Mini nuke in Ukraine?

[xenogear3]

Does Ukraine think they are Russia?
Or want independent?

[lockedout]

Does Ukraine think they are Russia?
Or want independent?

They have elements from both sides.

[Sam the Wiser]

That's not a nuke.

[Eldar45]

That's not a nuke.

You'd be surprised at how small a nuclear blast can be. Of course they will always be bigger than most conventional bombs, but that was large enough to be a small tactical nuclear warhead.

Its probably not, but until otherwise confirmed by radiation tests (I haven't read if they have confirmed or denied) it could have been a tactical nuke.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eiM-RzPHyGs - This is the Davy Crockett, a tactical nuke launched by Recoiless Rifle. It was never used because its just as likely to kill the team that fired it as it would the enemy.

[Sam the Wiser]

You'd be surprised at how small a nuclear blast can be. Of course they will always be bigger than most conventional bombs, but that was large enough to be a small tactical nuclear warhead.

Its probably not, but until otherwise confirmed by radiation tests (I haven't read if they have confirmed or denied) it could have been a tactical nuke.

I've taken a weapons of mass destruction class, and from that video alone I highly doubt it.

[Kellhound]

I've taken a weapons of mass destruction class, and from that video alone I highly doubt it.

It has been well established it was a secondary explosion.

[GennGreymane]

I hope to zombie jesus that this was not a nuke.

[Chaochamp]

I hope to zombie jesus that this was not a nuke.

All it will take is the first country dropping a nuke, and instantly humanity will be set back thousands of years. Mutually assures destruction is the best deterrent we have against a nuclear future.

[Xargoth6634]

I've taken a weapons of mass destruction class, and from that video alone I highly doubt it.

Oh, well if you've taken a class in it you must be an expert.

Not that I disagree that it's not a nuke.

[Netherspark]

It's a chemical plant getting hit with a (probably stray) shell, it's already been reported.

[Kellhound]

It's a chemical plant getting hit with a (probably stray) shell, it's already been reported.

Based on the footage I have seen, it as more than one round.

[Zdrasti]

This post is from the morning. If a nuke was used, you'd hear/see about it everywhere... or be dead already because we've mutually annihilated each other before you noticed.

[HoopyFrood]

This post is from the morning. If a nuke was used, you'd hear/see about it everywhere... or be dead already because we've mutually annihilated each other before you noticed.

This right here. Shit would have gone down fast. This was a ground detonation with no nuclear flash and no atmospheric effects associated with one. Thermobaric weapons are also air burst devices.

For all those who keep quoting the "Davey Crockett" weapon keep in mind that it was worthless exercise in maintaining a true fission reaction with a weapon that scale. Also keep in mind that the DC rifle was not capable of dial-a-yield so the actual percentage of material that went critical was absurdly low and you could actually blow apart your fissile material before it went critical.

This is why you don't see suitcase nukes as they are a waste. You can do a lot more effective damage with a truck full of ANFO with an easier deployment.

[Kellhound]

This right here. Shit would have gone down fast. This was a ground detonation with no nuclear flash and no atmospheric effects associated with one. Thermobaric weapons are also air burst devices.

For all those who keep quoting the "Davey Crockett" weapon keep in mind that it was worthless exercise in maintaining a true fission reaction with a weapon that scale. Also keep in mind that the DC rifle was not capable of dial-a-yield so the actual percentage of material that went critical was absurdly low and you could actually blow apart your fissile material before it went critical.

This is why you don't see suitcase nukes as they are a waste. You can do a lot more effective damage with a truck full of ANFO with an easier deployment.

The Crockett was intended to have a small yield, ~10 tons. Its main effect was radiation, not blast.

[Kyonlol]

It's a chemical plant getting hit with a (probably stray) shell, it's already been reported.

probably not a stray

any chemical plant that produces nitrates for foods or fertilizers can have their production directed to the war machine of a country, as Hitler did with his factories in WWII. His people suffered a great famine because of this

causing the factory to explode was probably intentional, its essentially attacking the enemy's food supply and a potential bomb factory supplier

[HoopyFrood]

The Crockett was intended to have a small yield, ~10 tons. Its main effect was radiation, not blast.

I know that. It also straddles the line of true fission weapon versus a very crude salted weapon i.e. a fizzle.

Regardless the fissile materials used to reproduce one is harder to get a hold of than one may think and very impractical/unreliable. Point is after conventional explosives if you REALLY want to go nuke it would be easier to build a slightly larger device and get a much bigger boom.

[SpcGuts]

The Crockett was intended to have a small yield, ~10 tons. Its main effect was radiation, not blast.

As are most non-strategic nukes. They are meant to be deployed on a battlefield and while their initial blast is great, they work well as an area denial weapon. They are still worthless in that they could still result in the escalation to strategic nuclear weapons. GBU-31s work great without triggering nuclear armageddon.

[HoopyFrood]

They are still worthless in that they could still result in the escalation to strategic nuclear weapons. GBU-31s work great without triggering nuclear armageddon.

And cheaper/easier. My argument is that low yield fission weapons labeled as tactical were actually more strategic due to inconsistency.

[Kellhound]

I know that. It also straddles the line of true fission weapon versus a very crude salted weapon i.e. a fizzle.

Regardless the fissile materials used to reproduce one is harder to get a hold of than one may think and very impractical/unreliable. Point is after conventional explosives if you REALLY want to go nuke it would be easier to build a slightly larger device and get a much bigger boom.

The W54 was small for a reason, but thankfully we have moved away from nuclear weapons as the answer for everything.

- - - Updated - - -

As are most non-strategic nukes. They are meant to be deployed on a battlefield and while their initial blast is great, they work well as an area denial weapon. They are still worthless in that they could still result in the escalation to strategic nuclear weapons. GBU-31s work great without triggering nuclear armageddon.

Depends on the yield selected, at least for the B61. On the highest setting a tactical B61 is 3x as powerful as Little Boy. Battlefield nuclear weapons came about at a time when accuracy still leaved much to be desired and they were seen as a good way to break up mass tank formations.

They also served as anti-air (Genie) and anti-sub (SUBROC) weapons where blast was all that really mattered, which is really the most likely way they would have been used (less chance of escalation).

[Drsolders]

I'm pretty sure it has been confirmed that it was artillery hitting a chemical plant. This was not a nuke.
http://www.reddit.com/r/worldnews/co...nt_in_ukraine/