Bombs

MIT scientists have developed a finger-like sensor with the ability to dig into granular media like sand or gravel to get a sense of objects buried beneath the surface, which could lead to better ways of detecting and disarming land mines.

Scientists have developed a new AI-powered tool that could make finding unexploded bombs a lot easier, with an ability to detect craters through satellite imagery and therefore help reveal where the undetonated devices might remain.

New research has shed light on how nuclear war could seriously alter the chemistry of Earth’s oceans, and in so doing damage the life that dwells within. The scientists used an advanced climate model to predict a range of nuclear scenarios.

Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) can be difficult for soldiers to detect, as they're made in a variety of shapes and sizes, and are typically buried in the road. A new vehicle-mounted system, however, is designed to "spot the signs" of IEDs.

​​Tiny glassy particles that litter the beaches near Hiroshima in Japan are likely the resolidified remains of the city destroyed by a US atomic bomb on the morning of August 6, 1945, according to the results of a newly published study.

​​Bomb disposal work is as dangerous as it comes, but the British Army will now have an advanced new tool to help them with the task at hand. Welcomed into the ranks this week is a shiny new set of ground vehicles that will afford the bomb disposal team some useful capabilities.

A team of scientists from the University of Reading has found that the bombing raids against the Axis powers by Allied forces during the Second World War were so intense that their effects were detected on the edge of space.

The US government has just released 62 newly declassified videos showing footage of atmospheric nuclear tests from the first half of the 20th century. The videos, never before seen by the general public, have been uploaded to YouTube.

The announcement that testing is underway using GBU-38 JDAM guided-bombs with the American hunter-killer MQ-9 Reaper UAV didn't make a lot of general news coverage, but it is a reminder that drone warfare is getting much cheaper and more precise.

Bomb disposal robots are good in dangerous situations on land, but what if a would-be bomber hides their explosives under a bridge or a ship? In the future the US Navy might send in a submarine drone endowed with a pair of inflatable robot arms that are currently being developed by RE2 Robotics.

Looking to tackle the early signs of traumatic brain injury, the US Navy is developing small sensors that, when paired with specialized scanner, can quickly convert blast pressure into a clear signal of whether of not that soldier should stand down.​​

In 2010, after spending billions on research, Pentagon officials admitted that there was no better bomb detector than a dog's nose. Now scientists say the reason for this might lie simply in the way they sniff.