Water gun

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Disruptor (left) with bomb disposal the US Navy
Minenentschärfroboter tEODor the army in destroying a simulated booby trap means water gun

A water gun (also: water cannon, English disruptor) is a firing device that shoots water at a target using a propellant charge under high pressure. It is used at short range against unconventional explosive devices and incendiary devices ("suitcase bombs") and in this context against suspicious objects by destroying their shell and the explosive device hidden within. It is not a rifle in the strict sense of the word, as it is not fired as a handgun , but as a tool that is firmly attached to a frame / tripod or to a defusing manipulator.

The device typically consists of two water tanks with a propellant charge in between. Often this is a cartridge like the one used in heavy machine guns . The water tank facing the target opens into a barrel , while the rear tank is filled with the same amount of water, usually less than 500 ml. The ejection from the rear tank, also known as a compensator, makes the device recoil-free when fired .

Water gun on a defusing manipulator, next to it an explosives detection dog

Depending on the situation, the device is brought to the target object by a human bomb defuser or a robot , with the barrel being guided to within a few centimeters. The remote-controlled ignition of the propellant charge means that the water hits the target at high pressure, for example 1500 bar , and even bursts open solid shells. The aim is to immediately destroy all mechanical and electrical components of the explosive device and to break up the explosive charge into small parts.

Water guns are used by civil security agencies and military units to dispose of bombs.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Product descriptions on a company website, shot systems + accessories | from Countermeasure Systems Ltd , accessed December 11, 2012
  2. ↑ a b Detecting and detonating an asymmetrical threat at: marine-portraits.de , accessed on December 11, 2012
  3. ↑ a b c How do you defuse a suitcase bomb? ( Memento from March 8, 2009 in the Internet Archive ) in: ARD-Kopfball, broadcast on December 21, 2008