull length with head - 34.3 m,
• diameter - 3 m,
• payload payload 8800 kg,
• flight range - more than 11 thousand km.

Rocket "Sarmat"

In 2018-2020, the Russian army will receive the latest Sarmat heavy ballistic missile. The technical data of the missile has not yet been disclosed, but, according to military experts, the new missile is superior in its characteristics to the complex with the Voyevoda heavy missile.