From: RustyÿBullethole, [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Britain works on grenade that goes through walls
By Michael Smith Defence Correspondent
BRITAIN is developing an urban warfare grenade that
can be fired through the wall of a building to disable
all those inside.
Larger versions of the bomb have been widely
criticised by human rights groups because they are
indiscriminate, killing many civilians if used in urban
areas.
The bomb releases a cloud of inflammable gas, vapour,
or explosive particles which is then detonated. The shock
wave and vacuum pressure destroy the internal organs of
anyone within range. The effects can be horrific, with liver
and spleen ruptured, lungs collapsed and eyes forced out of
their sockets.
The weapon, previously known as the fuel air bomb, was
developed during the Vietnam War as an alternative to napalm
for deforestation of areas used by Viet Cong guerrillas. It
was also used in the desert against Iraq's Republican Guard
during the Gulf War. It achieved notoriety from its use by
the Russians in Chechnya, where substantial numbers of civilians
were killed.
The largest ones have a destruction range similar to that
of a small thermo-nuclear device, but the Ministry of Defence
stressed that the weapon being developed for the Army was
hand-held, with a much smaller range.
Menzies Campbell, Liberal Democrat defence spokesman, said
it was difficult to see how it might be used without breaching
the spirit of the Geneva Convention. He called on the Government
to take the lead in drawing up an agreement limiting their use.
He said: "I think a lot of people will be surprised to learn that
the MoD is taking such an interest in a weapon designed for
offensive, urban warfare.
"These weapons can inflict terrible injury in human beings,
whether hand-held or not. Dum-dum bullets are outlawed by
international convention. Should not these weapons be treated in
the same way?"
The MoD said British Armed Forces did not have such
weapons, but, given that they had existed for some time, it
would be "irresponsible" not to consider their possible use. A
spokesman said that the hand-held weapons would be for use in
circumstances such as the Balkan wars, where infantry came up
against heavily fortified positions in concrete or brick
buildings or bunkers,.
The spokesman said: "This is intended to be a lightweight,
precision weapon which must be capable of being fired by a single
soldier and of penetrating the wall of a building rather than
having to be fired through a door or a window. It must have a
limited area of effect such that it can be safely used at ranges
as close as 30 metres without risk of injury to either our troops
or civilians nearby."
The weapon, which will weigh no more than 22lb, and will be
based on explosive particles rather than flammable vapour or gas,
will have a maximum range of at least 185 yards.
It is being developed at the Defence Evaluation and Research
Agency site at Fort Halstead, near Rochester, Kent. Major Ian Orr,
head of the team investigating weapons for use in built-up areas,
told Radio 4's Today programme that it was also looking at ways
of protecting soldiers from the effects of similar enemy weapons.
"These things are out there. We have got to acknowledge that. We
cannot legally produce something which is a flame weapon but we
can produce something which is a blast weapon."
Hand-held thermobaric devices were developed by Russia and
used in Afghanistan against guerrillas in buildings, caves and
tunnels. The grenade of a Russian RPO70 Schmel, known to the
guerrillas as "Satan Sticks", has a destruction area of 50 square
metres.
Telegraph picture http://www.telegraph.co.uk/graphics/01/1/5/ngrenbig.gif
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