Combatants can modify their war weapons during armed conflicts for various reasons. Some are modified for improved reliability, while others are altered for increased range or novel purposes. In its current war with Russia, Ukraine struggles with weapons and ammunition shortages, and it responds by improvising some of its weapons using 3D-printed "candy bombs."
Keeping Up With Battlefield Demand
The candy bombs contain copper and aluminum, which, upon detonating the explosives, turn into jets of hot plasma that can penetrate the armor. Several groups are making various parts of these bombs using low-cost materials.
For the past four months, one group that makes 3D-printed bombs has completed over 30,000 pieces as the production ramps up, according to the leader known as "Swat." Another group creates the casings for the 800-gram anti-personnel bombs. This team produces 1,000 items a week but was required by the Ukrainian officer acting as their military contact to raise it to 1,500 daily. The 3D-printed casings they make are then filled with C4 explosives.
The bombs are called "Zaychyk," which means "Rabbit." Despite their nature of production, these bombs can be cut into wooden planks like butter. Amateur weapons-makers also described the 3D-printed bombs as more effective than the traditional, smaller grenades, which are short of killing power.
The other volunteer group, the Wild Bees, comprised of non-Ukrainians, said that the non-explosive parts for a 27-centimeter-high bomb could be made for less than $3.85 using a 3D printer that costs $1,200. According to the group leader, Janis Ozols, at least 65,000 bombshells have been delivered into Ukraine from other parts of Europe since November 2022.
Bigger versions of 3D-printed bombs have also been used in Ukraine. In the eastern Donetsk region, where the war is particularly intense, a serviceman said that 11-pound candy bombs killed exposed infantry at 65 feet from where they were dropped. It is estimated that around 200 different models and sizes of candy bombs have been dropped by Ukraine.
Ukraine reportedly used improvised weapons, such as pick-up trucks that have been converted into anti-tank launchers. Since Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022, Ukraine has struggled with ammunition and weapons shortages.
The Future of Drone War
The one-pound candy bombs used against armored vehicles can be dropped onto Russian military tanks from above. It shows improvement from the initial use of drones four years ago in the trenches of Donetsk, where drones were used to draw fire from soldiers to guide artillery strikes against their positions.
Using 3D-printed bomblets demonstrates the potential of quadcopters drones as improvised weaponry on the battlefield. While it might not be the perfect solution, it makes it easier for infantry to drop bombs on the target spots.
This is not the first instance that quadcopters are used to drop bombs. They were used in Iraq with ISIS and then with Iraq's Federal Police. This trend demonstrates a progression of weapons assembly from using what is cheap and available to creating arms that can be deliberately manufactured.
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