The New Soviet Union (NSU)

[Walsingham]

"Shortly after accepting the "resignation" of Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov and his Cabinet on Sept. 12, Russian President Vladimir Putin appointed politically obscure Viktor Zubkov, currently chair of Russia's anti-money-laundering watchdog, as Fradkov's replacement. The rumor in the Kremlin is that Zubkov himself did not know about the promotion until the day it happened. Zubkov has no independent base of power, and though this technocrat does have considerable economic and political contacts, his only real qualification for the No. 2 job in Russia is that he does anything and everything that Putin says without question."

[SteveThaiBinh]

They tested a massive big bomb yesterday (I think it was), and it was shown 'live on state TV'. That was rather creepily Soviet, wasn't it? Plus they're now making trouble testing our air defenses. I know it's mostly for domestic consumption (look, we're a superpower again!), but these things have a habit of leading to accidents and incidents and bad feeling, which leads on to other things...

 

I'm sure Mr. Zubkov has done excellent work at the anti-money-laundering watchdog, an agency created by Putin himself. Apparently he's a former tax inspector, which I suppose is a reasonable qualification for becoming Prime Minister.

[Walsingham]

One theory is that Putin is serious about cleaning things up a bit before handing over to the next tenant. Another theory is that he simply wants someone he can trust to be totally compliant if he decides to quit.

[Hildegard]

Viktor Zubkov is Putin's childhood friend, need to say more?

 

On another hand, yes Russia is rising, now they have no foreign debt, imports from oil and gas are creating massive income and a good share of that money is going to the defense budget, modernization of Russia's military, etc.

 

And the next president of Russia is going to be the former defense minister, also a former KGB man. Sergey Ivanov.

[waiveddreams]

Russian politics. A theme which is sometimes the most intresting.

And the next president of Russia is going to be the former defense minister, also a former KGB man. Sergey Ivanov.

Maybe not. But the next president would be a heir, that's right.

And I'm sure that the polytics won't change in the next 5-6 years in my country. Probably we won't feel the difference between the situation now and then.

Edited September 13, 2007 by Aramil

[Xard]

Being from Finland, Russian politics are always interesting, like it or not.

 

I'd be interested in hearing Aramil's thoughts on matter. We really don't have that many russians in these boards

[waiveddreams]

I'm only 16 and my opinion won't be the most complete one. Zubkov said that he may become Russian next president, Ivanov wanted this position so much, but it is still just imitation of the real politics. As for me, I don't know for sure who will be the next president but I'm sure the direction of my my country won't change, the direction back to the Soviet system with minor changes and imitation democracy. Maybe I'm a little pessimistic.

[Gfted1]

They tested a massive big bomb yesterday...

 

Link please.

[Tale]

A fuel air bomb they're claiming is powerful enough to be compared to nuclear weapons.

[Gfted1]

Ah, this must be it.

[waiveddreams]

There is nothing extrodinary in this bomb. It is just the most powerful one but not the hardest to construct.

Edited September 13, 2007 by Aramil

[Gfted1]

There is nothing extrodinary in this bomb. It is just the most powerful one but not the hardest to construct.

 

 

Actually, thats not entirely true:

 

The weapon yields the equivalent of 44 tons of TNT using 7.8 tons of a new type of high explosive, created applying nanotechnology.

 

Unfortunately, I cant read the Russian references.

Edited September 13, 2007 by Gfted1

[waiveddreams]

Sorry then. I've only read Russian references. It was written that it was just like a gas explosion.

Edited September 13, 2007 by Aramil

[Tale]

Gas explosion. Hmm, that's kind of a weird way of saying "fuel air bomb."

 

It unleashes a large cloud of vapor into the air, then ignites it. It uses up the oxygen in the area as fuel and creates a partial vacuum, which supposedly can increase devastation but I've not heard to what degree.

[waiveddreams]

Gas explosion. Hmm, that's kind of a weird way of saying "fuel air bomb."

 

It unleashes a large cloud of vapor into the air, then ignites it. It uses up the oxygen in the area as fuel and creates a partial vacuum, which supposedly can increase devastation but I've not heard to what degree.

All right, I'm not competent enough but it's just working like a gas explosion but is not the real gas explosion, my mistake. Russian goverment traditonally invest big amounts of money in the army so that's not something comletely unexpected.

And everything isn't so bad to emigrate.

