Methods of protection against incendiary substances. New weapons of mass destruction and incendiary weapons Research object: methods of protection against incendiary bombs

Characteristics of incendiary weapons. Incendiary substances, their composition and combat properties. Methods and means of using incendiary weapons

Characteristics of incendiary weapons

Incendiary weapon- a means for destroying enemy manpower and military equipment, the action of which is based on the use incendiary substances. Incendiary weapons include incendiary ammunition and fire mixtures, as well as means of delivering them to the target.

Incendiary substance- a special selected substance or mixture of substances that can ignite, burn steadily and ensure maximum manifestation of the damaging factors of incendiary weapons during combat use.
The main damaging factor of incendiary weapons is the release of thermal energy and combustion products toxic to humans.

An important distinctive combat property incendiary weapons (IW) is its ability to cause secondary fire processes, which in terms of thermal power and the scale of manifestation of damaging factors can be many times greater than the primary fire effect on the target.

The second important feature The damaging effect of ZZH in relation to manpower is the “production” of a huge number of burn wounds, entailing the incapacitation of manpower and long-term hospitalization, i.e., as a rule, irreversible losses.

The third feature The destructive effect of the ZZZH is the high moral and psychological impact on the enemy’s manpower.

Incendiary substances, their composition and combat properties

All modern incendiary substances, depending on their composition, are divided into three main groups: incendiary mixtures based on petroleum products, metallized incendiary mixtures based on petroleum products, and incendiary mixtures based on thermite.

A special group of incendiary substances consists of ordinary and plasticized phosphorus, alkali metals, and a self-igniting mixture based on triethylene aluminum.

Incendiary mixtures based on petroleum products- are divided into unthickened (liquid) and thickened (viscous).

Unthickened incendiary mixtures- prepared from gasoline, diesel fuel and lubricating oils. They ignite well and are used from backpack flamethrowers.

Thickened incendiary mixtures- viscous gelatinous substances consisting of gasoline or other liquid fuel mixed with various thickeners. They were called napalm. They are a viscous mass that adheres well to various surfaces and resembles appearance rubber glue. The color of the mass ranges from pink to brown depending on the thickener.

Napalm is highly flammable, but burns with a combustion temperature of 1100-12000C and a duration of 5-10 minutes. In addition, napalm B has increased adhesion even to wet surfaces and, when burned, emits toxic fumes that cause irritation to the eyes and respiratory system. It is also lighter than water, which allows it to burn on its surface.

When light metals (sodium) are added to napalm, the mixture is called "super napalm", which spontaneously ignites on a target, especially water or snow.
Metallized mixtures based on petroleum products (pyrogels) are a type of napalm mixtures with the addition of aluminum, magnesium powders or heavy petroleum products (asphalt, fuel oil) and some types of flammable polymers.

By appearance- a thick mass with a grayish tint, burning with flashes with a combustion temperature of up to 16000C, a burning time of 1-3 minutes.

Pyrogels are distinguished according to the quantitative content of the combustible base

Thermite compounds- are powdery mixtures of iron oxide and aluminum. Their compositions may include barium nitrate, sulfur, and binders (varnishes, oils). Ignition temperature 13000C, combustion temperature 30000C. burning thermite is a liquid mass that does not have an open flame, burning without access to air. Capable of burning through sheets of steel and duralumin, and melting metal objects. Used to equip incendiary mines, shells, small-caliber bombs, hand-held incendiary guarantors and checkers.

White phosphorus- a solid, waxy substance that ignites spontaneously in air and burns with the release of thick, acrid white smoke. Ignition temperature 340C, combustion temperature 12000C. It is used as a smoke-forming substance, as well as an igniter for napalm and pyrogel in incendiary ammunition.

Plasticized phosphorus- a mixture of white phosphorus with a viscous solution of synthetic rubber. It is pressed into granules, which, when broken, are crushed, acquiring the ability to stick to vertical surfaces and burn through them. Used in smoke ammunition (aircraft bombs, shells, mines, hand grenades) as an igniter in incendiary bombs and fire mines.

Electron is an alloy of magnesium, aluminum and other elements. Ignition temperature 6000C, combustion temperature 28000C. burns with a dazzling white or bluish flame. Used for the manufacture of casings for aircraft incendiary bombs.

Self-igniting incendiary mixture- consists of polyisobutylene and triethylene aluminum (liquid fuel).

Methods and means of using incendiary weapons

According to current views, ZZhO can be used independently or in combination with other means of destruction. It should be used massively, in the main direction, which ensures the greatest effectiveness of its combat use. At the same time, the use of ZZZH is organized and carried out in a system of complex fire destruction of the enemy to solve the following combat missions:

1. Rapid defeat on land and water of large masses of open and partially hidden enemy manpower.

2. Damage to transport (landing) vehicles and special equipment, both on the battlefield and in places of their accumulation and concentration.

3. Creation of extensive landscape and facility fires that destroy manpower, military equipment and material assets.

4. Destruction of buildings and structures.

5. Ensuring the effective destruction of specific targets in the tactical depth of enemy combat formations, especially when fighting in populated areas.

6. Psychological influence on enemy personnel with the aim of demoralizing him.

To solve problems of combat use in the army of a potential enemy, the following are used:

In the Air Force - incendiary aerial bombs, incendiary tanks, cassettes;

In the ground forces - artillery shells, mines, tank, self-propelled, backpack flamethrowers, incendiary grenades, fire mines.

Incendiary aviation ammunition are divided into napalm (fire) incendiary bombs and incendiary cassettes and cassette installations.

Napalm bombs- thin-walled containers made of steel and aluminum alloys with a thickness (0.5 - 0.7 mm) filled with napalm.
Napalm bombs that do not have stabilizers and an explosive projectile are called tanks. They are used on fighter-bombers and attack aircraft.
Aviation cassettes (create fires over large areas) They are disposable shells containing from 50 to 600-800 small-caliber incendiary bombs and a device that ensures their dispersion. Used in aircraft and helicopter aviation.

Artillery incendiary ammunition used in multi-barrel rocket launchers(made from thermite, electron, napalm, phosphorus).

Backpack flamethrowers, the action of which is based on the release of a fire mixture using compressed air.

Rocket launchers In addition to the incendiary grenade, they have in their ammunition a cumulative and a chemical grenade filled with a CS toxic substance.

Rifle incendiary bullets- are intended mainly to destroy manpower, as well as to ignite engines, fuel and flammable materials. Firing range - 120 m.

Incendiary smoke cartridge- is an individual infantry weapon and is designed to combat manpower and armored vehicles. It is loaded with a mixture of powdered phosphorus and magnesium. Flame temperature 1200°C. throwing range 100 m, effective 50-60 m. When burning, a large amount of smoke is released.
Fire bombs- designed to destroy manpower, equipment, as well as to strengthen explosive and non-explosive obstacles.

Protection from incendiary weapons.

Protection against incendiary weapons is carried out in order to prevent or minimize its impact on personnel, weapons and military equipment, fortifications and materiel, to prevent the occurrence and spread of fires and, if necessary, to ensure their rapid localization and extinguishing.

The main measures to protect against incendiary weapons are:

>fortification equipment of the area, taking into account protection from incendiary weapons;
>use of the protective and camouflage properties of the terrain;
>fire prevention measures;
>use of personal protective equipment and the protective properties of military equipment;
>rescue operations in affected areas;
>localization and extinguishing of fires.

Terrain fortification equipment provides effective protection personnel, weapons and military equipment and materiel from incendiary weapons. To ensure reliable protection of personnel, fortifications must be equipped taking into account the characteristics of the impact of incendiary weapons on both personnel and the structures themselves. Additional equipment includes the installation of various ceilings, canopies, and canopies. Protective ceilings are made of non-flammable or difficult to ignite materials and are covered with a layer of soil at least 10-15 cm thick. To prevent burning incendiary substances from entering the structures, exits are equipped with ditches or thresholds, and the canopies are tilted towards the parapet. Entrances to shelters are covered with mats made of non-combustible materials. The spread of fire along the trenches is prevented by installing fire breaks every 25-30 m. To coat elements of fortifications made from flammable materials, special materials or materials prepared from local resources (clay, etc.) are used.

