Large Nukes, page 2
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reply posted on 1-12-2004 @ 05:37 PM by Lucretius
Originally posted by ShadowXIX
Russia detonated the largest nuclear weapon ever The Tsar Bomba ("King of Bombs") a 100 MT nuke at half yield so it was about a 50 MT blast.

I think the Russians found that more than 10 megatons is a waste because you're not increasing the blast radius by much as you increase the yield once you get over 10 MT.

Nukes have really changed more into a bunch of smaller ones such as we see in MIRVs compared to just one big one. That seems to be the better way to go as that makes up most of the modern ICBMs we see in Russia and the US.

nuclearweaponarchive.org...

The largest bomb now in the US arsenal is the 9MT B-53


no the russians found that the blast still increased proportionately (if the full 100mt yeild was detonated it would have created a fireball the size of maryland)

however large bombs like that are inneficient... it's much better to have many smaller bombs that are more precise than one huge blast.

The TSAR bomb was a technology demonstration and propaganda tool... nothing more



reply posted on 3-12-2004 @ 05:19 AM by Harlequin
the `TSAR` weapons are big , powerful but useless on any battlefield - it was a parachute retarded bomb , detonated on the 30th october 1961 , at an altitude of 4000m Over Novaya Zemlya Island test range . This three stage weapon was actually a 100 megaton bomb design, but the uranium fusion tamper of the teritiary (and probably secondary) stage(s) was replaced by one made of lead to eliminate fast fission by the fusion neutrons. The result was also the cleanest weapon ever tested with 97% of the energy coming from fusion reactions. The yield was reported to be 53 MT.

This weapon was developed in a remarkably short time. On 10 July 1961 Nikita Khruschev met with Sakharov, then the senior weapon designer, and directed him to develop a 100 megaton bomb. This device had to be ready for a test series due to begin in September so that the series would create maximum political impact (a bomb this size is virtually useless militarily). Sakharov returned to Arzamas-16, and selcted a design team consisting of Victor Adamskii, Yuri Babaev, Yuri Trunev, and Yuri Smirnov (who later oversaw the transformation of this design into a fielded weapon). The bomb was tested only 14 weeks after the initiation of its design.

The effect of this bomb at full yield on global fallout would have been tremendous. It would have increased the world's total fission fallout since the invention of the atomic bomb by 25%. The fabrication of the massive parachute disrupted the Soviet nylon hosiery industry. It weighed 27 metric tons. Some were actually stockpiled.

The bomb was air dropped by a Tu-95 strategic bomber piloted by A. E. Durnovtsev (made Hero of the Soviet Union).

There are other `tsar` equipment , the tsar cannon - which weighs 85,000 lbs (40 tons) , is 16 feet long, has an 890mm calibre and made in 1586 (but never fired) and the tsar bell which weighs in at 200 tons (but again never used as it was crackined in a fire in 1737).


[edit on 3-12-2004 by Harlequin]


reply posted on 3-12-2004 @ 06:36 PM by imasspeons
i did some research at nuclearweaponarchive.org... (they got a site for everything) anyway it goes as following

Note: number indicates number of launch ready warheads each country has, not total stockpile (US has no stockpile, all weapons are ready to launch). warheads are individual nuclear divices, some missles carry over 12 warheads, after entering space each warhead leaves missile and heads for predestined target. there are 1000 kilotons in 1 megaton. to give you some prospective "little man" (the hiroshima bomb) had a yield of 18 kilotons.

USA: 7339
Russia: ??? estimated at 6000 launch ready warheads
UK: 58 (and no its not 2000 and no they are smaller than US nukes, sorry)
France: 449
China ??? estimated at 100-200 warheads, all small yeild tactical
India: ??? estimnated at less than 100
Pakistan: ??? estimated at less than 50
Isreal: ??? estimated at 80-150


Largest US nuke is W-88/Mk-5 with 435 kiloton yeild

Largest Russian nuke is SS-18 Satan, yeild varies depending on year and model, ranges from 750 kilotons to 1 megaton.

Largest British (and only british type in service) is Trident II D-5 missile, each warhead has 10 kiloton yeild.

Largest French weapon is M4B, each warhead has about 250 kiloton yield.

Largest Chinese is believed to be under 20 kilotons, but they surely have larger in stockpile

Both Pakistan and India are believed to have weapons with warheads that could be between 200-300 kilotons.

Isreal's largest is belived to have 250 kiloton yield.

all types mentioned would be used in nuclear war, blast radius would vary with each warhead becausw of targets geography, but a 80 kiloton warhead would vaporate everything for 1 kilometer diameter and melt and vaporize metal for a 15 kilometre diameter i think, to give you some prospective again.

[edit on 3-12-2004 by imasspeons]


reply posted on 3-12-2004 @ 08:50 PM by Starwars51
Originally posted by imasspeons
i did some research at
nuclearweaponarchive.org... (they got a site for everything) anyway it goes as following

Note: number indicates number of launch ready warheads each country has, not total stockpile (US has no stockpile, all weapons are ready to launch). warheads are individual nuclear divices, some missles carry over 12 warheads, after entering space each warhead leaves missile and heads for predestined target. there are 1000 kilotons in 1 megaton. to give you some prospective "little man" (the hiroshima bomb) had a yield of 18 kilotons.

