Recently, the British Daily Mail reported that during the operation to abduct the President of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, the US military apparently used a dark bomb of the BLU-114/B model to damage and disable part of the critical power infrastructure in the capital, Caracas.
What is this “dark bomb” that President Trump hinted may have been used? It’s a weapon intended to strike infrastructure with a “soft kill,” with the possibility of a temporary disruption to the electricity system, without physical destruction and without loss of life. In the past, the United States used this weapon in the First Gulf War (1991), the Second Gulf War (2003), and the Kosovo War (1999).
The bomb contains carbon fibers or graphite fibers—electrically conductive materials—whose purpose is to create a short circuit to disable and neutralize critical power systems. Upon detonation, a cloud containing thousands of fibers is released and disperses over areas of importance to the power infrastructure: power stations, transformers, substations, and high-voltage lines. The fibers adhere to systems and electrical circuits carrying high voltage and disrupt electrical conduction, to the point of creating a short circuit and cutting off the supply of electricity across wide areas.
The short circuit may also cause automatic shutdowns in other segments of the grid to prevent a chain reaction of collapses and cumulative damage to the power system.
There are several ways to protect critical power systems from an attack of this kind: coating electrical conductors with insulating material, establishing dedicated protection systems, or creating backup capabilities for the power system.
It’s important to note that the damage is not limited only to the power grid itself but also affects the infrastructures and systems that depend on it: various industries, hospitals, banks, sanitation systems, water and sewage, land and air transportation, as well as various military systems such as radar and communications systems that rely on the power grid. In addition, medical harm to human beings may be caused due to inhalation of particles. These aspects can explain the unfocused response of Venezuela’s defense forces during the American attack.
If indeed the hypothesis that a “dark bomb” was used is correct, this constitutes a significant milestone in modern warfare: the ability to carry out a targeted and lethal strike on vital infrastructure, with minimal damage to the environment and to uninvolved parties.
Recently, the British Daily Mail reported that during the operation to abduct the President of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, the US military apparently used a dark bomb of the BLU-114/B model to damage and disable part of the critical power infrastructure in the capital, Caracas.
What is this “dark bomb” that President Trump hinted may have been used? It’s a weapon intended to strike infrastructure with a “soft kill,” with the possibility of a temporary disruption to the electricity system, without physical destruction and without loss of life. In the past, the United States used this weapon in the First Gulf War (1991), the Second Gulf War (2003), and the Kosovo War (1999).
The bomb contains carbon fibers or graphite fibers—electrically conductive materials—whose purpose is to create a short circuit to disable and neutralize critical power systems. Upon detonation, a cloud containing thousands of fibers is released and disperses over areas of importance to the power infrastructure: power stations, transformers, substations, and high-voltage lines. The fibers adhere to systems and electrical circuits carrying high voltage and disrupt electrical conduction, to the point of creating a short circuit and cutting off the supply of electricity across wide areas.
The short circuit may also cause automatic shutdowns in other segments of the grid to prevent a chain reaction of collapses and cumulative damage to the power system.
There are several ways to protect critical power systems from an attack of this kind: coating electrical conductors with insulating material, establishing dedicated protection systems, or creating backup capabilities for the power system.
It’s important to note that the damage is not limited only to the power grid itself but also affects the infrastructures and systems that depend on it: various industries, hospitals, banks, sanitation systems, water and sewage, land and air transportation, as well as various military systems such as radar and communications systems that rely on the power grid. In addition, medical harm to human beings may be caused due to inhalation of particles. These aspects can explain the unfocused response of Venezuela’s defense forces during the American attack.
If indeed the hypothesis that a “dark bomb” was used is correct, this constitutes a significant milestone in modern warfare: the ability to carry out a targeted and lethal strike on vital infrastructure, with minimal damage to the environment and to uninvolved parties.