To protect weapons and military equipment from incendiary weapons, canopies made of local materials sprinkled with soil should be installed over the shelters, and the sides should be covered with shields made of non-flammable materials or treated with protective coatings. If it is not possible to equip canopies, then the equipment is covered from above with shields or tarpaulins. If burning incendiary substances come into contact with equipment, tarpaulins and shields must be quickly discarded.

Weapons, ammunition and other property must be placed in shelters and special niches.

The use of the protective and camouflaging properties of the terrain weakens the impact of incendiary weapons on personnel, weapons and military equipment and materiel. When performing assigned tasks, while on the march and positioned on site, personnel must skillfully use the camouflage properties of the terrain, ravines, hollows, beams, underground workings, caves and other natural shelters.

Fire prevention measures are aimed at completely or partially eliminating the causes of the occurrence and development of fires. The purpose of fire prevention measures is also to create necessary conditions to successfully eliminate fires and carry out rescue operations.

Units are provided with fire-fighting equipment, personnel are trained in how to stop fires and extinguish them, weapons and military equipment are coated with fire-resistant paints, tarpaulins, covers, awnings, camouflage nets and wooden products are impregnated with fire-retardant substances. When locating units in a forest, especially in a coniferous forest, it is necessary to clear the occupied area of ​​dry grass, dead wood, and dry leaves.

In order to prevent the open wooden structures of fortifications from catching fire, they are covered with clay coating (if snow cover- a solution of lime and chalk). Car bodies are cleared of flammable materials. Weapons and various property held by personnel are placed in shelters or special niches.

To extinguish fires, it is necessary in all departments to maintain constant readiness fire-fighting equipment. To extinguish fires, fire shields are installed at the most fire-hazardous objects.

Use of personal protective equipment and protective properties of equipment. For. To protect personnel from incendiary weapons, protective suits, combined-arms protective raincoats, and gas masks are used. When burning incendiary substances come into contact with them, they are quickly discarded, and the incendiary substance is extinguished.

Equipment, especially armored equipment, is capable of reliably protecting personnel from direct contact with burning incendiary substances. To enhance the protective properties of equipment in the field, mats made of green branches, grass and other coverings can be used. Awnings, covers, tarpaulins are not secured. This allows them to be quickly reset when they catch fire. If the enemy uses incendiary weapons, the personnel quickly take their places in the equipment. Doors, hatches, inspection slots and other openings through which incendiary substances may enter are closed. If incendiary substances come into contact with equipment, it is necessary to tightly cover the burning area with any available means.

Rescue operations include: rescue of personnel, evacuation of those affected to medical facilities; rescue from fire of weapons and military equipment, material resources.

Rescue operations begin immediately after the enemy uses incendiary weapons and are carried out by the forces of the units exposed to them. Since the destructive effect of the resulting fires increases over time, the provision of self- and mutual assistance directly in the units becomes of particular importance.

Rescue of personnel consists of searching for the injured, extinguishing incendiary substances and burning uniforms on them, removing the injured to a safe place and providing them with first aid.

Providing first aid to personnel begins with extinguishing incendiary substances that have come into contact with the skin or uniform, either by the victim himself or with the help of a friend. To extinguish a small amount of an incendiary substance, it is necessary to tightly cover the burning area with a sleeve, a hollow overcoat, a raincoat, a military protective raincoat, wet clay, earth or snow. If a significant amount of an incendiary substance comes into contact with a person, extinguishing is carried out by covering the victim with an overcoat, a raincoat, a military protective raincoat, pouring abundant water on him, or covering him with earth or sand.

After extinguishing burning incendiary substances, areas of uniforms and underwear at the site of burns are carefully cut and partially removed, with the exception of burnt pieces. The remains of the extinguished incendiary substance are not removed from the burned skin, as this is painful and threatens to contaminate the burned surface. A bandage moistened with water or a 5% solution of copper sulfate is applied to the affected area; the uniform is doused with the same solution. IN summer time the bandage moistened with water should be kept moist until arrival at the medical station. In the absence of copper sulfate solution, a bandage should be applied to the affected areas of the body using an individual dressing bag.

For large burns, first aid is provided by a health instructor. Personnel who have received severe burns are sent to a medical center by order of unit commanders. In case of mild damage (redness on a limited surface or single small blisters), the victim is given first aid and left in line.

The rescue of weapons, military equipment and materiel consists of their timely evacuation from threatened areas in compliance with precautionary measures. When weapons and military equipment are exposed to incendiary weapons, a fire occurs in most cases due to the ignition of rubber tires, various coatings, and the property located on them, followed by an explosion of fuel tanks and ammunition. The time it takes for a fire to spread throughout the entire facility is 10-15 minutes, so rescue operations must be clear, decisive actions carried out in a short time. Extinguishing a burning incendiary substance on weapons and military equipment is carried out: by covering it with earth, sand, silt or snow; covering with tarpaulins, burlap, raincoats, overcoats; knocking down the flame with freshly cut branches of trees or deciduous shrubs.

Earth, sand, or snow are fairly effective and readily available means of extinguishing incendiary agents. Tarpaulins, burlap, overcoats and raincoats are used to extinguish small fires. Stewing is not recommended large quantities incendiary substance with a continuous stream of water, as this can lead to scattering (spreading) of the burning mixture.

Extinguished incendiary substances can easily ignite from a fire source, and if they contain phosphorus, they can spontaneously ignite. Therefore, extinguished pieces of incendiary substances must be carefully removed from the affected object and burned in a specially designated place.

Localization and extinguishing of fires is carried out primarily in cases where they threaten personnel, weapons and military equipment and materiel or interfere with the solution of assigned tasks, and are carried out in units on their own. Fire localization is an action aimed at limiting the spread of fire. When extinguishing a fire, complete cessation of combustion is achieved. To extinguish fires, extinguishing agents (water, solid carbon dioxide, carbon dioxide and water vapor, foam, sand, earth, snow, etc.) and fire extinguishing agents (branches) are used. deciduous trees, brooms, raincoats, tarpaulins, hisses, blankets, entrenching tools, fire extinguishers, autonomous fire-fighting installations, fire tankers, pumpers, etc.). Fires must be localized and extinguished quickly, decisively, skillfully and in strict compliance with safety requirements.

1.1. Characteristics and properties of incendiary substances

Incendiary weapon— these are incendiary substances and means of their combat use.
Incendiary weapons are designed to destroy enemy personnel, destroy their weapons and military equipment, material reserves, and also to create fires in combat areas.
The main damaging factor of incendiary weapons is the release of thermal energy and combustion products toxic to humans.

1.2. Brief characteristics of incendiary substances: napalm, pyrogel, thermite, white phosphorus

Incendiary mixtures based on petroleum products (napalm)
Incendiary mixtures based on petroleum products (napalm) can be unthickened or thickened (viscous). This is the most mass appearance incendiary mixtures with burn and incendiary effects. Unthickened incendiary mixtures are prepared from gasoline, diesel fuel or lubricating oils. Thickened mixtures are viscous, gelatinous substances consisting of gasoline or other liquid hydrocarbon fuel mixed in certain proportions with various thickeners (both flammable and non-flammable).
Metallized incendiary mixtures (pyrogels)
Metallized incendiary mixtures (pyrogels) consist of petroleum products with additives of powdered or shavings of magnesium or aluminum, oxidizing agents, liquid asphalt and heavy oils. The introduction of combustible metals into the mixture increases the combustion temperature and gives these mixtures a burning ability.
Napalms and pyrogels have the following basic properties:

• adhere well to various surfaces of weapons, military equipment, uniforms and the human body;
• are easily flammable and difficult to remove and extinguish;
• when burning, they develop a temperature of 1000-1200ºС for napalms and 1600-1800°С for pyrgels.

