By Adrian Blomfield in Moscow
Last Updated: 2:26am BST 12/09/2007


Russia has delivered a belligerent message of defiance to the West after army generals claimed to have tested "the father of all bombs".
Developed in secret, the unchristened bomb, a vacuum device capable of emitting shockwaves as powerful as a nuclear weapon, was unveiled with great theatre on state television's main evening broadcast.
Boasting that the weapon had "no match in the world," ORT First Channel television showed a Tupolev Tu-160 strategic bomber dropping its payload over a testing ground, followed by a massive explosion.
Pictures of what appeared to be crumpled multi-storey apartment blocks were also broadcast.
Although there was no independent verification of the Russian military's claim, the test is likely to cause further consternation in the West after a series of bellicose statements by the president, Vladimir Putin.
According to Russian generals, the bomb is four times more powerful than the American Massive Ordnance Air Blast Bomb or MOAB.
Better known as the Mother of All Bombs, the MOAB is a descendent of the BLU-82 Daisy cutter used in Tora Bora during the war against the Taliban in 2001.
Although it has never been used, the US military says the MOAB is capable of destroying nine city blocks in one strike.
According to Gen Alexander Rushkin, the Russian deputy chief of staff, the new bomb is smaller than the MOAB but much deadlier because, due to nanotechnology, the temperature at the epicentre of the blast is twice as high.
"Test results of the new airborne weapon have shown that its efficiency and power is commensurate with a nuclear weapon," he said.
"The main destruction is inflicted by an ultrasonic shockwave and an incredibly high temperature," ORT added.
"All that is alive merely evaporates."
Despite its destructive qualities, the bomb is environmentally friendly, Gen Rushkin said.
The test comes after weeks of increasingly belligerent rhetoric from the Kremlin.
Mr Putin has ordered his long-range nuclear bombers to mount patrols in international airspace for the first time since the Cold War.
Last week, Russian Tupolev bombers approached British airspace for the fourth time in two months and sorties have also been flown close to US military installations.
Since Mr Putin, an ex-KGB officer, came to power, Russia's annual defence spending has been quadrupled.
In addition, the Kremlin has announced a £100 billion military modernisation programme.
The new bomb is further proof that Russia's military has regained its technological edge. New ground and sea launched nuclear missiles have also been developed.

New toyz on the block for Pukin Putin and his boyz is not a suprise... we gotta watch out for the "starwars bluff!"... The Intelligence community in the west will be feverously working on that one to verify claims and start the collection programme on the "new" weapon...

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"Barrel High, Powder Dry!"

"Illic est haud effrego ex Veneratio"

well it was a matter of time really.

vid clip from reuters.

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this bomb is interesting from the Russian neighbours prespective because the obvious
stratigic value of the non hazard deployment. its much easier
to deploy just beyand ones borders because you dont need to be concerned with
fallout your self.

in the near future. the possible target of this weapon could include
for example Georgia if things go even more to the wrong direction between the
national relations of Russia and Georgia. and thats just
the one point of view for the western hemisphere.

when the country is small to begin with. that bomb is a threat of
unbelevible magnitude in current state of world, politics, mind set,
and the moral based barriers we have been building to this day.

i would ofcourse mention that US is quite capable to do the same
and would not hesitate to use it under the current administration
to benefit the financial elite of the country. this is more of an
display of power because the Russians do feel that they are
not taken seriously enough.. and what i have been seeing..
(in this forum also) thats quite true in many occations.


bombs....
one big many small?

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and btw.. russian Iljushin-76 just violated our airspace reacently.
thease things happen from time to time.

we are urging to solve this issue with the Russian authorities..
but we are not regarding as critical situation as we had
in August 2006 when we had several airspace violations by the Russian
air craft within just half a year.

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You Finns would want to watch the space, as a more agressive and tooled up Russia is not good for Finland!!....

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"Barrel High, Powder Dry!"

"Illic est haud effrego ex Veneratio"

Yeh he's right you need to take care. Is Finland goin to attack those ruski plane dudes?

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Heads or tails?

Looks like the Ruskies have some other things up their sleeves as well...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VSnVez6znmQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vf-FoTq3fug

The second video is reportedly footage of the "Lag bomb" currently in development.

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We view ourselves on the eve of battle. We are nerved for the contest, and must conquer or perish. It is vain to look for present aid. We must now act or abandon all hope! Rally to the standard, and be no longer the scoff of mercenary tongues! Be men, be free men, that your children may bless their father's name. - Sam Houston

Duty is the most sublime word in our language. Do your duty in all things. You cannot do more. You should never wish to do less. - Robert E. Lee

Toyz? oh wow thats freakin crazy. This Putin dude is just crazy man. Hey maybe after Iran we confront Russia. We have a subsiduary down there in Kiev/ Ukraine. They don't like em either. Georgia too wow....


God bless you all

Man that would be so cool. Finland could declare like a techno war. Sell those Ruskies Nokia made in Mongolia crap huh??


God bless you all