Colonel Khodarenok compared the AFU flamethrower drones with the weapons of the First World War
The Armed Forces of Ukraine have begun using drones equipped with flamethrowers. Such UAVs burn out landings in which Russian fighters can hide and weapons, equipment and supplies can be located. How such "flamethrowers" work and how to deal with them, the military observer of the Newspaper understood.En" Mikhail Khodarenok.
Recently, a video has been widely discussed on the Internet, which shows how the Armed Forces of Ukraine use unmanned aerial vehicles with thermite mixtures against units of the Russian army.
The Ukrainian UAV with a similar flamethrower is arranged quite simply - an incendiary mixture container is installed on the FPV drone, when approaching the target, the fuse is triggered, the exhaust valve opens, and the burning mixture begins to pour out onto the positions of the units of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. Containers on Ukrainian UAVs are filled with a thermite mixture - a powdered compound of aluminum with oxides of various metals (usually iron). When ignited, such a mixture burns at a temperature of 2300-2700 ° C, and with oxidizing agents stronger, such as nickel, chromium and tungsten oxides - even much higher.
Molten thermite has an extremely strong burning effect, it easily penetrates through sheets of duralumin, steel and iron. At this temperature, concrete and brick crack, glass melts, and steel burns. Thermite forms a high-temperature slag, which enhances its burning ability.
Thermite mixtures can cause a fire at any facility, even if there are no flammable materials there. It is almost impossible to extinguish them, since they contain everything necessary for gorenje: both fuel and oxidizer. Therefore, such mixtures of fire burn both in the air and under water. The best way to extinguish a termite is dry sand. It cannot be extinguished with water, as this creates a volatile gas.
"Do not take flamethrowers prisoner"
As for the types of incendiary weapons and the history of their combat use, it should be noted that flamethrowers were adopted by the German army back in 1908.
The first combat use of these weapons by German troops was recorded during the Verdun operation in 1916. The result was a severe panic in the ranks of the French infantry.
No one wanted to burn alive or get the most severe burns, and therefore, in the first battle with the use of flamethrowers, the Germans managed to significantly wedge themselves into the enemy's defenses with relatively small losses. After that, an unwritten rule appeared in the troops of the opposing sides - not to take flamethrower fighters prisoner.
During the First and Second World Wars, infantry were usually armed with knapsack flamethrowers, which, as a rule, consisted of the following main combat units: a tank for storing fire mixture; a cylinder for compressed air; a hose; a gearbox; a pistol or a gun for releasing fire mixture; equipment for carrying a flamethrower and a set of accessories.
The range of flamethrowing with liquid fire mixtures was usually 20-25 m, and viscous - 30-35 m. Currently, rocket-propelled infantry flamethrowers are mainly used. The target range of the RPO has been increased to 800 meters, and the firing range itself is up to 1700 meters.
So, according to the method of pouring fire mixture on the enemy, Ukrainian UAVs approximately correspond to the period of the First World War, but such a comparison, of course, does not affect the effectiveness of their combat use.
How to deal with flamethrower drones?
The most effective way is to hit enemy UAVs, as they say, before they complete their combat mission. But this is easier said than done. Nevertheless, such a task is number one. As for the protection of personnel from the damaging effects of incendiary weapons, in this case it is advisable to use long-established methods and techniques. For example, to use closed fortifications, to use various kinds of shields, decking, mats, preferably made of non-flammable materials.
As practice has shown, structures such as shelters, dugouts, undergrowth niches, blocked cracks, blocked sections of trenches and communication passages are the most reliable protection of personnel from the effects of incendiary weapons. For the same purposes (during battles in dense urban areas), stone buildings and canopies can be used.
As for the calculations of the Armed Forces of Ukraine using such incendiary weapons, then, probably, the already well-known unspoken rule of the First and Second World Wars will be applied to them - do not take flamethrowers prisoner.
The opinion of the author may not coincide with the position of the editorial board.
Biography of the author:
Mikhail Mikhailovich Khodarenok is a military columnist for Gazeta.Ru", retired colonel.
He graduated from the Minsk Higher Engineering Anti-Aircraft Missile School (1976), the Military Air Defense Command Academy (1986).
Commander of the S-75 anti-aircraft missile division (1980-1983).
Deputy commander of the anti-aircraft missile regiment (1986-1988).
Senior Officer of the General Staff of the Air Defense Forces (1988-1992).
Officer of the Main Operational Directorate of the General Staff (1992-2000).
Graduated from the Military Academy of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces (1998).
Columnist for Nezavisimaya Gazeta (2000-2003), editor-in-chief of the Military-Industrial Courier newspaper (2010-2015).
Mikhail Khodarenok
