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Trump review leans toward proposing mini-nuke

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D4Danger

Unconfirmed Member
They should be funded the gun from Eraser instead. It's like they don't even want cool sci-fi weapons.
 

A Fish Aficionado

I am going to make it through this year if it kills me
If atomic bombs are to be added as new weapons to the arsenals of a warring world, or to the arsenals of the nations preparing for war, then the time will come when mankind will curse the names of Los Alamos and Hiroshima. The people of this world must unite or they will perish.

J Robert fucking Oppenheimer.
 

Moose Biscuits

It would be extreamly painful...
No but more boom boom. The man has the attitude of a child. You know he wants to nuke something.

They need to set one of those things off in front of a 4k camera and some good mics.

You know, if they ever announced they were going to set off a nuke in an above ground test and were selling tickets for people to watch, I'd probably sell a kidney for the money to go to the States to see it. That shit's once in a lifetime (literally, probably).
 

A Fish Aficionado

I am going to make it through this year if it kills me
They have a small nuke.. It's called the MOAB (With out the nasty 250k half life)
0.11 kt

The smallest nuke in production waa 0.72 kt

Flash and other radiation is why nukes are way more dangerous. Air bursts level cities but dont leave them uninhabitable. Both bombs in Japan were air bursts.
 
Enough ppl need to hate on his decision then smother him with smiles when he finally resumes a peaceful solution. Seems like the only way to make him change his mind.
 

Nivash

Member
Tactical nukes were heavily discussed during the Bush presidency, with similar outrage. They were intended for bunker-busting.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2003/nov/30/usa.georgebush

http://progressive.org/magazine/bomb-bush-s-baby-nuke/

The project never really went anywhere, thankfully. They produced the MOAB instead. In whatever scenario you can come up with where a small nuke can do the job, a conventional weapon can typically do the job more or less as well but without the massive geopolitical ramifications.
 

Mivey

Member
Sounds like it would undermine the concept of nuclear deterrence. Then again, a good nuclear winter and starting from scratch might do modern civilization some good.
 

qcf x2

Member
Tactical nukes were heavily discussed during the Bush presidency, with similar outrage. They were intended for bunker-busting.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2003/nov/30/usa.georgebush

http://progressive.org/magazine/bomb-bush-s-baby-nuke/

The project never really went anywhere, thankfully. They produced the MOAB instead. In whatever scenario you can come up with where a small nuke can do the job, a conventional weapon can typically do the job more or less as well but without the massive geopolitical ramifications.

That's surprising, I thought we already had a bunch of tactical nukes tbh. And that they'd be the last weapon used before a conflict goes full on nuclear, ie the the last opportunity for deescalation.
 

Nivash

Member
That's surprising, I thought we already had a bunch of tactical nukes tbh. And that they'd be the last weapon used before a conflict goes full on nuclear, ie the the last opportunity for deescalation.

I should probably have been a bit more clear. You're correct, the US still retains a significant number of tactical warheads. But what Bush - and now Trump - envision is even smaller than that, which is why they blur the line between convenetional and nuclear weapons in a dangerous way.
 

A Fish Aficionado

I am going to make it through this year if it kills me
Tactical nukes were heavily discussed during the Bush presidency, with similar outrage. They were intended for bunker-busting.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2003/nov/30/usa.georgebush

http://progressive.org/magazine/bomb-bush-s-baby-nuke/

The project never really went anywhere, thankfully. They produced the MOAB instead. In whatever scenario you can come up with where a small nuke can do the job, a conventional weapon can typically do the job more or less as well but without the massive geopolitical ramifications.
Yes. Nukes aren't very tactical.
In the mindset of total war as was in WWII, it's just another weapon. Hence the Japanese bombings and also why firebombing Vietnam was allowed until the UN in 1980.

White Phosphorus still continues to be a problem.
 

Lautaro

Member
Tactical nukes were heavily discussed during the Bush presidency, with similar outrage. They were intended for bunker-busting.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2003/nov/30/usa.georgebush

http://progressive.org/magazine/bomb-bush-s-baby-nuke/

The project never really went anywhere, thankfully. They produced the MOAB instead. In whatever scenario you can come up with where a small nuke can do the job, a conventional weapon can typically do the job more or less as well but without the massive geopolitical ramifications.

Came here to say the same. I guess most gaffers are too young to remember the outrage at the news.

A tactical nuke may be tactical for the military but its a dangerous political message to the world that could lead to proliferation.
 

Morat

Banned
Surely the terms 'nuclear weapon' and 'tactical' are oxymorons

EDIT

I understand the concept of 'low yield' weapons, but any use of these weapons would normalise nuclear warfare
 

Nivash

Member
Surely the terms 'nuclear weapon' and 'tactical' are oxymorons

It's semantics, really. Tactical refers to dealing with something on the battle field, like an enemy position or formation. Strategic means going after their ability to wage war, like destroying their cities and factories. Nukes can do both. The only real reason that strategic nukes tend to be larger is because they're going after larger targets. The B-61 bomb can be used as both a strategic and nuclear weapon by "dialing in" the yield to correspond with the desired effect on target.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/B61_nuclear_bomb
 
If you need a small nuke, just use regular bombs. Nukes are a last resort weapon, you really want to level cities when using them, so making them smaller is useless as hell.
 
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