Napalms burn due to oxygen in the air; combustion of pyrgels occurs both due to oxygen in the air and due to the oxidizing agent included in their composition (most often salts of nitric acid).
Napalms are used to equip tank, mechanized and backpack flamethrowers, aircraft bombs and tanks, as well as fire mines various types. Pyrogels are used to equip incendiary aviation ammunition of small and medium caliber. Napalms and pyrogens are capable of causing severe burns to personnel, setting fire to equipment, and also creating fires in the area, in buildings and structures. Pyrogels, in addition, are capable of burning through thin sheets of steel and duralumin.
Termites and termite compounds
When thermites and thermite compositions burn, thermal energy is released as a result of the interaction of the oxides of one metal with another metal. Most widespread received iron-aluminum thermite compositions containing oxidizing agents and binding components. Thermites and thermite compounds, when burned, form liquid molten slag with a temperature of about 3000°C. The burning thermite mass is capable of melting elements of weapons and military equipment made of steel and various alloys. Thermite and thermite compositions burn without air access and are used to equip incendiary mines, shells, small-caliber bombs, hand-held incendiary grenades and bombs.
White phosphorus and plasticized white phosphorus
White phosphorus is a solid, poisonous, waxy substance that spontaneously ignites in air and burns, producing large amounts of acrid white smoke. The combustion temperature of phosphorus is 1200°C.
Plasticized white phosphorus is a mixture of white phosphorus with a viscous solution of synthetic rubber. Unlike ordinary phosphorus, it is more stable during storage; when ruptured, it is crushed into large, slowly burning pieces. Burning phosphorus causes severe, painful burns that take a long time to heal. It is used in artillery shells and mines, aircraft bombs, and hand grenades. As a rule, incendiary-smoke-producing ammunition is filled with white phosphorus and plasticized white phosphorus.

2. The concept of volumetric explosion ammunition

Volumetric explosion munitions, which appeared in the 1960s, will remain one of the most destructive non-nuclear munitions in this century.
The principle of their operation is quite simple: the initiating charge detonates a container with a flammable substance, which instantly forms an aerosol cloud when mixed with air; this cloud is detonated by a second detonating charge. Approximately the same effect is obtained with a household gas explosion.
Modern volumetric explosion ammunition is most often a cylinder (its length is 2-3 times its diameter) filled with a flammable substance for spraying at an optimal height above the surface.
After the ammunition is separated from the carrier at an altitude of 30-50 m, the braking parachute located in the tail of the bomb opens and the radio altimeter is activated. At a height of 7-9 m, an explosion of a conventional explosive charge occurs. In this case, the thin-walled body of the bomb is destroyed and the liquid explosive sublimes (the recipe is not given). After 100-140 milliseconds, the initiating detonator, located in a capsule attached to the parachute, explodes and the fuel-air mixture explodes.
In addition to the powerful destructive effect, volumetric explosion ammunition produces a colossal psychological effect. For example, during Operation Desert Storm, British special forces, carrying out a mission behind Iraqi troops, accidentally witnessed the use of a volumetric explosion bomb by the Americans. The effect of the charge had such an effect on the usually calm British that they were forced to break radio silence and broadcast information that the Allies had used nuclear weapons.
Volumetric explosion ammunition is 5-8 times stronger than conventional explosives in terms of shock wave strength and has colossal lethality, but at present they cannot replace conventional explosives, all conventional shells, aerial bombs and missiles for the following reasons:

• Firstly, volumetric explosion ammunition has only one damaging factor - a shock wave. They do not and cannot have a fragmentation, cumulative effect on a target;
• secondly, the brisance (i.e. the ability to crush, destroy an obstacle) of a cloud of fuel-air mixture is very low, because they use a “combustion” type explosion, while in many cases a “detonation” type explosion is required and the ability of the explosive to crush the element being destroyed. In a “detonation” type explosion, the object in the explosion zone is destroyed and broken into pieces because the rate of formation of explosion products is very high. In a “combustion” type explosion, the object in the explosion zone, due to the fact that the formation of explosion products occurs more slowly, is not destroyed, but is thrown away. Its destruction in this case is secondary, i.e. occurs during the process of being thrown away due to collision with other objects, the ground, etc.;
• thirdly, a volumetric explosion requires a large free volume and free oxygen, which is not required for the explosion of conventional explosives (it is contained in the explosive itself in bound form). That is, the phenomenon of a volumetric explosion is impossible in airless space, in water, in soil;
• fourthly, the operation of volumetric explosion ammunition is greatly influenced by weather. At strong wind In heavy rain, the fuel-air cloud either does not form at all or is greatly dispersed;
• fifthly, it is impossible and impractical to create small-caliber volumetric explosion ammunition (less than 100 kg bombs and less than 220 mm shells).

3. Use of incendiary substances

For combat use of incendiary substances the following are used:

• V air force— incendiary aircraft bombs and incendiary tanks;
• in the ground forces - artillery incendiary shells and mines, tank, mechanized, jet and backpack flamethrowers, incendiary grenades, bombs and cartridges, fire mines.

Incendiary aircraft munitions
Incendiary aircraft munitions are divided into two types:

• incendiary bombs filled with incendiary substances such as pyrogel and thermite (small and medium calibers);
• incendiary bombs (tanks) filled with incendiary compounds such as napalm.

Small caliber incendiary bombs are intended for fire destruction of wooden buildings, warehouses, railway stations, forest areas (in the dry season) and other similar targets. Along with the incendiary effect, small-caliber bombs in some cases can also have a fragmentation effect. They create fires in the form of burning small pieces of incendiary mixture within a radius of 3-5 m. The burning time of the main mass is 2-3 minutes. Bombs have a penetrating effect and are capable of penetrating into wooden buildings, vulnerable equipment such as airplanes, helicopters, radar stations, etc.
Medium caliber incendiary bombs designed to destroy industrial enterprises, city buildings, warehouses and other similar objects by fire. When they explode, they create fires in the form of separate burning pieces of incendiary mixture scattered within a radius of 12-250 m. The burning time of the bulk of the mixture pieces is 3-8 minutes.
Incendiary aircraft tanks designed to destroy manpower, as well as to create fires on the ground and in populated areas. The capacity of the tanks, depending on the caliber, is 125-400 liters; they are equipped with napalm. By design, these are thin-walled lightweight spherical-shaped tanks made of aluminum or steel alloys. When meeting an obstacle, the incendiary tank creates a volumetric zone of continuous fire for 3-5 seconds; In this zone, living forces receive severe burn injuries. The total area of ​​the continuous fire zone is 500-1500 m2, depending on the caliber. Individual pieces of incendiary mixture can be scattered over an area of ​​3000-5000 m2 and burn for up to 3-10 minutes.

Artillery incendiary (incendiary-smoke-producing) ammunition are used to set fire to wooden buildings, warehouses for fuel and lubricants, ammunition and other flammable objects. They can also be used to defeat manpower, weapons and equipment. Incendiary-smoke-producing ammunition is represented by shells and mines of various calibers, filled with white and plasticized white phosphorus. When ammunition explodes, phosphorus is scattered over a radius of up to 15-20 m, and a cloud of white smoke forms at the explosion site.
Along with phosphorus ammunition barrel artillery is in service with a potential enemy incendiary unguided rocket, designed to engage manpower and used using a portable single-rail launcher mounted from a shipping container or from a multi-barrel launcher transported on a vehicle. The volume of incendiary substance (napalm) in the rocket is 19 liters. A salvo from a 15-barrel launcher hits manpower over an area of ​​more than 2000 m2 .

