Student Article
This Is the Strangest Weapon the U.S. Military Doesn't Want You to Know About
Aerogel (noun): A very light and porous material.
Fission (noun): The splitting of an atomic nucleus.
Fusion (noun): The combining of atomic nuclei.
Deterrent (noun): Something that discourages an action.
The military works hard to keep its latest inventions secret. One of the most mysterious secrets is a material called Fogbank.
What in the world is Fogbank?
Fogbank is believed to be an aerogel material that turns into superheated plasma when a bomb's fission stage is detonated. This triggers the final fusion-stage detonation of a nuclear warhead. Fogbank was first made in Tennessee between 1975 and 1989, but because it was so secret, the military lost the knowledge. When the military needed more in 2008, they had to spend a lot of time and money to reverse engineer the process.
Secret planes and “UFOs”
The military also has other secrets, like advanced spy planes and space technology. Many UFO sightings in the 1950s and 60s were actually tests of these secret projects. The Pentagon recently released a report showing that most UFO sightings are linked to classified military technology.
Revealing more secrets
The U.S. Department of Defense is considering making some of its secret space programs less classified. This could help show the world its defense capabilities and act as a deterrent to enemies.
© Dr. Claire Asher / Our Media
Aerogel (noun): A very light and porous material.
Fission (noun): The splitting of an atomic nucleus.
Fusion (noun): The combining of atomic nuclei.
Deterrent (noun): Something that discourages an action.