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Graphite bomb (also, known as the soft bomb) is a non-lethal weapon which is used for shutting down the power supply systems of the enemy. The working mechanism of the graphite bomb is relatively simple and is based on making suspensions of air/clouds of carbon filament chemically treated extremely fine over the electrical components, causing short circuits and electrical discharges within the infrastructure of electricity supply (in especially on the power plants, transformer stations, air transportation facilities of electrical power etc.). In addition, the effective use of this unconventional electronic  attack  system  is  based  on  critical  points  identification  and  disruption  philosophy. Carbon  filaments  used  inside  of  graphite  bombs  are  very  small  and  may  give  rise  to  dense clouds,  with  a  long  persistence.  Also,  the  name  of  soft  bomb  it  comes  from  that  its  basic destructive  eects  are  centered  only  on  the  electricity  supply  facilities,  with  minimal risk  of  occurrence  of  some  collateral  damage  and  particularly  over  the  human  staff  [1-3].In  other  news,  the  eect  of  the  graphite  bomb  is  only  over  the  equipment  and  facilities of  uninsulated  power  supply.  Figure  1  shows  the  effects  of  graphity  bombs  launched  by US  Air  Force,  on  22  March  2003  on  a  400  kV  Transformer  Station  in  the  Electrical Power  in  Nasiriyya,  which  caused  the  power  shortage  in  the  city  for  30  days
Graphite bomb was used against Iraq in the first Gulf War (1990-1991), neutralizing about 85% of this country facilities supply electricity. Also, the graphite bomb (composed of submunitions BLU-114/B, produced by USA) was used widely in the NATO military intervention in former Yugoslavia (1999), where its effect consisted in disabling of more than 70% national grid electricity supply
Although initially  in  less  than  24 hours, the  Serbs  have  managed to restore  their  electrical systems operability, however, repeated use of the graphite bomb by alliance thwarted almost any further effort in this direction. In the final phase of this intervention, NATO air forces used mostly standard carrier vectors (e.g., bombs, missiles etc.) to transport and detonation of the munitions in the area of interest of the graphite bomb.In addition, for an accurate understanding of the multiple implications (economic, social, etc.) and respectively, the effective conditions of use in  a  military  conflict  of  a  graphite  bomb,  it  is very useful a summary of the main features of a modern system of electrical energy distribution.It should be remembered first that any modern  network  of  power supply has a high-degree of complexity and, respectively, a wide-range of distribution and therefore the decommissioning of its elements vital  involves  subsequently a technological eort and substantial  financial for a long time.  It  should also  be  remembered  that, any system of  power  supply  will contain  in  its architecture the following basic elements: the generator of electricity, the electricity transmission system  (incorporating in its structure the high-power transformers, losses into transmission lines which are reasonable if the line voltage is very high, typically up to 400 kV) and the electricity distribution system to the users, industrial and domestic use (i.e., this system  consists mainly by the primary distribution subsystem providing voltages between 2.4 and 35 kV and respectively, secondary distribution subsystem providing voltages between 110/220 and 600 V). Theoretically, any of these sub-components may represent a potential target for an attack based on graphite bombs.In the special literature (e.g., documents prepared by NERC/North American Electric Reliability Council etc.), the concept used in the moment when a facility or electricity supply system, as a its whole, suers damage (or collapse) is called generic blackout (shutdown or blindness). In fact, the blackout is a condition which is satisfied when a significant part or the entire electrical network is damaged. Any module containing connections to the high-voltage network and that cannot support a reasonable level disturbances is a significant candidate for the blackout (and of course, for the action of graphite bombs). In addition, in some military documents, the graphite bomb is also called blackout bomb.Generally, the blackout condition can be the result of the occurrence of industrial dynamic instabilities (e.g., changing nominal parameters of the operating power generators, the occurrence of the short circuits due to the heat eect or to adverse weather conditions, etc.) or after their artificial induction.
As  before  mentioned,  the  combat  load  of  these  bombs  is  based  on  the  massive  use  of the  graphite.  As  it  is  already  known,  the  carbon  is  a  nonmetal  chemical  element  in  group 4,  which  is  found  in  nature  in  two  allotropic  states:  diamond  and  respectively,  graphite. The  graphite  contains  a  special  type  of  atomic  network  called  atomic  layered network  which  is  represented  by  a  hexagonal  atomic  network  composed  by parallel  planes  of  carbon  atoms.  The  hardness  of  the  graphite  is  by  ten  times  lower than  of  the  diamond  one  (1  on  the  Mohs  scale),  with  a  density  of  2.262  g/cm2.
