What makes Türkiye's Gazap bomb one of the deadliest conventional weapons ever built?

Time of India

5 days ago

Turkey
has made its most forceful statement yet in weapons development. Just days after debuting its hypersonic Tayfun Block 4 missile, Ankara unveiled two major bombs—Gazap and NEB-2 Ghost—at the 17th International Defence Industry Fair (IDEF) 2025 in Istanbul.
These weapons, both weighing 970 kilogrammes, mark Turkey's strongest non-nuclear capabilities to date. Their public reveal took place at an event organised by KFA Fairs, supported by Turkey's Defence Industries Secretariat and the
Turkish Armed Forces Foundation
. The announcements were first reported by
TRT Global and Anadolu Agency
.
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Gazap: A new benchmark in fragmentation bombs
The Gazap bomb, which means Wrath in Turkish, isn't built to just cause damage—it's built to overwhelm. It's a fragmentation bomb designed for wide-area effect, but unlike traditional versions, it deploys its destruction with surgical precision.
According to
Nilufer Kuzulu
, who led the design team, 'Unlike its conventional counterparts, it features a fragment-based structure with 10,000 particles. These fragments disperse within a one-kilometre radius upon detonation.'
She went on to highlight the scale of improvement, 'Traditional bombs of this category typically disperse around three fragments per square metre, while Gazap disperses 10.16 fragments per square metre. This makes it three times more powerful than standard MK-series bombs.'
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Instead of scattering steel randomly, the bomb mimics a defensive grenade—breaking apart with controlled intensity. The result is a dense and consistent kill zone, unlike anything currently fielded in the region.
Test footage shows scale of impact
In live military trials, Gazap was dropped from a bomber and captured on video. A blinding flash erupted on impact, followed by visible shockwaves. Moments later, the site was cloaked in a thick cloud of debris, covering a 160-metre-wide area.
Its thermobaric design pushes temperatures up to 3,000°C—enough to melt steel, concrete, and human bone. The bomb works by igniting a fuel-air mixture, producing intense overpressure and heat that collapse structures and burn through nearly anything in its path.
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A senior defence official told Firstpost, 'The R&D centre has modified the explosive and filler design. Qualification and certification processes are complete and ready for use.'
Gazap can currently be launched from both F-16 fighter jets and older F-4 Phantom aircraft. Talks are already underway to adapt it for drone deployment.
NEB-2 Ghost: A deep strike bunker-buster
Sharing the spotlight at IDEF 2025 was the NEB-2 Ghost, or Hayalet. Also weighing 970 kilogrammes, this bomb isn't built for wide destruction but for deep impact.
Officials call it 'the best bunker-buster in the field'. In trials, it penetrated seven metres of C50-grade reinforced concrete—three times stronger than the concrete used in nuclear plant protection. For comparison, US bunker busters penetrate 2.4 metres of C35 concrete.
'Normally, in nuclear power plants, US-made missiles penetrate 2.4 metres (7.8 feet) of C35 (standard concrete). NEB-2 penetrates 7 metres of C50 (three times stronger concrete than in nuclear power plants),' an official told TRT.
Its testing on an island showed the full extent of its power. Dropped from an aircraft, NEB-2 plunged 90 metres into the earth before detonating. The result: landslides, gas leaks, and shattered rock across a 160-metre radius.
What makes NEB-2 even more effective is its delayed detonation.
'The explosion, which normally takes 25 ms (milliseconds), was timed to 240 ms, making it more destructive,' an official added.
Tayfun Block 4: Hypersonic ambition
Before the bombs took centre stage, Turkey also introduced its first hypersonic ballistic missile—Tayfun Block 4. Developed by
Roketsan
, it is a hypersonic upgrade of the existing Tayfun series.
Weighing 2,300 kg and measuring 6.5 metres in length, the missile reportedly has a range of 800 kilometres, according to Turkey Today. It is said to combine high manoeuvrability with deep strike capabilities, reinforcing Turkey's push towards self-reliant high-tech weaponry.
The strategic context: Why it matters for India
These developments have not gone unnoticed in India. As reported by MoneyControl, analysts are paying close attention—not just to the technology, but to what it could mean for the region.
Turkey has been deepening defence ties with Pakistan. It has supplied combat drones, naval systems, and shared technological know-how. The risk now is that
Pakistan
may gain access to Gazap-like systems through joint projects or technology transfer.
The timing is also significant. Both Turkey and Pakistan have taken coordinated positions on issues like Kashmir in international forums. If Pakistan were to adopt thermobaric or advanced bunker-buster capabilities, it could alter the strategic balance, especially in contested zones.
These aren't empty concerns. The scale and sophistication of Gazap and NEB-2 reflect more than military ambition—they point to a broader policy shift in how Turkey positions itself on the world stage.
A step below nuclear, but not by much
Military analysts have said Gazap ranks just below nuclear weapons in destructive capacity. That makes it among the most potent tools in modern conventional warfare.
Thermobaric weapons like it were first conceptualised during World War II, later used extensively by the United States in Vietnam and more recently by Russia in Ukraine. Their use is highly controversial due to the suffering they inflict, especially in enclosed spaces.
Still, under international law, these weapons are not banned so long as they're not used on civilian populations.
Turkey's investments in R&D and weapons manufacturing are part of a broader strategy: cut dependence on foreign suppliers, boost defence exports, and claim a bigger role in global arms markets.
IDEF 2025 has made one thing clear. Ankara is not just building weapons—it is building leverage. And that leverage could soon echo far beyond its borders.