Has any country actually ever tested a nuclear missile?

[Collegeguy]

I think it might be too dangerous because the missile could set off a lot of alarm bells from other countries once it reaches space atmosphere ect. That is if it's intercontinental. Perhaps tested at one time but dangerous today.

I'm just making a guess though.

[Argarock]

So how do we know they will work if no one has tested them?

The missiles themselves work, the explosive works under the conditions set. I dont understand why you doubt they will work? It's not like this is rocket science or anything

[Hooked]

Has any bomb shelter actually tested one also?. Seriously how do we know a bomb shelter will even work?, I have seen zero testing of this.

[Kontinuum]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-a...lear_explosion
Argus III, 6 September 1958, 1.7 kt, 540 km (The highest known man made nuclear explosion)
Starfish Prime, 9 July 1962, 1.4 Mt, 400 km (The largest man made nuclear explosion in outer space)

[Afrospinach]

Also google/wiki "Operation Fishbowl", which is several tests of nuclear warheads in space , carried out by an early type of ballistic missile, PGM-17 Thor.

Yeah this has been done before. Notably atmospheric and space detonations are completely banned which is one reason why no one does it.

[Deleted]

From wiki "On May 6, 1962, a Polaris A-2 missile with a live W47 warhead was tested in the "Frigate Bird" test of Operation Dominic by USS Ethan Allen in the central Pacific Ocean, the only American test of a live strategic nuclear missile."

So atlest US have test a real nuclear missile with a real warhead.

[ParanoiD84]

The japanese got a first hand taste of the tests.

[Allybeboba]

The japanese got a first hand taste of the tests.

Simple gravity bombs.

[Citizen T]

Those where not missiles, just bombs dropped out of a plane.

Also they already saw what the bombs could do. The exploded them in the Nevada desert long before Japan happened.

This is not correct in either number, location or timing.

The first atomic bomb test took place at the Trinity Site in New Mexico. Within a month of this test the bombs were dropped on Japan.

There was single test, it took place in New Mexico, and it was a very short period of time.

[Gaaz]

USSR did a few of these tests. I mean actual nuclear fitted delivery device:
P-5M rocket
3YP-215 anti aircraft rocket
PDC-9 torpedo
Groza rocket
Volga rocket
Rosa thermonuclear fitted rocket
Unidentified cruise missile fitted with a nuclear warhead (1961)
Many of them were tested multiple times. After 1965 or so, the number of static explosions gradually decreases in favor of actual delivery devices. I would say, about 20-25% of their tests in later periods were done with a delivery method of some kind (ballistic missiles, AA missiles, torpedoes, cannons etc...).

[zenkai]

Why are you guys bumping a 3 1/2 month old post?

[Adam Jensen]

The missiles themselves work, the explosive works under the conditions set. I dont understand why you doubt they will work? It's not like this is rocket science or anything

Uh . . .

This is exactly rocket science.

[Deleted]

Uh . . .

This is exactly rocket science.

Hahahahaha, you got him good!

[belfpala]

Uh . . .

This is exactly rocket science.

Sounds more like rocket surgery.

[Auxora]

The US and USSR (and UK) signed an agreement in 1963 that banned all but underground testing. So that ruled out atmospheric testing by missile, which they had already done anyway. They realized spreading radioactive fallout all over more than they already had was probably not a great idea.

Plus at this point for the big powers rocket tech is fairly trivial. Even private companies like SpaceX can launch (and land the first stage in the case of SpaceX) payloads like clockwork. So they are well past needing to test a nuke from a missile directly.

[unfilteredJW]

Hooked asking for proof of something?

This is madness.

[Kellhound]

The US and USSR (and UK) signed an agreement in 1963 that banned all but underground testing. So that ruled out atmospheric testing by missile, which they had already done anyway. They realized spreading radioactive fallout all over more than they already had was probably not a great idea.

Plus at this point for the big powers rocket tech is fairly trivial. Even private companies like SpaceX can launch (and land the first stage in the case of SpaceX) payloads like clockwork. So they are well past needing to test a nuke from a missile directly.

Its not getting them up thats hard, its getting them back down in an operational condition and on target that is....