Also, the graphite is an excellent conductor of heat and power (i.e., these properties are generated by the presence into graphite of the chemical pi links, and in which the electrons are moving free between the carbon atoms through the overlapping orbits 2p) and generally, its physical properties (including its electrical conductivity)  are determined by the atomic  structure resulting from the specific application of some chemical treatments. Also, the graphite may not be molten and for a temperature more than 35000 0C, it directly forms the vapor carbon atoms. In addition, graphite has a low reactivity and practically, does not chemically interact with any other substance.Next,  the  intrinsic  working  mechanism  of  the  graphite  bombs  action  will  synthetically described. Taking into account the suggestive scenario illustrated in Figure 2, the basic key-stages of its internal mechanism are the following (see Figure 3).1) The overhead of the target of interest is accomplished breaking the carrier vector (e.g., a laser-guided bombs etc.) and using a spin moving, the dispersion of the submunitions components takes place (e.g., 100 up to 200 submunitions), the size of each submunitions being by cm order;2) Each component submunitions have attached a small parachute allowing a decreasing of its fall rate, while ensuring its vertical positioning;3) A small internal explosion in each submunitions assures its breaking and respectively, releasing a coil (reel) of carbon filaments;4)  The  carbon  filaments  because  of  the  movement  of  the  printed  coil  are  released  and  form overlapping spider webs like a network (webs);5) These carbon filament nets are highly conductive and overlapping over power lines, having as eect the voltage peaks which are overloading electrical circuits and thus, leads to deactivation of the power supply.Generally, having as starting point the strict confidentiality of the documents related to the technology used in the design and development of the graphite bombs, the access to the relevant information in this field is more dicult. However, because such systems have been already used with a maximal eciency in the context of recent armed conflict (former Yugoslavia or Iraq) and the public interest in this area is still risen, in the literature are synthetically indicated an important number of useful references about this weapon system. Consequently, some significant remarks and technological details related to graphite bombs can thus be made.
US Army  have in service the weapons system Blackout Bomb CBU-94  which  is composed by specific submunitions BLU-114/B for attacking electricity supply infrastructure belonging to a potential enemy. Although some few technical details about this classified weapon system are known, its operation mechanism can be summarized by dispersion of its submunitions containing a significant amount of carbon filament chemically treated, and whose action on a power supply system may lead to short circuits into some sensitive equipment components (e.g., transformers or switching power stations). The use of submunitions BLU-114/B is limited to action on power supply facilities with minimal risk of occurrence of collateral  damage  (hence  the  name  of soft bomb).By the detonation of these submunitions over the selected targets, a large number of fine carbon filaments are dispersed in the air, each one having a thickness of the order of several hundredths cm. Also, these filaments  can  float  into atmosphere  and  forms  dense clouds with a  significant persistence. Next, the filaments of carbon fiber dispersed by the BLU-114/B submunitions come into direct  contact  with  the  power transformers and other high-voltage equipments. These  can provide  short  circuits and  often,  an arcing  current  flowing through  the  fiber is  generated  and finally as result, the fiber is subsequently vaporized. Graphite, which is an excellent conductor of electricity, it is probably covered in this case with other materials that enhance this eect. In the area where the electric field is the strongest, this can initiate a download and electrons form rapidly a channel of ionization that will conduct the electricity. This causes an instantaneous local melting of a certain quantity of material from the surface of the two conductors. If the current has enough intensity, this arc can cause major faults or even, a fire. This fire can be also started in overheated equipments or conductors by a current oversize. In addition, the electrical arcs with very high-energy can cause even a mechanical explosion of the electrical equipments by their action.Although  the  most  important  part  of the specific  technical  details are classified  and  Pentagon declined intention to provide any information about this submunitions, its cost price is probably somewhere in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. 
The Graphite Bomb: An Overview of its Basic Military Applications18Typically, the circular error assigned to these unguided systems is by order of tens of meters. In the future, by incorporating in the architecture of the next generation of graphite bombs of the advanced guided kits having a high-precision as JDAM (Joint Direct Attack Monition) or JSOW ,   the precision and destroying ecacy of these weapon systems will be highly increased [8].      Fig. 6 Examples of CBU-97 weapon system images from the former Yugoslavia conflict(Source: global security, [7])CONCLUSIONSThe first important remark that can be obtained from the analysis of these military conflicts is that related to the very favorable ratio between the price cost assigned to the current power supply facilities destroyed and respectively, the actual price cost of the graphite bombs. Consequently, the use of such unconventional weapons becomes extremely profitable. Also, can be noted the huge damages, human losses virtually minimal, and a devastating demoralizing effect against the attacked nations etc.Another important remark is concerning to the fact that, an important number of generations of graphite bombs was developed  by  the  US  military. Consequently, starting from the specific ammunitions based on    Tomahawk kits and used in  the  early  days  of Operation Desert  Storm (1991),  continuing  with  the  submunitions  BLU-114/B  massive  used  in  the  conflict  from  the former  Yugoslavia  (1999)  and  Iraq  (2003)  and  ending  with  the  next  generation  of  graphite weapons  based  on  the  exploiting  of  the  carrier-vector  having  a  high  precision  like  AGM-154 D  JSOW, it can  conclude  that the  interest  in development  of  this type  of  unconventional electronic  attack  systems  remains  very  high  (e.g.,  given  by  the  relatively  low  price  cost compared to the efficiency  of its use and respectively,  the membership to the class of software system bombs). Finally, all these important advantages of the graphite bombs  will  explain  the increased  human  and financial  resources  which  will  be  allocated  in  the  next  period  of  time.