Brown Moses Blog: RBK-500

Showing posts with label RBK-500. Show all posts

Wednesday, 3 July 2013

The Syrian Air Force's Largest Incendiary Bomb Identified

Since November 2012 the Syrian Air Force has deployed an increasing variety of incendiary munitions. In November ZAB 2.5 incendiary cluster submunitions joined the cluster munitions being deployed in Syria, followed by ZAB 100-105 incendiary bombs at the end of the month, then FZAB-500M high explosive incendiary bombs at the start of 2013. I've now managed to piece together the clues that point to a fourth incendiary bomb being deployed

This video from Andan, Aleppo, shows the remains of a bomb, described as a white phosphorus bomb, and as it's filmed flashes of light can be seen from inside the remains of the casing. If there's one thing anyone following Syria has learnt it's you shouldn't take Youtube descriptions are being accurate, so lets look at the bomb.

Despite being badly damaged there's three main clues to it's identity. Firstly the tail fin configuration and remains of the front end point to it being one of two types of bomb. The front end of the bomb in the video is badly damaged, but matches the front end of an RBK-500 cluster bomb and ZAB-500 incendiary bomb. The video quality is too poor to be able to see it too clearly, but the images below give you an idea of how close the match is

Syrian video

RBK-500

ZAB-500

The ZAB-500 and RBK-500 have virtually identical casings, so the tail-fin configuration also matches

Syran video

RBK-500

ZAB-500,

So that's two clues pointing to two possible types of bomb. Fortunately there is one difference that's very clear, and that's what's at the center of the tail fins.

Syrian video

RBK-500

ZAB-500

As you can see the RBK-500 and ZAB-500 have very different patterns in the middle of the tail fins, and the video clearly matches the ZAB-500. I now believe ZAB-500 bombs have been used since at least February 2013, with what I suspect is the first video of their use here.

According to CAT-UXO

The ZAB (Incendiary) 500kg bomb is a thin cased incendiary bomb, which is designed to produce destructive effect through extreme heat and fire (caused by the incendiary filling).
The casing is cylindrical, parallel sided (except at the tail) and approximately 5mm thick.
The bomb has a High Explosive bursting charge contained in a central tube and is surrounded by a second tube containing White Phosphorus as an ignition charge.
The Incendiary main filling surrounds the ignition charge assembly and is contained in a sheet metal cylinder so that the bomb has an inner and outer casing.

Tuesday, 4 June 2013

The Cluster Munitions Of The Syrian Civil War

Over the past year an increasing variety of cluster munitions have gradually been deployed by the Syrian military, with the first individual appearance of cluster munitions recorded by Syrian activists in July 2012 being followed by a massive escalation in the use of the cluster munitions in October 2012. The following post details the cluster munitions recorded by activists so far in the conflict.

AO-1Sch

The above video shows the first recording of cluster submunitions in the Syrian conflict, designated AO-1Sch. The video was filmed on July 10th 2012, and until October 2012 it was one of two examples of cluster bomb use in Syria.

Originating in the former-Soviet Union, AO stands for “Aviatsionnaya oskolochnaya”, or "Aircraft fragmentation". These are anti-personnel munitions, dropped in RBK-250/RBK-250-275 cluster bombs from aircraft, with each cluster bomb carrying 150 AO-1Sch bomblets. The majority of these cluster submunitions that have been recorded in Syria were manufactured in the 70s and early 80s, with a few recent examples showing manufacturing dates of the late 80s. Large numbers of unexploded submunitions have been recorded, possibly because of their age and the degradation of the mercury based detonator.

After their first isolated recorded appearance in July 2012 they reappeared in October 2012 when large numbers of videos started appearing online from across Syria showing unexploded cluster submunitions. These videos appeared shortly after a major highway was closed by fighting in Idlib, and it's possible the escalation to the use of cluster bombs was a response to that.

PTAB-2.5m

Much like the AO-1Sch, this is another Soviet-era munition dropped in groups of 30 inside a RBK-250/RBK-250/275 cluster bomb. These larger submunitions are designed primarily as anti-vehicle weapons.

The above video shows their first appearance in Abu Kamal, on the Syrian side of the Syria/Iraq border in August 2012, and it is a good example of the handling of unexploded cluster submunitions that has been seen repeatedly in the conflict. The problem with unexploded ordnance (UXO) is there's no way to know if they are safe to handle, and could detonate at any time.

As with the AO-1Sch submunitions this isolated incident of their use was followed by their use across Syria from October 2012 onwards. Along with the AO-1Sch submunitions they are the most commonly recorded type of explosive submunition used in the conflict, with hundreds of videos of their use posted online.

ZAB 2.5

In November 2012 a new type of cluster submunition appeared in the conflict, the ZAB 2.5 incendiary submunition. A Soviet submunition dropped from RBK-250/RBK-250-275 cluster bombs, this submunition is designed to destroy hangers, warehouses, and other large military structures.

These submunitions have frequently been described as "white phosphorous", when they are actually thermite based weapons, which is extremely difficult to extinguish. Three types of ZAB 2.5 submunitions are used in each cluster bomb, with two types containing a bursting charge that cause the bomblet to explode some time after ignition, discouraging attempts to extinguish it, and spreading the burning thermite over a wider area.

After AO-1Sch and PTAB-2.5m submunitions the ZAB 2.5 is the 3rd most commonly recorded submunition in the conflict.