Flamethrower weapons of ground forces of potential enemy armies
The principle of operation of all jet flamethrowers is based on the ejection of a jet of burning mixture by pressure of compressed air or nitrogen. When ejected from the barrel of a flamethrower, the jet is ignited by a special ignition device.
Jet flamethrowers are designed to destroy personnel located openly or in various types of fortifications, as well as to set fire to objects with wooden structures.
For backpack flamethrowers different types are characterized by the following basic data: the amount of fire mixture is 12-18 liters, the flamethrowing range of the unthickened mixture is 20-25 m, the thickened mixture is 50-60 m, the duration of continuous flamethrowing is 6-7 s. The number of shots is determined by the number of incendiary devices (up to 5 short shots).
Mechanized flamethrowers on the chassis of a light tracked amphibious armored personnel carrier, they have incendiary mixture tanks of 700-800 liters, a flamethrowing range of 150-180 m. Flamethrowing is carried out with short shots, the duration of continuous flamethrowing can reach 30 seconds.
Tank flamethrowers, being the main armament of tanks, are installed on medium tanks. The reserve of incendiary mixture is up to 1400 liters, the duration of continuous flamethrowing is 1-1.5 minutes or 20-60 short shots with a firing range of up to 230 m.
Jet flamethrower. The US Army is armed with a 4-barrel 66-mm jet flamethrower M202-A1, designed for firing at single and group targets, fortified combat positions, warehouses, dugouts and manpower at distances of up to 700 m with explosive incendiary rocket ammunition with a warhead , equipped with a self-igniting mixture in the amount of 0.6 kg in one shot.

Hand incendiary grenades
Standard samples of incendiary weapons of the army of a potential enemy are hand incendiary grenades of various types, equipped with thermite or other incendiary compounds. The maximum range when thrown by hand is up to 40 m, when fired from a rifle 150-200 m; burning duration of the main composition is up to 1 min. To destroy various materials and materiel that ignite at high temperatures, a number of armies have adopted incendiary bombs and cartridges, depending on their purpose, equipped with various incendiary compositions that have high temperature combustion.

Fire bombs
In addition to service weapons, incendiaries made from local materials are widely used. These include, first of all, various explosive devices - fire mines. Fire bombs are various metal containers (barrels, cans, ammunition boxes, etc.) filled with viscous napalm. Such landmines are installed in the ground along with other types engineering barriers. To detonate fire mines, push- or pull-action fuses are used. The radius of destruction during an explosion from a fire mine depends on its capacity, the power of the explosive charge and reaches 15-70 m.

4. Damaging effect of incendiary substances on personnel, weapons, equipment, protection against them

The damaging effect of incendiary substances is expressed in the burn effect in relation to the skin and respiratory tract of a person; in a burning action in relation to flammable materials of clothing, weapons and military equipment, terrain, buildings, etc.; in igniting action in relation to flammable and non-flammable materials and metals; in heating and saturating the atmosphere of enclosed spaces with toxic and other combustion products harmful to human habitation; in a demoralizing moral and psychological effect on manpower, reducing its ability to actively resist.

To protect personnel from the damaging effects of incendiary weapons, the following are used:

• closed fortifications (dugouts, shelters, etc.);
• tanks, infantry fighting vehicles, armored personnel carriers, covered special and transport vehicles;
• personal protective equipment for respiratory organs and skin;
• summer and winter uniforms, short fur coats, padded jackets, raincoats and capes;
• natural shelters: ravines, ditches, pits, underground workings, caves, stone buildings, fences, sheds;
• various local materials (wooden panels, flooring, mats of green branches and grass).

Fortifications: shelters, dugouts, under-parapet niches, blocked cracks, blocked sections of trenches and communication passages are the most reliable protection of personnel from the effects of incendiary weapons.
Tanks, combat vehicles infantry, armored personnel carriers with tightly closed hatches, doors, loopholes and blinds provide reliable protection personnel from incendiary weapons; vehicles covered with conventional awnings or tarpaulins provide only short-term protection, as the coverings quickly catch fire.
Personal protective equipment for respiratory organs and skin (gas masks, general protective raincoats, protective stockings and gloves), and summer and winter uniforms, sheepskin coats, padded jackets, trousers, raincoats are short-term means of protection. If burning pieces of incendiary mixture come into contact with them, they must be discarded immediately.
Summer clothing provides virtually no protection from incendiary mixtures, and its intense burning can increase the degree and size of burns.
Timely and skillful use of the protective properties of weapons, military equipment, individual and collective defense equipment significantly reduces the damaging effect of incendiary weapons and ensures the safety and protection of personnel when operating in fire zones.
In all cases of combat activity of troops in conditions of the use of incendiary weapons, personnel use personal protective equipment. Timely and correct use personal protective equipment provides reliable protection from the direct effects of incendiary substances at the time of their use by the enemy.
If the combat situation allows, it is first recommended to immediately leave the fire zone, if possible to the windward side.
A small amount of burning incendiary mixture that gets on your uniform or open areas of the body can be extinguished by tightly covering the burning area with a sleeve, a hollow jacket, damp earth or snow.
It is impossible to remove a burning incendiary mixture by wiping, as this increases the burning surface, and therefore the area of ​​damage.
If a large amount of burning incendiary mixture hits the victim, it is necessary to cover him tightly with a jacket, raincoat, general-arms protective raincoat, and pour plenty of water on him. Extinguishing burning incendiary mixtures on weapons, military equipment, fortifications and materiel is carried out: with a fire extinguisher, by covering with earth, sand, silt or snow, by covering with tarpaulin, burlap, raincoats, by knocking down the flame with freshly cut branches of trees or deciduous shrubs.
Fire extinguishers are reliable means of extinguishing fires. Earth, sand, silt and snow are quite effective and easily accessible means for extinguishing incendiary mixtures. Tarpaulins, burlap and raincoats are used to extinguish small fires.
Extinguishing a large amount of incendiary mixture with a continuous stream of water is not recommended, as this can lead to scattering (spreading) of the burning mixture.
An extinguished incendiary mixture can easily ignite again from a fire source, and if it contains phosphorus, it can spontaneously ignite. Therefore, extinguished pieces of incendiary mixture must be carefully removed from the affected object and burned in a specially designated place or buried.

To protect weapons and military equipment from incendiary weapons, the following are used:

• trenches and shelters equipped with ceilings;
• natural shelters (forests, beams, hollows);
• tarpaulins, awnings and covers;
• coverings made from local materials; service and local fire extinguishing means.

Tarpaulins, awnings and covers protect against incendiary substances for a short time, therefore, when weapons and military equipment are located on site, they are not fastened (not tied) and when burning incendiary substances come into contact with them, they are quickly thrown to the ground and extinguished.

To protect personnel from the damaging effects of incendiary weapons, use:

closed fortifications; -weapons and military equipment;

natural shelters (ravines, pits, underground workings, caves, stone buildings), as well as various local materials (boards, flooring, mats of branches and grass);

personal protective equipment for skin and respiratory organs;

overcoats, pea coats, padded jackets, short fur coats, raincoats, raincoats, available in supply.

Fortifications (shelters, dugouts, niches under parapets, blocked cracks, blocked sections of trenches and communication passages) are the most reliable protection of personnel from the effects of incendiary weapons.

Tanks, infantry fighting vehicles, armored personnel carriers with tightly closed hatches, doors, loopholes and blinds provide reliable protection for personnel from incendiary weapons.

Vehicles covered with conventional awnings or tarps provide only short-term protection due to the rapid combustion of the coatings.

Personal protective equipment for the respiratory system and skin (gas masks, general protective raincoats, protective stockings and gloves), as well as overcoats, pea coats, short fur coats, padded jackets, trousers, raincoats and capes are short-term means of protection, if they come into contact with burning pieces of incendiary substances must be dropped immediately.

Summer cotton clothing practically does not protect against incendiary substances, and its intense burning can increase the degree and size of burns.

Local materials - mats of branches, grass and other coverings - are used by personnel to protect against incendiary weapons immediately at the time of their use by the enemy. Covers that catch fire are immediately discarded.

First aid begins with extinguishing the victim himself or with the help of a friend of incendiary substances that have come into contact with the skin or clothing.

