‘Battlefield to dust’: This B-52 bomber weapon can wipe out an entire army. Here's how

A single Boeing B-52 Stratofortress can theoretically wipe out an advancing enemy armoured division in one pass using a devastating precision weapon. The CBU-105 Sensor Fuzed Weapon essentially transforms the vintage aircraft into the ultimate high-altitude tank-buster.

Each CBU-105 is a 1,000-pound precision-guided cluster munition equipped with a Wind-Corrected Munitions Dispenser tail kit. Instead of a single massive explosive, the outer casing holds a deadly payload of 10 cylindrical BLU-108 submunitions.

After dropping from the bomber, the main canister cracks open at a predetermined altitude. Small parachutes quickly deploy to suspend the 10 submunitions in the air, before tiny rocket motors fire to violently spin each cylinder.

This extreme centrifugal force ejects 40 hockey-puck-shaped warheads, known as ‘Skeets’, across a massive 14-acre footprint. As they descend, these smart munitions use active lasers and passive infrared sensors to autonomously scan the ground for vehicles.

Once a descending Skeet detects the distinct shape and heat signature of an enemy tank, it detonates mid-air. The explosion fires a molten copper explosively formed penetrator (EFP) straight down into the target at hypersonic speeds.

This high-velocity copper slug exploits the greatest structural weakness of modern main battle tanks: their roofs. The penetrator easily punches through the incredibly thin top armour, instantly destroying the internal electronics, engine block, and crew.

To avoid leaving dangerous unexploded ordnance behind, the smart CBU-105 features strict internal safety protocols. If a descending Skeet fails to locate a valid enemy vehicle, it automatically self-destructs exactly 50 feet above the ground.