Incendiaries have been used in warfare for thousands of years. The earliest recorded use dates back to ancient times, with the Greeks, Romans, and Chinese all employing fire-based weapons.

Ancient Uses:

• Greek Fire (7th century AD): One of the most famous incendiary weapons, used by the Byzantine Empire, was a liquid that could burn on water and was deployed in naval battles.
• Early Chinese Gunpowder (9th century AD): The Chinese developed early incendiary weapons using gunpowder, including fire arrows and fire lances.

Medieval & Renaissance:

• Mongols and Crusaders (13th century): Used burning tar, sulfur, and petroleum in sieges.
• Early Napalm-like Weapons (16th-18th centuries): Gunpowder-based incendiaries became more common.

Modern Warfare:

• World War I: Incendiary bullets and early flame throwers were introduced.
• World War II: Napalm and large-scale firebombing (e.g., Dresden, Tokyo) became major tactics.

So, while fire has always been a weapon in war, its use has evolved from simple burning arrows to advanced chemical incendiaries.

In modern warfare, incendiary weapons are highly destructive and controversial due to their devastating effects on human targets and infrastructure. Here are some of the worst incendiary weapons used today:

1. Thermobaric Weapons (Fuel-Air Explosives)

• These create a massive fireball and consume oxygen, causing a high-temperature explosion and a vacuum effect that ruptures lungs and incinerates everything in the blast radius.
• Used in Russia’s TOS-1 Buratino and MOAB (“Mother of All Bombs”) by the U.S.

2. Napalm and Modern Variants

• A sticky, gel-like incendiary that clings to surfaces and burns at temperatures over 1,000°C (1,832°F).
• Used in Vietnam War and occasionally in modern conflicts.
• Modern variants, such as NP2 (Napalm-B), are still in some military stockpiles.

3. White Phosphorus

• Ignites on contact with oxygen and burns at over 2,760°C (5,000°F).
• Causes severe chemical burns that can reignite when exposed to air.
• Used by U.S., Israel, and Russia in military operations.
• Controversial due to its use in civilian areas, violating international law.

4. Magnesium-Based Incendiaries

• Burns at over 3,000°C (5,400°F) and is used in incendiary bombs.
• Hard to extinguish, even with water.

5. Thermite

• A mixture of metal powders that burns at over 2,500°C (4,532°F).
• Used for destroying enemy equipment, bunkers, and melting through armored vehicles.
• Featured in grenades, bombs, and sabotage devices.

6. Cluster Incendiary Bombs

• Weapons that release multiple incendiary submunitions, spreading fire over large areas.
• Examples: Russia’s RBK-500 ZAB-2.5SM and U.S. CBU-55 FAE bomb.

7. Molotov Cocktails (Guerrilla Warfare)

• Improvised incendiary devices filled with gasoline or flammable chemicals.
• Used by insurgents, rioters, and military forces in urban warfare.

Many of these weapons are banned or restricted under international law, but some countries still use them in combat.