To immediately stop exposure to flames, you must quickly remove clothing and protective equipment that has come into contact with the incendiary substance.

If it is not possible to throw off clothes, the flame is extinguished in the following ways:

cover the burning area with any thick fabric, overcoat, raincoat, tarpaulin, hat, cap, stopping the access of air to it, and extinguish the fire; cover the burning area with sand and earth; immerse the affected area in water, especially when extinguishing self-igniting and phosphorus incendiary mixtures;

extinguish napalm, pyrogel, phosphorus using fire extinguishers, preferably air-foam and powder;

extinguish self-igniting mixtures based on trethyl aluminum with carbon dioxide or powder fire extinguishers (type OP-1);

lie on the ground or any non-burning surface and press the burning areas of clothing onto it.

If several areas of clothing are burning at the same time on two or more sides, you need to knock out the flames by rolling on the ground.

Do not extinguish incendiary substances by knocking out the flame with unprotected hands.

To protect yourself from incendiary substances, you must leave the fire, first covering your nose and mouth with a damp cloth (handkerchief, towel).

Pieces of phosphorus and incendiary mixture that fall into exposed skin areas are removed without smearing them over the body.

Burn victims should “protect the burned areas from contamination and administer an analgesic from a personal first aid kit. For severely affected people, this is done by a sanitary instructor.

If you are affected by toxic combustion products and, as a result, there is a sharp weakening or cessation of breathing, artificial respiration should be performed using the “mouth to mouth” or “mouth to nose” method.

For those who have lost consciousness, sprinkle water on their face, unbutton their clothes, and bring cotton wool soaked in a solution of ammonia (ammonia) to their nose. For preventive purposes, it is necessary to give antibiotics from an individual first aid kit, and in case of nausea, an anti-emetic drug. The burn area, especially if there are blisters and skin detachment, must be bandaged with an individual dressing package.

In the absence of standard dressings, use any clean cloth (towel, underwear).

For extensive burns of the body and limbs, aseptic burn dressings are used, applied by a nurse or a health instructor.

If burns to the extremities are combined with gunshot wounds and bone damage, then it is necessary to stop the bleeding and apply a standard splint or a splint made from local remedies.

Burns caused by a self-igniting mixture containing phosphorus may re-ignite. For such burns, it is necessary to apply a bandage moistened with a 5% aqueous solution of copper sulfate or a 5% solution of potassium permanganate, and in their absence, with water. Before applying a bandage, do not remove any remaining adhering skin, unburned mixture or slag from the burned areas, pierce or cut off blisters. It is necessary to clean the affected surface from sand and soil. The clothing over the affected areas is cut or ripped along the seams. You should not take off all your clothes, especially in cold weather.

In case of burns that damage the eyes, victims must be removed or removed from the lesion. When providing first aid, place a special ophthalmic medicinal film (OMF) in the lower eyelid as self- and mutual aid and apply an antiseptic bandage from an individual dressing package. Do not rinse the injured eye with water.

Those affected by burns experience thirst, which must be quenched with water or hot tea. For extensive burns, especially in cold weather, the victim should be given plenty of fluids (preferably a hot solution containing two teaspoons of salt and baking soda per liter of water).

After providing first aid, the injured are evacuated to the battalion medical center in a order determined by the severity of the injury. People who are unconscious and with extensive burns are the first to be evacuated.

At the battalion medical station, bandages are more skillfully applied and simple anti-shock measures are carried out (painkillers and cardiovascular drugs are administered).

At the regiment's medical station and in the medical battalion, assistance to burn patients is aimed at preventing and combating shock, eliminating acute respiratory disorders and the consequences of poisoning by combustion products of incendiary substances, protecting the body from cooling and preventing infectious complications.

Further medical care and treatment is carried out in specialized hospitals.

23.2. Protection of weapons, military equipment and fortifications

To protect weapons and military equipment from incendiary weapons, use:

trenches and shelters equipped with ceilings; natural shelters (beams, hollows, caves, workings);

tarpaulins, awnings and covers;

coverings made from local materials; standard and local fire extinguishing agents. Weapons, military equipment, ammunition located outside shelters or in shelters without ceilings are covered with tarpaulins, awnings that are not fastened (not tied), or local protective materials and camouflaged.

It is necessary to equip trenches and shelters for weapons, military equipment and ammunition with ceilings. Artillery ammunition stored in firing positions in niches and cellars in small batches.

Portable radio stations are also hidden in niches, and cable communication lines are buried in the ground to a depth of 15-20 cm!

The following can be used as coatings from local materials:

mats made of grass, reeds and fresh brushwood, which are coated with clay solutions;

sheet iron, sheet asbestos and other non-combustible materials.

If incendiary substances come into contact with them, the coatings are removed.

To protect fortifications from fire and fire, the following is provided:

covering flammable surfaces with a layer of earth; removal of flammable items and coating of clothing with fire retardant compounds on steep surfaces and open elements of structures made of flammable materials;

equipping closed structures with tightly closing doors and panels;

the use of fire-resistant service and local camouflage ceilings and materials impregnated with non-protective compounds;

installation of thresholds at the entrances to structures to prevent the possibility of burning incendiary mixture flowing into them;

installation of fire breaks in the clothing of steep trenches and communication passages with a width of at least 2 m every 40-50 mn of entrances to shelters;

installation of ditches on parapets and cross-beams of trenches to collect fire mixture.

In winter conditions, snow vaults and snow-brush floors are sufficiently resistant to the effects of incendiary weapons and can be used as means of protection.

Fire retardant coatings in the form of coatings, paints and impregnations are used to protect various materials from hazardous liquids.

Fire-retardant coatings, paints and impregnations significantly increase the resistance of wood to combustion, and some of them, when heated, turn into a gaseous state and protect the material from burning with a gas shell, while others melt (liquid glass, alum, borax), forming a protective non-flammable layer on the surface of the wood.

Lime or cement plaster on shingles, previously soaked in a clay solution, as well as asbestos cardboard 2-2.5 mm thick can be used as a fire-resistant and low-heat-conducting material.

Impregnation (coating) of wood (car bodies, wooden parts of various military equipment), as well as tarpaulins and covers with fire retardant compounds is much more effective than coating and painting, since impregnated materials usually do not burn, but only char in places of direct exposure to fire.

The following are used as fire-retardant coatings: thickly diluted clay - 1 volume, sand - 5-6 volumes, lime dough - 1 volume;

thickly diluted clay - 4 volumes, sawdust - 4 volumes, lime dough - 1 volume;

liquid clay - 5 volumes, lime paste - 1 volume, gypsum - 1 volume, sand - 7 volumes;

lime dough - 7 volumes, clay - 1 volume, table salt - 1 volume, water - 1 volume;

superphosphate - 7 volumes, water - 3 volumes; liquid glass - 50%, ground brick - 10%, clay - 40%;

15% solution of perchlorovinyl resin in organic solvent - 20%, cement - 35%, sawdust - 18%, asbestos - 7%, sand - 20%.

Thickly diluted coatings are applied to the surface using a spatula or directly with your hands, and liquid ones - with a brush; The layer thickness should be 0.5-1 cm, which is achieved by coating two or three times. The second (third) layer is applied after the previous layer has completely dried.

Non-moisture resistant coatings made by troops from local materials:

clay - 1 volume, quicklime - 2 volumes; clay - 1 volume, quicklime - 2 volumes, sand - 10 volumes, cement - 5 volumes;

clay - 2-4 volumes, quicklime - 1 volume, gypsum - 1-2 volumes;

clay - 3 volumes, quicklime - 2 volumes, cement - 5 volumes.

Before use, the listed compositions are mixed with liquid solutions of any adhesives, for example with a 5% solution of starch glue.

