What are daisy-cutters? The military's final solution.
Ric Finke <ricfinke@greenapple.com>: Unfortunately daisy-cutters are not some esoteric form of cookie cutter. The moniker is a nickname (given by G.I.s who handle them) to
hypobarometric bombs fuel-air mixture bombs. Nicknames being ephemeral,
they are often called f-a's as well, short for fuel-air.
I can answer this question only by understanding the science behind
it. The actual info is available from many veterans. Hypo-barometric
referrs to the fact that these things are activated above ground surface
at a given atmospheric pressure calculated to clear the surface of
structures and life. There is evidently a barometer or atmospheric
pressure sensor that is activated upon deployment.
The 'fuel-air' mixture tells us that the explosive must be dispersed
(by an appropriate charge detonated first) into a cloud in the
atmosphere where it mixes with the surrounding air. All chemical
explosions (and therefore this is not nuclear) require oxygen to produce
a rapid expansion of gases. Rocket ships must carry their oxygen with
them.
The first generation of daisy cutters used gasoline, making them a HUGE
molotov cocktail. From reports of older G.I.s these date from about the
Korean War era though this that may a bit early. The second generation,
in current use, uses aluminum powder which is highly explosive and burns
extremely hot. They cover a mile wide diamter when detonated and reach
temps circa 10,000F. The exact numbers may be off but that will
suffice. The blast generates pressures sufficient to crush underground
tunnels - even reinforced archs 12 feet deep are crushed. Third
generation daisy cutters use uranium powder which burns even hotter,
etc. Note: this is still not a nuclear device but both 2nd and 3rd
generation fa's are easily mistaken for such as they produce a similar
mushroom cloud. Ask the Brits allied with us in the Gulf War.
Initially the blast uses up all nearby O2 (oxygen), vaporizing or
melting everything. When the atmospheric oxygen does finally rush back
in (@15 min later)every organic compound ignites spontaneously creating
another smaller explosion contained within the mushroom cloud.
The ground blast pattern yielded probably resembles that of a daisy
shaped cookie cutter. Well, that's all very interesting if one is
interested in such things. The practical application is obviously
wartime and . . .
Since fa's produce a quick pervasive ground crushing blast at such high
temperatures, without any nuclear fallout, they are ideal for
decontaminating home soils which may have been infected with anthrax
spores. There is no chemical disinfectant, nor physical procedure save
burning, that will kill and eradicate anthrax spores which are known to
live almost forever. The estimated life of these spores is said to be
in excess of 5,000 years. Immersed in boiling water for at least 30-45
minutes is effective in killing them but that would, of course, destroy
any living host.
The daisy cutter is a disinfectant of last resort when battling
anthrax. In a worst case scenario where a metropolitan community is
exposed to anthrax the Metropolitan Medical Strike Team (MMST) System
would be implemented. Control and Containment forces would cordon off
the area and shut off power, etc., to the affected region. Mass
decontamination efforts would require evryone within the area to go
through something like a sheep dip trough procedure -ughhhh- preparatory
to any medication attempts. In the event of insufficient availability
(ie., shortage) of medication supplies (how could multiple millions of
people be treated??) that population center would be filled with dead
and dying. Chaos would reign supreme. In the face of such tragic
futility the daisy cutters would be deployed to protect the surrounding
unaffected region. Many would welcome a daisy cutter as a coup de
grace.
sonic.net |
