19FortyFive was horrified by the capabilities of Russian flamethrowers.
Portal 19FortyFive dedicated an article to the heavy flamethrower system "Pinocchio". The author notes that, perhaps, this is Russia's most powerful weapon that does not use nuclear technology. TOS-1 and variants of this weapon can cause incredible damage. So, one installation is capable of setting fire to an area about the size of two football fields.
Flamethrower systems are placed on the chassis of the T-72 tank. 220 mm rockets with incendiary or thermobaric warheads are placed in 24 tubes. They weigh about 180 kilograms.
Thermobaric shells, the newspaper writes, release a chemical cloud that ignites the air and sucks the life out of everything in the affected area.
Drones of the Russian army help to identify targets for the TOS-1. The firing range of flamethrower systems is approximately 3,500 to 6,000 meters, depending on the modification. A full salvo can be fired in 12 seconds.
The modern version of the TOS-1A "Solntsepek" was developed in 2001 - an older predecessor machine was used by Soviet troops in Afghanistan. It has also been delivered to Armenia, Azerbaijan, Iraq and Kazakhstan. TOS-1 was involved in military conflicts in Iraq and Syria. This year, Saudi Arabia has acquired several CBT-1 systems.
TOS-1 is used for cleaning bunkers, buildings and trenches. It can also destroy armored vehicles. A crew of three is placed inside the launcher for better protection.
In the event of a conflict, CBT should become the number one target for the enemy, concludes 19FortyFive.
Oleg Koryakin (Kazan)