Sakr

In December 2012 activists began posting videos of 122mm rockets, launched from BM-21 Grad multiple rocket launchers. This particular type was the Egyptian Sakr 18/Sakr 36 cluster munition rocket, each carrying 72 or 98 submunitions respectively.

In the above video you see both the rocket, and the submunitions, which have a distinct white ribbon attached. When the rocket breaks open and releases the submunitions these ribbons cause the submunitions to start spinning, stabilising their descent. As this is happening the ribbon pulls out an arming pin, but in some instances this doesn't happen, so they landed unarmed. What can happen then is someone can come along, see the ribbon, and pull at it, arming the submunition, and causing it to instantly explode, killing anyone nearby.

While they continue to be used in the conflict they have not been recorded on as wide a basis as the AO-1Sch, PTAB-2.5m, and ZAB 2.5 submunitions.

ShOAB-0.5

A rarer type of submunition appearing in March 2013 was the ShOAB-0.5, another Soviet-era submunition, this time dropped from the larger RBK series bomb, the RBK-500. A copy of the American BLU-26, hundreds of these are carried in the RBK-500 cluster bomb, with each submunition carrying hundreds of metal ball-bearing, creating a devastating anti-personnel weapon. So far only a handful of videos showing these submunitions have been posted online.

PTAB-2.5KO

This 6th type of submunition was only recorded once in May 2013, and has a slightly different delivery method from other air-dropped cluster submunitions. The submunitions are carried in containers, and then released in batches, allowing them to be dropped in long lines, ideal for attacking convoys. So far no other videos of these submunitions have been posted online.

AO-2.5RT

The latest submunition only appeared in June 2013 in Harbnafeh, Hama. These types of cluster submunitions can be both dropped inside RBK series cluster bombs, as with the PTAB 2.5m or AO-1Sch types, or inside a KMGU/KMGU-2 container, like the PTAB 2.5KO bomblets. So far there's only one example of these cluster submunitions recorded in the conflict.

Related Articles

Cluster bomb safety posters in Arabic and English

Cluster Munitions in Syria (ZAB-2.5 incendiary submunitions)

More Evidence Of Larger Cluster Bombs Being Deployed In Syria

Unexploded Cluster Bomblets Repurposed As DIY Mortar Bombs

Evidence Of New, Larger Cluster Bombs Being Used In Syria

Disposing Of Unexploded Cluster Bomblets, Jabhat al-Nusra Style

You can contact the author on Twitter @brown_moses or by email at brownmoses@gmail.com

Tuesday, 23 April 2013

More Evidence Of Larger Cluster Bombs Being Deployed In Syria

Last month I wrote about a new type of cluster bomblet filmed in Syria, a Soviet ShOAB-0.5, and I suggested the likely delivery system was the RBK-500 series cluster bomb, a much larger cluster bomb than had been previously used in the conflict. This new video from Dar el-Kebir, Homs, seems to confirm that RBK-500 cluster bombs loaded with ShOAB-0.5 bomblets are now being used in the conflict

There's two sets of markings that provide additional information. Here's the manufacturing details, which tells us this was made in 1983

And next details of the container type, RBK-500, and bomblet type, ShOAB-0.5

So this is evidence of yet another escalation in the types of munitions used in the conflict, although considering how much evidence cluster bombs leave behind after their use it seems this particular type of cluster bomb has been used very rarely, especially when you consider there's now over 500 videos of cluster bomb use in Syria.

Related Articles
Unexploded Cluster Bomblets Repurposed As DIY Mortar Bombs
Evidence Of New, Larger Cluster Bombs Being Used In Syria
Disposing Of Unexploded Cluster Bomblets, Jabhat al-Nusra Style
Clear Evidence Of DIY Barrel Bombs Being Used By The Syrian Air Force
Cluster Bomb Usage Rises Significantly Across Syria
Collected ODAB Thermobaric Bomb Evidence

You can contact the author on Twitter @brown_moses or by email at brownmoses@gmail.com

Sunday, 10 March 2013

Evidence Of New, Larger Cluster Bombs Being Used In Syria

The following video from Idlib was posted online today, and shows a new type of cluster bomblet not yet seen in the conflict

With the help of Peter Bouckaert and Mark Hiznay of Human Rights Watch we've been able to identify this as a ShOAB-0.5 bomblet (a copy of the US BLU-26 bomblet), used with a RBK-500 cluster bomb dispenser, much larger than the RBK-250 cluster bomb dispensers used so far in the conflict. The following images show a complete bomblet, and a diagram of the bomblet

Compare the text on the bomblet in the above image to that on the bomblet in the video, shown below, and the match becomes clear

This is the first clear evidence of the larger RBK-500 cluster bomb dispenser being used in Syria, but there has been some evidence that they may have been used earlier. This image was posted online at the start of February

This is a nose fairing for a number of bombs, including the ZAB-500 incendiary bomb and various types of RBK-500 cluster bomb dispenser. Although this video filmed in the same area and on the same date as the above photograph showing a damaged tail fin surrounded by burning bomblets pointed me in the direction of it being a RBK-500 ZAB incendiary cluster bomb I wasn't 100% certain of a match. While that question remains open the ShOAB-0.5 bomblet seems to strongly indicate RBK-500 series cluster bombs are now in use in Syria, demonstrating yet another escalation in the Syrian air war.