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- Thread starter jwhc
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You're right, but I believe the radiation from Neutron bombs has an extremely short half life. If they didn't, why worry about leaving radioactive buildings behind to rot?
Neutron bomb
nuclear weapon
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Alternative Title: enhanced radiation warhead
Neutron bomb, also called enhanced radiation warhead, specialized type of nuclear weapon that would produce minimal blast and heat but would release large amounts of lethal radiation. A neutron bomb is actually a small thermonuclear bomb in which a few kilograms of plutonium or uranium, ignited by a conventional explosive, would serve as a fission “trigger” to ignite a fusion explosion in a capsule containing several grams of deuterium-tritium. The bomb might have a yield, or explosive strength, of only one kiloton, a fraction of the 15-kiloton explosion that devastated Hiroshima, Japan, in 1945. Its blast and heat effects would be confined to an area of only a few hundred metres in radius, but within a somewhat larger radius of 1,000–2,000 metres the fusion reaction would throw off a powerful wave of neutron and gamma radiation. High-energy neutrons, though short-lived, could penetrate armour or several metres of earth and would be extremely destructive to living tissue. Because of its short-range destructiveness and the absence of long-range effects, the neutron bomb might be highly effective against tank and infantry formations on the battlefield but might not endanger nearby cities or other population centres. It could be launched on a short-range missile, fired by an artillery piece, or possibly delivered by a small aircraft.
Neutron bomb
nuclear weapon
WRITTEN BY
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....
See Article History
Alternative Title: enhanced radiation warhead
Neutron bomb, also called enhanced radiation warhead, specialized type of nuclear weapon that would produce minimal blast and heat but would release large amounts of lethal radiation. A neutron bomb is actually a small thermonuclear bomb in which a few kilograms of plutonium or uranium, ignited by a conventional explosive, would serve as a fission “trigger” to ignite a fusion explosion in a capsule containing several grams of deuterium-tritium. The bomb might have a yield, or explosive strength, of only one kiloton, a fraction of the 15-kiloton explosion that devastated Hiroshima, Japan, in 1945. Its blast and heat effects would be confined to an area of only a few hundred metres in radius, but within a somewhat larger radius of 1,000–2,000 metres the fusion reaction would throw off a powerful wave of neutron and gamma radiation. High-energy neutrons, though short-lived, could penetrate armour or several metres of earth and would be extremely destructive to living tissue. Because of its short-range destructiveness and the absence of long-range effects, the neutron bomb might be highly effective against tank and infantry formations on the battlefield but might not endanger nearby cities or other population centres. It could be launched on a short-range missile, fired by an artillery piece, or possibly delivered by a small aircraft.
Seems to me this would be a violation of all the nuclear agreements , ever made, since a thermo nuclear device is involved and you don't build one of these in your back yard. Detonating one of these would be no different than letting off the Tsar bomb .
I'm calling BS. Grizz
maple_leaf_eh
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Seems to me this would be a violation of all the nuclear agreements ....
Grizz
Agreed. The bomb is likely a conventional 2000-lb deep penetrator so-called bunker buster bomb. Both the Saudis and Emiratis have received these as foreign military sales. The Americans have/had some which used a surplus tank gun barrel as the rod to punch into soils without damaging the warhead and fusing. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BLU-109_bomb
The Saudis play quiet games with the Paks and the Chinese for nuclear technology and theatre ballistic missiles; the same way the Paks and Chinese have played with the North Koreans. From my following of the non-proliferation conversations, weaponizing warheads and in particular ruggedizing warheads is not a game for countries with shallow pockets. A typical airburst 1945-style bomb or ICBM warhead is now reasonably achievable by weapons programs that try hard (including DPRK, India, Pakistan, Israel). Making high yield bombs that are small is two orders of magnitude further along the developmental chain. The big nuclear powers (Russia, China, US, UK, France) are unlikely to go nuclear in the south end of the Arabian Peninsula and make the world really mad at them for breaking the rules of the game.
- Location
- WMU247 near Edmonton
Likely an arms cache. The Iranians have been steadily supplying the Houthi rebels with arms during the latest Yemeni civil war.
Recent example of seized arms in transit, in keeping with the thread's mandate:
read about that one
one hell of a haul.
What did they do with the weapons? Count 'em, register the serial numbers, then dump them overboard in a few thousand feet of water? (that's what I'd do)
Donny Fenn1
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- East Kootenays
I'd shoot all of them and then try and sell them to a "friendly" ally. Of course the US just gave the taliban a bunch of new gear by leaving Afghanistan after how ever many years so what do I know.
Issue them to the Kurds? They're going to be the only ones left to fight against the Taliban in the Mid East pretty shortly and the Taliban aren't going to play nice with them.
Probably just a typical thermobaric bomb. Check out the MOAB.
- Location
- Southern Vancouver Island
MOAB is a fuel/air munition made for ground level surface targets & is not a ground penetrator bomb. The bomb used in Yemen was clearly, a small thermo nuke in the 1-2 kiloton range.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NjAJh7oXtiY
I miss the heavy artillery from WW1 & 2 along with the heavy bombs like the Tallboy. Less messy.
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- Location
- Southern Vancouver Island
fingers284
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Alberta Cowboy Ranges
by the looks of the helmet the guy at the back is wearing, the wrong guys are getting hurt with it.