Impregnations are non-waterproof, temporary, prepared by the troops before use:

water - 90% parts by mass, monoammonium phosphate or diammonium phosphate - 10 parts by mass;

water - 80 parts by mass, ammonium chloride - 8 parts by mass, hyposulfite - 2 parts by mass, ammonium sulfate - 10 parts by mass;

water - 80 parts by mass, ammonium chloride - 13 parts by mass, ammonium phosphate - 4 parts by mass, borax - 3 parts by mass;

a mixture of solutions of ammonium phosphate and ammonium sulfate in a ratio of 3: 7.

Impregnation of fire-resistant fabrics and paper materials They are produced by immersing them in the solution for 15-20 minutes, then the material is wrung out and dried. The validity period of impregnations depends on their leaching by precipitation.

The listed impregnations are not used to cover tarpaulins and raincoat fabric, since they are impregnated with a water-repellent composition.

PVC-T enamel and varnish are also used to protect against harmful chemicals.

The thickness of the fire-retardant layer of enamel (varnish) should be 1-2 mm, which is achieved by applying the composition twice to the protected surface using a brush or spray.

The quality of painting is checked after the material has dried, for which the ribbon of painted material is set on fire so that the tested piece is in the flame for 30 s. In this case, burning of the painted material should occur only in places of contact with the flame and, after removal from the fire, immediately stop without smoldering.

When impregnating, you should use a protective apron and rubber gloves. After finishing work, you must wash your hands and face, as well as the containers in which the materials were soaked.

23.3. Protection of ammunition, fuel and other materiel

To protect ammunition, fuel and other materiel from the effects of incendiary weapons, natural shelters, fortifications, awnings and tarpaulins, coverings made from local materials, and fire extinguishing agents are used.

Fuel containers are coated with fire-retardant paints. After filling with fuel, the necks of the containers are thoroughly wiped with a rag, the drips are removed and the spilled fuel is covered with sand.

To store ammunition and fuel in the military rear, pit and trench type shelters are equipped.

Explosives in containers, containers with fuel in trench and pit-type shelters are covered on top with rolled material and brushwood, followed by sprinkling them with a layer of soil 10-15 cm thick.

Explosives are transported in packaging covered with tarpaulins, on vehicles equipped with fire extinguishing equipment, and stored in niches and cellars, the entrances to which are covered with shields (curtains) made of non-flammable materials.

23.4. Basic measures to protect troops from incendiary weapons

Protection of troops from incendiary weapons is organized with the goal of preventing or maximally weakening their impact on troops, maintaining their combat effectiveness and ensuring that they carry out their assigned combat missions, as well as preventing the occurrence and spread of massive fires and, if necessary, ensuring their localization and extinguishing.

The organization of protection of troops from incendiary weapons is carried out by commanders and staffs of all levels in all types of combat activities of troops simultaneously with the organization of protection from other means mass destruction.

The general management of the organization of protection against incendiary weapons is carried out by the commander. It defines the most important events and deadlines for their implementation.

Based on the commander’s decision, the headquarters, together with the service chiefs, develops measures to protect units (units) from incendiary weapons and monitors the implementation of these measures.

Service chiefs, in addition, organize the implementation of planned activities in subordinate units and subunits and provide them with forces and means to extinguish the fire and indicate the procedure for their use.

The main measures to protect against incendiary weapons are:

forecasting the occurrence and spread of fires;

conducting continuous reconnaissance and surveillance, timely detection of enemy preparations for the use of incendiary weapons;

timely warning of troops about the threat and the beginning of the use of incendiary weapons;

dispersal of troops and periodic change of areas where they are located;

engineering equipment of the location areas

use of the protective and camouflage properties of the terrain, the protective properties of weapons and military equipment, individual and collective protective equipment;

providing troops with the necessary fire-fighting forces and means and carrying out fire-fighting measures;

ensuring the safety and protection of troops when operating in the zone of massive fires;

identifying and eliminating the consequences of the enemy’s use of incendiary weapons.

Forecasting the occurrence and spread of fires is carried out by unit headquarters in order to determine the possible size, direction and speed of fire spread.

The initial data for predicting the spread of fires are the possible areas and extent of the enemy's use of incendiary weapons, the presence of flammable materials in these areas and along the path of the fire, and weather conditions.

Headquarters receive this data1 from subordinate units (subunits), military and engineering intelligence units, observation posts, as well as as a result of assessment on the map with subsequent clarification on the ground.

Continuous reconnaissance and observation are carried out in order to timely detect the preparation and start of the use of incendiary weapons by the enemy, the beginning of a fire, its scale, direction and speed of its spread, as well as the degree of destruction of weapons and military equipment and materiel. Observation is carried out by all observers (observation posts) of units and subunits.

Scouts and observers immediately report to the commander (superior) about the preparation and commencement of the use of incendiary weapons by the enemy and the outbreak of a fire.

Reconnaissance is also carried out in order to provide the commander with the necessary data to make decisions on extinguishing fires that have arisen in areas intended to be occupied by units and subunits, in reserve areas and on troop routes. For fire reconnaissance, patrols of 2-3 people are sent in vehicles (infantry fighting vehicles, armored personnel carriers, tanks) or on airplanes (helicopters).

When conducting reconnaissance, the main attention is paid to determining the fire hazard of areas where personnel, weapons and military equipment are located in the event of the use of incendiary weapons, the impact on fighting troops of possible fires; support strips are determined to localize the fire.

Warning troops of the imminent threat of enemy use of incendiary weapons is carried out by the relevant commanders and headquarters on the basis of intelligence data. Notification of the enemy's use of incendiary weapons is carried out by an established signal in order to immediately take protective measures.

The dispersal of troops and the periodic change of areas where they are located is carried out in order to minimize the losses of units, as well as to make it difficult for the enemy to detect and select targets for destruction with incendiary weapons. A change in the disposition of troops is carried out on the instructions or with the permission of the senior commander (chief) secretly and in a short time.

Engineering equipment in areas where troops are located for the purpose of protection against incendiary weapons consists of constructing fortifications.

Timely and skillful use of the protective properties of weapons and military equipment and means of individual and collective protection significantly reduces the damaging effect of incendiary weapons and ensures the safety and protection of personnel when operating in fire zones.

The use of the protective and camouflaging properties of the terrain weakens the damaging effect of enemy incendiary weapons on personnel. When using the protective properties of the area, it should be taken into account that forests, hollows, ravines, caves and mine workings contribute to prolonged stagnation of combustion products and change the direction of spread of the smoke cloud.

To extinguish fires, commanders allocate units with standard equipment, standard fire extinguishing equipment and prepared local materials.

In the areas where units are located, at control points and communication centers, at firing and launch positions, as well as at other fire-hazardous objects, fire extinguishing means are prepared in advance.

Identification of the consequences of the enemy's use of incendiary weapons is carried out by engineering reconnaissance in order to determine the losses of personnel, weapons, military equipment and material reserves, the nature and scope of work to eliminate the consequences of the use of incendiary weapons. Based on its data, routes for the removal of evacuated personnel, weapons, and military equipment from fires are outlined, the scope of rescue work and entry routes into the fire area for forces and means assigned to eliminate the consequences of the enemy’s use of incendiary weapons are determined.

Fire prevention measures are carried out in order to completely or partially eliminate the causes of the occurrence and spread of fires, as well as create the necessary conditions to combat them if they occur. These include:

removal of flammable objects, dry grass located near the location of units, fortifications and warehouses;

construction of firebreaks (clearings) and breaks during troop operations in the forest and populated areas, as well as during troop operations in the steppe in the presence of dry vegetation;

the use of fire-retardant coatings and coatings to protect flammable elements of fortifications;

use of fire-resistant camouflage agents and materials.

Troops, located in forests and populated areas, must carry out work aimed at improving the fire-fighting situation, that is, creating fire breaks and using existing clearings, roads, riverbeds and streams. To clear burning forest debris on the exit routes from the fire area and to ensure the advancement of columns, track-layers or tanks with BTUs, tractors and other vehicles with attached equipment are allocated.

If time and resources are available, the troops, located in the forest, will equip barrier strips and clearings.

