Should the flamethrower be banned as a weapon of war? Did the U.S. military stop using flamethrowers because of weapons conventions, because they weren't effective in modern combat, or both?

Should the flamethrower be banned as a weapon of war? Did the U.S. military stop using flamethrowers because of weapons conventions, because they weren't effective in modern combat, or both?

You seem to have impressive knowledge about the military. If Homelander from The Boys was given to the U.S.A government how would they use him? What would they use him for Keep in mind Homelander is a superhuman Superman/like figure but he isn’t that powerful, he is not invulnerable to 50. Cal. And how would they make him more deadly? Personally I think giving him spec ops training, and Military knowledge would make him more deadly. So that he is smarter and skilled in fighting and more precise etc. Another reason why infantry-deployed flamethrowers are not currently used in warfare: vulnerability. The soldier using this weapon becomes a target, and a single, well-placed round in the tank on his back is likely to make him or her a SOL (soldier out of luck). Still, there is a huge difference between a blow torch and a legal weapon of war.

This may sound totally crazy, but the professional soldiers and their leadership on the ground go to huge lengths to protect civilians and avoid unnecessary damage. For generations the Army has used the barbarism of prior conflicts (EVERYONE in the Army knows about the Mỹ Lai massacre and the atrocities at Abu Ghraib prison.) to try and prevent future horrors. Having online communities cheering, excusing, pardoning and otherwise celebrating the horrors of war just assures us, as a nation, we will continue to have to address the vile segments of our society who see this as entertainment as we are repeatedly condened to repeatedly fight conflicts, even when we are turning our backs on progress and surrendering to the political whims of our rivals. Flamethrowers were very specific type of weapon for a specific situation. They had s very limited range 50–100 meters (160–330 ft). On top of that the flamethrower was a dangerous weapon to carry. Heavy and awkward with enough fuel for ten seconds of use. With the 40mm granade luancher the military squad had more firepower and not one member walking around with a fuel bomb strapped to his back.

There are no Modified Flame Throwers are good for dispersing CS agents. I ’68 it was discovered that the CS used in Nam had a high enough fatality rate to make it a ‘poison gas’ the Army gave the California National Guard 20tons of the stuff for ‘crowd control.’ Mu Battalion got two flame throwers, two high pressure compressors and three 55 gallon drums of talcum powder to practice with. Our OMS shop backed on a municipal golf course in Salinas and one Saturday we were practicing with gas masks and the flame throwers, the huge cloud of white dust drifted over the course and there were complaints. The green smelled like a baby’s changing room for weeks. that explicitly ban flamethrowers.

There are two reasons why flamethrowers fell out of use:

• War changed

Flamethrowers are good at one thing - clearing fixed fortifications. For everything else they suck. They are heavy, bulky, short range, and relatively low capacity. They can set a lot more stuff on fire than you might need to burn. They take up space a better weapon can fit into.

Modern war is mobile, and it really makes no sense to lug around a flamethrower and a fuel supply on the off chance you maybe possibly would come across a bunker. Take a rifle and more grenades instead. 

• Better options exist

If you absolutely, positively have to set something on fire, there are incendiary munitions of various types. For example, in 1978, US produced the M202 Flash, which anyone alive in the 80’s will recognize:

It has a maximum range of 750 meters (800 yards or so), more than any old flamethrower ever had. Meaning you can set stuff on fire from farther away and from cover.

About the only thing flamethrowers are good for these days is burning trash and melting snow.

Picture Source Wikipedia

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