India has successfully developed and certified SEBEX 2, a new explosive that is 2.01 times more lethal than standard Trinitrotoluene (TNT). Certified by the Indian Navy, this high-performance explosive is said to be among the most powerful non-nuclear explosives in the world. It aims to revolutionize bombs, artillery shells, and warheads by enhancing destructive power without adding weight, and could have significant export potential.
According to an ET report by Manu Pubby, the new formulation of SEBEX 2 has been rigorously tested under the Indian Navy’s Defence Export Promotion Scheme.Officials indicated that final certifications were completed recently.
“The development of the explosive will enhance the potency and efficiency of weapons and ammunition in use,” officials said.
Developed by Economic Explosives Limited under the Make in India initiative, SEBEX 2 uses a composition based on high-melting explosive (HMX). This composition is expected to substantially increase the “lethality of warheads, aerial bombs, artillery shells, and other munitions which utilize blast and fragmentation effects to inflict damage to targets,” according to sources at Economic Explosives Limited. EEL is also in the process of developing another variant with an explosive power rated at 2.3 times that of TNT, expected to be ready in six months.
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Performance of explosives is typically measured in terms of TNT equivalence, with higher values indicating greater lethality. The current most potent conventional explosive used in India, filling the Brahmos warhead, has a TNT equivalence of about 1.50. In contrast, the new SEBEX 2 boasts a TNT equivalence of 2.01, significantly higher than most explosives used in conventional warheads worldwide, which typically range from 1.25 to 1.30.
Additionally, the Navy has certified the company’s first thermobaric explosive, SITBEX 1. SITBEX 1 has been utilized in recent conflicts to create extensive battlefield damage. SITBEX 1’s prolonged blast duration and intense heat generation make it ideal for destroying enemy bunkers, tunnels, and other fortified positions.
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Another development by the company, SIMEX 4, has also received certification from the Navy. SIMEX 4 is an insensitive munition, making it safer to store, transport, and operate compared to standard explosives.
The new formulation is much less prone to accidental igniting and has applications where safety is paramount, like in torpedo warheads housed in the confined spaces of a submarine, the report said.
According to an ET report by Manu Pubby, the new formulation of SEBEX 2 has been rigorously tested under the Indian Navy’s Defence Export Promotion Scheme.Officials indicated that final certifications were completed recently.
“The development of the explosive will enhance the potency and efficiency of weapons and ammunition in use,” officials said.
Developed by Economic Explosives Limited under the Make in India initiative, SEBEX 2 uses a composition based on high-melting explosive (HMX). This composition is expected to substantially increase the “lethality of warheads, aerial bombs, artillery shells, and other munitions which utilize blast and fragmentation effects to inflict damage to targets,” according to sources at Economic Explosives Limited. EEL is also in the process of developing another variant with an explosive power rated at 2.3 times that of TNT, expected to be ready in six months.
Also Read | ‘Silent killers’: Indian Army gets indigenous man-portable suicide drones for precision strikes along Pakistan, China borders
Performance of explosives is typically measured in terms of TNT equivalence, with higher values indicating greater lethality. The current most potent conventional explosive used in India, filling the Brahmos warhead, has a TNT equivalence of about 1.50. In contrast, the new SEBEX 2 boasts a TNT equivalence of 2.01, significantly higher than most explosives used in conventional warheads worldwide, which typically range from 1.25 to 1.30.
Additionally, the Navy has certified the company’s first thermobaric explosive, SITBEX 1. SITBEX 1 has been utilized in recent conflicts to create extensive battlefield damage. SITBEX 1’s prolonged blast duration and intense heat generation make it ideal for destroying enemy bunkers, tunnels, and other fortified positions.
Also Read | Bangladesh military unhappy with weapons imported from China; complains of ‘sub-standard’, faulty parts
Another development by the company, SIMEX 4, has also received certification from the Navy. SIMEX 4 is an insensitive munition, making it safer to store, transport, and operate compared to standard explosives.
The new formulation is much less prone to accidental igniting and has applications where safety is paramount, like in torpedo warheads housed in the confined spaces of a submarine, the report said.