Edited September 13, 2007 by Aramil

[taks]

44 tons is hardly equivalent to a nuclear bomb, though i'm sure they could expand it. but it takes 2 orders of magnitude to get to the "small" nuclear bombs which are measured in terms of kilo-tons.

 

taks

[Tale]

44 tons is hardly equivalent to a nuclear bomb, though i'm sure they could expand it. but it takes 2 orders of magnitude to get to the "small" nuclear bombs which are measured in terms of kilo-tons.

 

taks

Aren't there sub-kiloton nukes? With yields in the 10-20 ton range. Or do you consider those "ultra small?"

[Guard Dog]

44 tons is hardly equivalent to a nuclear bomb, though i'm sure they could expand it. but it takes 2 orders of magnitude to get to the "small" nuclear bombs which are measured in terms of kilo-tons.

 

taks

Aren't there sub-kiloton nukes? With yields in the 10-20 ton range. Or do you consider those "ultra small?"

I don't think so. It has been a long time since I has a physics class but I believe any fission bomb requires a certain amount of mass to even sustain the explosion, but the more mass the more power. I remeber reading about the "suitcase" bombs the Soviets developed. They had only 10kg of fissable material (Plutonium 239 I would guess) and had a 20kt yield. US artillery delivered tactical nukes are in to 40-50kt range than they are considered small.

[Tale]

But can't the Davey Crockett be set down to about 20 tons? Though I guess since that becomes mostly radiation, it's not considered a nuclear "bomb" per se.

[Walsingham]

I believe you simply need a certain effect on the fissile material. We've come a long way since the days of putting sub-critical masses in a pith helmet and giving them a shake. You can achieve a lot with high yield non-plastic explosives.

 

The thermobaric (and mysoginistic) FOAB weapon strikes me as a little excessive. Thermobarics are almost exclusively for busting bunkers, caves, and urban rubble. A use the Russians found great utility for in Chechnya. The principle (but obviously not only) effect of a thermobaric is against humans. You have a high overpressure followed by an underpressure. Victims of such a weapon are often found with their lungs on the outside. Which is nice .

 

Fuel air mixes are exploited by the Russians in the RPOA 'Shmel' launcher to great effect in Afghanistan.

 

Al Qaeda franchisees tried to use the same principle recently in the UK. They made a number of mistakes leading to incomplete/improper detonation. Which the press helpfully pointed out to them so their bombs would work next time.

 

I don't think the FOAB signifies anything in particular, besides being a PR exercise to go one up on the Americans.

[Gfted1]

I am intrigued by their "new High Explosive made using nanotechnology". They get 4 times the yield of the MOAB using slightly less material.

[Aram]

The Father of All Bombs is the nickname of a Russian-made air-delivered thermobaric weapon that is claimed to be four times more powerful than the US's Mother of All Bombs

 

Paging Doctor Freud.

[Tale]

The Father of All Bombs is the nickname of a Russian-made air-delivered thermobaric weapon that is claimed to be four times more powerful than the US's Mother of All Bombs

 

Paging Doctor Freud.

He can't come. He's too busy being dead from physician assisted suicide in response to mouth cancer related to cigar smoking he refused to quite even after he got mouth cancer. "Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar," but sometimes it's also what is killing you, you stupid stupid bleep.

 

I hate that man.

Edited September 13, 2007 by Tale

[Aram]

Still, the Ruskies should just name their bomb "Our Giant **** (Much Larger Than America's)." OGCMLTA!

[Walsingham]

Still, the Ruskies should just name their bomb "Our Giant **** (Much Larger Than America's)." OGCMLTA!

 

I'm all in favour of giving weapons proper names again. I mean what kind of name is FRES anyway? On your left you can see CHALLENGER, great big tank. Next to it is WARRIOR, nippy bastardmobile. Then we have FRES, er....

 

 

Anyway.

 

More Putin-related news: Two Russian activists from the Yabloko opposition party set themselves on fire in protest of what they call "Operation Successor," the Russian practice of allowing the president to appoint his successor, as President Vladimir Putin seems likely to do. The protesters, Ilya Yashin and Aleksandr Shurshev, were driven to a Moscow hospital by ambulances stationed at the demonstration. They suffered minor carbon dioxide poisoning, according to Ekho Moskvy radio.

 

Aramil, I hope you can shed some light on all this.