USA: 7339
Russia: ??? estimated at 6000 launch ready warheads
UK: 58 (and no its not 2000 and no they are smaller than US nukes, sorry)
France: 449
China ??? estimated at 100-200 warheads, all small yeild tactical
India: ??? estimnated at less than 100
Pakistan: ??? estimated at less than 50
Isreal: ??? estimated at 80-150


Largest US nuke is W-88/Mk-5 with 435 kiloton yeild

all types mentioned would be used in nuclear war, blast radius would vary with each warhead becausw of targets geography, but a 80 kiloton warhead would vaporate everything for 1 kilometer diameter and melt and vaporize metal for a 15 kilometre diameter i think, to give you some prospective again.

[edit on 3-12-2004 by imasspeons]


This information (at least for the US) is incorrect. In fact, I was unable to find a single online reference that lists START II numbers. The US's goal is to reduce it's deployed weapons to approx 1,750 by October 2005, - and they are well on the way. Almost all Minuteman missiles are de-mirved, and Peacekeepers (MX) are being de-activated right now. The US also maintains a signifigant stockpile of weapons that are not mated to any delivery system (spares). Russia is supposed to be working towards the same goal - but they are almost certainly behind due to "lack of money" - and never formally agreeing to START II.

BTW- START I limited all weapons to 10 MIRV's, even though some systems can carry more - they do not. Also, a 350 KT warhead has a blast radius of appox 2-3 miles (against non-hardened targets), and would kill (due to radiant heat) anthing unprotected within approx twice that. However, when you start dealing with hardened targets - such as missile silos - a direct (within a couple hunded feet) hit is needed, possibly by more than one warhead.


reply posted on 3-12-2004 @ 08:51 PM by Starwars51
Originally posted by imasspeons
i did some research at
nuclearweaponarchive.org... (they got a site for everything) anyway it goes as following

Note: number indicates number of launch ready warheads each country has, not total stockpile (US has no stockpile, all weapons are ready to launch). warheads are individual nuclear divices, some missles carry over 12 warheads, after entering space each warhead leaves missile and heads for predestined target. there are 1000 kilotons in 1 megaton. to give you some prospective "little man" (the hiroshima bomb) had a yield of 18 kilotons.

USA: 7339
Russia: ??? estimated at 6000 launch ready warheads
UK: 58 (and no its not 2000 and no they are smaller than US nukes, sorry)
France: 449
China ??? estimated at 100-200 warheads, all small yeild tactical
India: ??? estimnated at less than 100
Pakistan: ??? estimated at less than 50
Isreal: ??? estimated at 80-150


Largest US nuke is W-88/Mk-5 with 435 kiloton yeild

all types mentioned would be used in nuclear war, blast radius would vary with each warhead becausw of targets geography, but a 80 kiloton warhead would vaporate everything for 1 kilometer diameter and melt and vaporize metal for a 15 kilometre diameter i think, to give you some prospective again.

[edit on 3-12-2004 by imasspeons]


This information (at least for the US) is incorrect. In fact, I was unable to find a single online reference that lists START II numbers. The US's goal is to reduce it's deployed weapons to approx 1,750 by October 2005, - and they are well on the way. Almost all Minuteman missiles are de-mirved, and Peacekeepers (MX) are being de-activated right now. The US also maintains a signifigant stockpile of weapons that are not mated to any delivery system (spares). Russia is supposed to be working towards the same goal - but they are almost certainly behind due to "lack of money" - and never formally agreeing to START II.

BTW- START I limited all weapons to 10 MIRV's, even though some systems can carry more - they do not. Also, a 350 KT warhead has a blast radius of appox 2-3 miles (against non-hardened targets), and would kill (due to radiant heat) anthing unprotected within approx twice that. However, when you start dealing with hardened targets - such as missile silos - a direct (within a couple hunded feet) hit is needed, possibly by more than one warhead.


reply posted on 5-12-2004 @ 08:32 AM by Hyperen
Originally posted by imasspeons
i did some research at
nuclearweaponarchive.org... (they got a site for everything) anyway it goes as following

Largest British (and only british type in service) is Trident II D-5 missile, each warhead has 10 kiloton yeild.


Each warhead on Britain's Trident D-5 Missiles has more than a 10 kT yield.

I once read that they could choose whether to detonate each one at a 1, 10 or 100 kiloton yield.

from Naval Technology

The Vanguard has the capacity to carry 16 Trident missiles...The missile carries a number of multiple independently targeted re-entry vehicles (MIRVs), each armed with a yield of 100kt to 120kt. The Trident II missile can carry up to 12 MIRVs but START I treaty agreements limit this to eight. D5 missiles for the Vanguard Class will carry a maximum of four warheads and, in 1999, it was announced that each vessel would carry a maximum of 48 warheads.

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