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By Ellie Cook
Senior Defense Reporter
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Turkey has unveiled a new bomb described by state-linked media as the NATO country's "most powerful" air-launched conventional weapon, as Ankara positions itself as a major defense exporter.
The thermobaric weapon, dubbed GAZAP, is "very destructive," Turkey's state-run Anadolu news agency reported.
Why It Matters
Thermobaric weapons, sometimes referred to as vacuum bombs, fuel-air munitions or aerosol bombs, use oxygen mixed with fuel to create a high-temperature explosion. A second charge ignites after the initial explosion, making the weapon much more destructive than other non-nuclear bombs of a similar size.
Read More on World
Russia has used thermobaric weapons in Ukraine, Western analysis confirmed early on in Moscow's full-scale invasion of its neighbor. The Soviet Union also used thermobaric munitions during its war in Afghanistan, while the two-stage bombs have been in Western arsenals for decades.
What To Know
The GAZAP weighs in at 2,000lbs, and has passed through certification tests, Anadolu Agency reported, citing an unnamed official. The modified bomb is "ready for use," the official said.
The weapon can be dropped from a U.S.-made F-16 fighter jet, according to domestic media. But there is some doubt about whether the weapon is technically thermobaric, according to weapons expert David Hambling.
Yet it appears to be an advanced design, and a "sign that they are aiming to keep up," Hambling told Newsweek.
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Turkey has a substantial military, with close to 300 combat-capable aircraft, according to the London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) think tank. The vast majority of these aircraft are variants of the F-16.
The Turkish government debuted the bomb, and a similar-size weapon named NEB-2 Ghost, at a major defense fair in Istanbul, where Ankara and London separately announced a step toward a deal that would furnish Turkey with Typhoon fighter jets.
Turkey has been building up its defense industrial base for over 50 years, said Rebecca Lucas, a senior analyst with the European branch of the RAND think tank.
"Recently, there has been a significant surge in Turkey's offerings on the global arms market, most famously UAVs [uncrewed aerial vehicles], but also armored vehicles, ships, munitions, and more," Lucas said.
The Istanbul defense expo has traditionally offered up opportunities to publicize new military developments, Lucas told Newsweek. "It's not surprising that we have seen several debuts this weekend, including the GAZAP and NEB-2 Ghost bombs," added Lucas.
Russia said back in 2007 it had tested what it called the "father of all bombs," an air-launched thermobaric weapon. Russian officials at the time said it was four times more powerful than the U.S. military's "mother of all bombs," which the U.S. used in Afghanistan in 2017 during President Donald Trump's first term in office.
The American 21,600lb weapon is also known as the GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast Bomb.
What People Are Saying
Rebecca Lucas, a senior analyst with the European branch of the RAND think tank, told Newsweek on Monday: "Turkey is not only advertising specific weapons and platforms to potential sellers, but also its overall rise as an influential regional player."
Update 8/6/2025 at 12:45 p.m. ET: This article was updated with comments from David Hambling.
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