Soil barrier strips are made 1-4 m wide by exposing the soil, cutting turf, plowing or cutting trenches. For this purpose, various engineering earth-moving machines, explosive substances and national economic equipment are used.

Fire clearings in the forest are arranged with a width of at least two tree heights at a distance of 2-4 km, one clearing from another. The width of firebreaks in populated areas is 50 m. Engineering equipment is used for their installation (23.1),

By organizing the battle, the movement of troops and their occupation of various areas, unit commanders determine the measures that need to be taken to protect them from being hit by incendiary weapons, and allocate the necessary forces and means for this.

When organizing a march, you should avoid sections of routes that pass through areas with dry vegetation, as well as through settlements with dense construction of a large number of flammable buildings.

If it is impossible to bypass them, a track-layer and a tank with a BTU should go ahead of the column to create passages in the burning rubble.

When the enemy uses incendiary weapons on troops marching, fires in weapons and military equipment are immediately extinguished, columns of units are quickly withdrawn from the fire zone forward or to the side perpendicular to the direction of the wind or to the windward side, after which the movement continues.

In the area of ​​concentration or in the initial area for an offensive, troops use the protective properties of the terrain, weapons and military equipment, as well as fortifications to protect against incendiary weapons. If this area is located in a forest or in an area with dry vegetation, provision is made for the rapid withdrawal of troops to reserve areas. For this purpose, units are positioned in such an order that would allow them to quickly reach an open place (into a reserve area), while maintaining readiness for further actions.

During the offensive, to protect against damage from incendiary weapons, personnel use personal protective equipment, the protective properties of weapons, military equipment and terrain.

At the same time, protection of personnel, weapons and military equipment from fire is carried out without stopping the offensive. The first echelon of the attackers carries out only urgent measures to eliminate the consequences of the use of incendiary weapons. Extinguishing the outbreaks of fires is assigned to units ([units) of the second echelon or reserve.

In the event that troops are forced to take up defensive positions in fire-hazardous areas, special attention is paid to clearing them of flammable materials (buildings), creating the necessary reserves of fire extinguishing agents, as well as equipping shelters to protect against incendiary weapons.

When the enemy uses incendiary weapons against the defending troops, all measures to protect personnel, weapons and military equipment are carried out immediately.

The main methods of action of troops in conditions of massive fires are: bypassing areas of intense burning; overcoming fire zones on the move; overcoming fire zones using completed passages; overcoming fire zones after their self-liquidation.

When positioning the position areas of missile and anti-aircraft missile units and subunits in the forest, firing positions of the barrel and rocket artillery in areas with tall vegetation and bushes, it is necessary to fence them with firebreaks and have equipped routes for the withdrawal of units (units) to reserve areas.

In positional areas, at firing positions, shelters are created to protect personnel, missiles, combat units, launchers, ammunition and other military equipment from incendiary weapons.

Protection airborne assault from incendiary weapons in the initial areas for landing is prepared in advance and carried out by the forces and means of the landing force, and at landing airfields, in addition, using the forces and means of extinguishing fires of aviation technical units and subunits.

In case of massive use of incendiary weapons by the enemy at landing airfields, loading into aircraft (helicopters) is stopped, personnel take measures to protect aircraft, weapons and military equipment from fire and extinguish fires.

When the enemy uses incendiary weapons during the airdrop (landing) of troops in the landing area, units take immediate action.

protection, quickly leave the zone affected by fire and, at the direction of the commander, begin to extinguish fires that directly interfere with the accomplishment of the assigned combat mission.

When the enemy uses incendiary weapons against aviation at airfields and the formation of dangerous fires, measures are taken to rescue personnel, aircraft (helicopters), ammunition, aviation equipment and to eliminate fires, primarily in areas where ammunition and fuel are located.

If a fire occurs inside an aircraft (helicopter), all available fire extinguishing means are used. Fire extinguishing agents are supplied through appropriate hatches or casing. Special attention addresses the provision of ammunition cooling, gas cylinders and fuel tanks to prevent their explosion.

Fire extinguishing is carried out by regular and non-regular fire brigades, as well as allocated duty fire crews and units.

23.5. Elimination of the consequences of the enemy's use of incendiary weapons

Elimination of the consequences of the enemy’s use of incendiary weapons is achieved by performing the following tasks:

reconnaissance of emerging fires (areas); withdrawal of units (units) from fires (areas) of fires, provision of first aid to victims and their treatment;

saving weapons, military equipment, and materiel from fire;

extinguishing (localizing, eliminating) fires; monitoring the fire area to prevent re-ignitions.

Elimination of consequences is carried out by forces and means of troops without stopping their combat missions with the involvement of special troops and services. Reconnaissance of emerging fires (areas)

determine: nearby bodies of water, roads, clearings, streams, ditches, wetlands and hollows that can be used when organizing fire fighting; the size of the fire that has arisen; paths and conditions conducive to the spread of fire, speed and direction of its movement; what equipment and military property are burning; cluttered areas of forest and terrain that contribute to the development and spread of fire.

The withdrawal of units (units) from hotbeds (areas) of fires is the main task of the commander and staff and consists of identifying roads (clearings, routes) that are the least dangerous for withdrawal, searching for the injured, providing them with first aid, and preventing damage to the respiratory organs of personnel from toxic products combustion and general overheating of the body, removal (removal) of those affected to a safe place.

Rescue from fire from weapons, military equipment, etc. material means timely evacuation from the fire area. At the same time, fires on equipment must be extinguished.

Extinguishing a burning incendiary mixture in weapons, military equipment and structures is carried out:

using fire extinguishers, fire tankers and pump trucks;

falling asleep with earth, sand, silt, snow; covering with tarpaulin, burlap, raincoats, overcoats, thick fabrics, etc.;

knocking down the flame with freshly cut branches of trees or deciduous shrubs.

An extinguished incendiary mixture easily ignites again if it contains phosphorus. Therefore, the extinguished pieces of the incendiary mixture are removed from the facility and burned in specially designated areas or covered.

Fire localization is actions aimed at limiting the spread of fire. When the fire is extinguished, complete cessation of combustion is achieved. Typically, localization is integral part, the first stage of fire suppression measures.

In some cases, as a result of localization, the ultimate goal of fighting a fire is achieved - its elimination.

Troops extinguish fires in areas where combat missions are carried out and in places where there is a threat to personnel, weapons, military equipment and materiel. To extinguish fires, reserves of water, sand and other fire extinguishing agents are created in advance.

In all cases of fire occurrence and detection in areas of combat operations and the location of troops, warehouses and bases, measures must be immediately taken to extinguish them.

With the mechanized method of extinguishing ground fires, the soil is cut off at a distance of 3-4 m from the edge of the fire, moved to the source of the fire and dumped onto the edge of the fire.

With the manual method, the personnel of the units assigned to extinguish the fire are located on the border of the burning area at intervals of 3-5 m from each other and cover the edge of the fire with soil, creating a strip up to 1 m wide.

If the enemy uses incendiary weapons in the forest, ground fires are extinguished by filling the edge of the fire with soil, pouring water, chemical solutions, and knocking out the flames with deciduous branches. Knocking down flames with branches of deciduous trees is used to extinguish weak ground fires.

Extinguishing ground fires is carried out, as a rule, by a combination in various ways and techniques.

When localizing crown fires, the correct choice of stopping point is very important. For this purpose, barriers are created or counter fire is launched. Barrier strips for localizing crown fires must be wide enough (at least two tree heights). Launching a counter fire is the most effective way to localize overhead fires, but due to the risk of intensifying the fire and the particular difficulty in organizing it, it is usually launched with the permission of the senior commander. When localizing fires over an area of ​​more than 100 hectares, the most reliable way- launching counter-ground fire.

When extinguishing underground peat fires, you must:

dig around the fire area with ditches 0.7-1 m wide and deep until mineral soil or a layer of peat covered with water is exposed;

cut down trees growing along the edges of the ditch and move them away from the fire;

fill the smoldering vegetation along the edges of the ditch with water or cover it with earth;

Take special care when working to avoid people and equipment falling into burnt areas of the peat layer of soil.

