"Mother of all bombs" from China: the most powerful non-nuclear weapon of the PLA Air Force
Bomb tests in 2018
The air force of the People's Liberation Army of China has a lot of different aviation means of destruction, including free-falling bombs of a number of calibers. The largest products of this kind have a mass of several tons and are intended for use by long-range bombers. Recently, the PLA Air Force again showed the largest and most powerful non-nuclear bomb they have.
documentary footage
At the very end of 2018, the industrial corporation NORINCO published a commercial showing its latest developments in various classes. Of particular interest in this video was the release of some large-caliber bomb from the cargo hold of a long-range bomber. Also, the lens got the moment of the explosion of this bomb with the formation of a large cloud of fire, smoke and dust.
The development organization announced some facts about the new bomb, but did not go into details. It was noted that we are talking about the most powerful non-nuclear aviation ammunition of Chinese development. In addition, the product is also the largest, which is why it can only be carried and used by H-6 bombers.
The official designation of the ammunition was not disclosed. At the same time, it was called the Chinese version of the “mother of all bombs” - high combat characteristics made it possible to compare this product with the American GBU-43 / B Massive Ordnance Air Blast (MOAB). Recalling foreign ammunition, they pointed out that the Chinese bomb is not thermobaric.
Presumably, undermining the product
During the following years, the heavy aerial bomb was not mentioned in open sources. Moreover, some Chinese publications removed their publications about testing this product in 2018.
On November 11, 2022, the PLA Air Force celebrated the 73rd anniversary of its formation. For the holiday, their press service prepared and published a special video, which effectively demonstrated the service, flights and combat use of aviation.
In this video, for the first time in the past few years, they again showed the drop of the Chinese “mother of all bombs”. Footage taken from the carrier bomber's cargo bay was followed by footage of some kind of explosion on the surface of the earth. Whether this was a heavy airborne munition detonation is not clear. The resulting cloud was very different from the 2018 test results.
As before, the PLA Air Force does not disclose the name or performance characteristics of the ammunition. Perhaps in the future, the Chinese Air Force will still announce new, more accurate information about its largest non-nuclear bomb. Then it will become clear what characteristics it has, what tasks it is intended for, and what are its strengths and weaknesses.
Visible features
As the published videos show, the Chinese "mother of all bombs" is large. The corresponding mass is also assumed. It is reported that only the Xian H-6 bomber can carry and use the bomb, and this may indicate its dimensions and weight.
Bomb drop, frame from a recent video
The diameter of the bomb is slightly less than the width of the cargo compartment of the carrier aircraft. The length of the product is estimated at 6 m or more, which excludes the simultaneous suspension of two bombs. The carrying capacity of the latest versions of the H-6 reaches 10-12 tons - and this is the upper limit of the possible caliber.
The bomb received a simple-shaped body, characteristic of unguided weapons. The hull has an ogive head, a cylindrical center section and a tapered tail fairing with stabilizer. It is curious that in the time that has passed between the two shows, the design of the stabilizer has changed. In both cases it has eight planes, but on the newer bomb they are connected by a ring.
There are no steering surfaces on the body. There are no signs of the use of folding rudders either. This means that the bomb is free-falling, and its trajectory is determined by the combat course of the carrier aircraft and other external factors.
There are characteristic details on the head fairing: a central rod of small length and several protrusions of unclear purpose. This is probably a contact fuse target sensor. However, one cannot exclude the use of a remote target sensor that provides detonation at a certain height above the surface.
The bomb is said to be the most powerful non-nuclear weapons PLA Air Force. The type of charge used was not specified, but it was reported that it was not a volumetric detonating warhead. Apparently, a high-explosive fragmentation charge of a large mass is used, and some mixture of explosives could be used to obtain maximum power. It will not be possible to estimate the mass and TNT equivalent of such a charge using open data.
New opportunities
Thus, a few years ago, high-power ammunition appeared in service with the long-range aviation of the PLA Air Force. The free-falling "mother of all bombs" surpasses other weapons in terms of mass and dimensions, as well as in terms of impact on the target. It is obvious that such weapons are intended for solving special problems, and in the framework of episodic use.
An air bomb of special power with a caliber of several tons can show high efficiency when attacking various targets. This can be enemy manpower and equipment in open areas, various buildings and fortification systems, as well as military and/or industrial infrastructure facilities. A heavy charge is capable of causing serious damage to airfields, underground structures, etc. At the same time, an increased radius of destruction by a shock wave and fragments is achieved, incl. formed during the destruction of the goal / goals.
However, the product has several significant drawbacks that make it difficult to use effectively. Thus, due to its large size and mass, the bomb can only be used by long-range bombers, and one aircraft carries only one ammunition and can hit only one target, even if it is an area one. At the same time, a strategic bomber has to be used to destroy a target of a tactical or operational-tactical level.
Over the past time, the bomb has not changed much
The bomb is free-falling. Because of this, the carrier aircraft must approach the target by several kilometers and enter the possible zone of destruction of enemy anti-aircraft weapons, exposing known risks. In addition, the lack of control and guidance systems seriously increases the KVO of the ammunition. Even when using the most modern sighting systems on the carrier, hitting a small target becomes a real problem. The deviation from the aiming point can be so large that even the increased power of the ammunition does not compensate for it.
Finally, it is not clear why the long-range aviation of the PLA needed such weapons. The ammunition load of the H-6 bomber includes a variety of guided and unguided bombs of smaller calibers, and this nomenclature is quite sufficient to solve all the main combat missions. Against the background of existing weapons, a multi-ton bomb does not look like the most successful and necessary model. However, it should be noted that it expands the range of available ammunition and still increases the flexibility of using bomber aircraft.
It should be noted that for all the time the Chinese "mother of all bombs" was shown only twice. In both cases, she found herself in industry and military commercials. On this fact, one can build another version, curious, but unlikely. Perhaps the unique bomb was created solely to test or demonstrate the capabilities of industry and long-range aviation. Therefore, its use outside of demonstration events is not planned.
special pattern
One way or another, a few years ago, long-range aviation of the PLA Air Force received an unusual and even unique weapon by today's standards. The heavy bomb gave the H-6 bombers new combat capabilities, although its full use may be associated with certain difficulties.
Apparently, the Chinese Air Force took into account all the pros and cons of such weapons and decided that they needed it - and the NORINCO Corporation developed it. Whether a multi-ton bomb will be useful in real operations is unknown. However, the long-range aviation of the PLA is already ready for such a development of events and, if necessary, will be able to use a special model of weapons.
Information