After extinguishing forest and peat fires, fire stations are set up to monitor the fire site.

Weak steppe fires (at wind speeds of up to 3 m/s) are extinguished by sweeping, knocking down, rubbing the edges with brooms from deciduous branches and pouring water. More severe fires are localized by constructing barrier strips up to 20 m wide, the edges of which are dug in and the middle is burned out.

When a steppe fire spreads at a speed of 15-20 km/h, the reference line for launching an oncoming fire is selected at a distance of 7-10 km from the fire front.

The number of possible outbreaks that arise when the enemy uses incendiary weapons can be significantly reduced by the advance implementation of fire prevention measures.

For successful operations in conditions of the use of incendiary weapons and mass fires great importance acquires training in fire safety equipment. Such training, firstly, will ensure the safety of the equipment itself and thereby the combat effectiveness of the units; secondly, the fire fighting equipment of the vehicles will provide reliable protection for personnel.

Fire-prevention preparation of weapons and military equipment consists of increasing their fire resistance (coating metal and wooden surfaces with fire-retardant paints, impregnating fabric materials with fire-retardant solutions), removing or isolating flammable materials, and adapting machines equipped with containers and pumps to extinguish fires.

For actions in conditions of massive fires, it is of great importance to maintain constant readiness and a complete set of standard fire-fighting equipment at each facility.

Protecting troops from incendiary weapons, preventing and fighting fires is a complex and time-consuming process. Therefore, preparing troops for action in conditions of massive enemy use of incendiary weapons in modern conditions is an objective necessity.

An important place in the system of conventional weapons belongs to incendiary weapons, which are a set of weapons based on the use of incendiary substances.

According to the American classification, incendiary weapons are classified as weapons of mass destruction. The ability of incendiary weapons to have a strong psychological effect on the enemy is also taken into account. The use of incendiary weapons by a potential enemy can lead to massive damage to personnel, weapons, equipment and other materiel, the occurrence of fires and smoke over large areas, which will have a significant impact on the methods of action of troops and will significantly complicate their performance of their combat missions.

Incendiary weapons include incendiary substances and means of their use.

1. Incendiary substances

The basis of modern incendiary weapons are incendiary substances, which are used to equip incendiary ammunition and flamethrowers.

All US Army incendiaries are divided into three main groups:
- based on petroleum products;
- metallized incendiary mixtures;
- thermite and thermite compounds.

A special group of incendiary substances consists of ordinary and plasticized phosphorus, alkali metals, as well as a mixture based on triethylene aluminum, which is self-igniting in air.

a) Incendiaries based on petroleum products are divided into unthickened (liquid) and thickened (viscous). To prepare the latter, special thickeners and flammable substances are used. Napalm is the most widely used petroleum-based incendiary.

Napalms are incendiary substances that do not contain an oxidizer and burn when combined with oxygen in the air. They are jelly-like, viscous substances with strong adhesion and a high combustion temperature. Napalm is obtained by adding a special thickener powder to liquid fuel, usually gasoline. Napalm usually contains 3 - 10 percent thickener and 90 - 97 percent gasoline.

Gasoline-based napalms have a density of 0.8-0.9 grams per cubic centimeter. They have the ability to easily ignite and develop temperatures of up to 1000 - 1200 degrees. The duration of napalm burning is 5 - 10 minutes. They easily stick to various types of surfaces and are difficult to extinguish.

The most effective is napalm B, adopted by the US Army in 1966. It is characterized by good flammability and increased adhesion even to wet surfaces, and is capable of creating a high-temperature (1000 - 1200 degrees) fire with a burning duration of 5 - 10 minutes. Napalm B is lighter than water, so it floats on its surface, while retaining the ability to burn, which makes it much more difficult to eliminate fires. Napalm B burns with a smoking flame, saturating the air with caustic hot gases. When heated, it liquefies and acquires the ability to penetrate shelters and equipment. Contact with unprotected skin of even 1 gram of burning napalm B can cause severe injuries. Complete destruction of openly located manpower is achieved at a napalm consumption rate 4 - 5 times less than high-explosive fragmentation ammunition. Napalm B can be prepared directly in the field.

b) Metallized mixtures are used to increase the spontaneous ignition of napalm on wet surfaces and on snow. If you add powdered or shavings of magnesium to napalm, as well as coal, asphalt, saltpeter and other substances, you get a mixture called pyrogel. The combustion temperature of pyrogens reaches 1600 degrees. Unlike ordinary napalm, pyrogens are heavier than water and burn for only 1 to 3 minutes. When pyrogel gets on a person, it causes deep burns not only on open areas of the body, but also on those covered by uniform, since it is very difficult to remove clothes while the pyrogel is burning.

c) Thermite compounds have been used for a relatively long time. Their action is based on a reaction in which crushed aluminum combines with the oxides of refractory metals, releasing a large amount of heat. For military purposes, the powder of a thermite mixture (usually aluminum and iron oxides) is pressed. Burning thermite heats up to 3000 degrees. At this temperature, brick and concrete crack, iron and steel burn. As an incendiary, thermite has the disadvantage that when it burns, no flame is formed, so 40-50 percent of powdered magnesium, drying oil, rosin and various oxygen-rich compounds are added to thermite.

d) White phosphorus is a white, translucent, wax-like solid. It is capable of self-ignition when combining with oxygen in the air. Combustion temperature 900 - 1200 degrees.

White phosphorus is used as a smoke-forming substance and also as an igniter for napalm and pyrogel in incendiary ammunition. Plasticized phosphorus (with rubber additives) acquires the ability to stick to vertical surfaces and burn through them. This allows it to be used for loading bombs, mines, and shells.

e) Alkali metals, especially potassium and sodium, have the property of reacting violently with water and igniting. Due to the fact that alkali metals are dangerous to handle, they were not found self-use and are usually used to ignite napalm.

2. Means of application

Modern US Army incendiary weapons include:
- napalm (fire) bombs;
- aviation incendiary bombs;
- aviation incendiary cassettes;
- aviation cassette installations;
- artillery incendiary ammunition flamethrowers;
- rocket-propelled incendiary grenade launchers;
- fire (incendiary) landmines.

a) Napalm bombs are thin-walled containers filled with thickened substances. Currently, US air forces are armed with napalm bombs ranging from 250 to 1000 pounds in caliber. Unlike other ammunition, napalm bombs create a three-dimensional lesion. At the same time, the area affected by 750-pound caliber ammunition of openly located personnel is about 4 thousand square meters, the rise of smoke and flame is several tens of meters.

b) Aviation incendiary bombs of small calibers - from one to ten pounds - are used, as a rule, in cassettes. They are usually loaded with thermites. Due to their insignificant mass, bombs of this group create separate sources of fire, thus being incendiary ammunition.

c) Aviation incendiary cartridges are intended to create fires over large areas. They are disposable shells containing from 50 to 600 - 800 small-caliber incendiary bombs and a device that ensures their dispersion over a large area during combat use.

d) Aviation cassette installations have a purpose and equipment similar to aviation incendiary cassettes, but unlike them, they are reusable devices.

e) Artillery incendiary ammunition is made on the basis of thermite, napalm, and phosphorus. Thermite segments, tubes filled with napalm, and pieces of phosphorus scattered during the explosion of one ammunition can cause the ignition of flammable materials over an area of ​​30 - 60 square meters. The duration of burning of thermite segments is 15 - 30 seconds.

f) Flamethrowers are effective incendiary weapons for infantry units. They are devices that emit a stream of burning fire mixture using compressed gas pressure.

g) Rocket incendiary grenade launchers have a much longer firing range and are more economical than grenade launchers.

• See article: Flamethrowers RPO Shmel and Lynx

Fire (incendiary) land mines are intended to be used mainly to destroy manpower and transport equipment, as well as to strengthen explosive and non-explosive barriers.

Based on materials freely distributed on the Internet