The world's smallest nuclear bomb
Imagine a backpack nuke small enough for one person to carry. Imagine that person parachuting into enemy territory, setting the bomb and then leaving via submarine. Imagine nuclear artillery firing low yield nuclear bombs with a range of only 4km against advancing armies. This may sound like a James Bond film but is in fact reality.
The name of Davy Crockett may bring up images of the American folk hero but it was also the name given to one of the worlds smallest nuclear bombs. The bomb itself weighed 76 pounds (including fin assembly) and was only 30 inches long. It was designed to be launched from a recoilless rifle with a maximum range of 4km. During the 1950's and 1960's over 2000 of these bombs were produced.
The 30 inch long warhead (with fin assembly) sits atop the Davy Crockett recoilless rifle.
|
The W54 warhead used in it was the smallest type deployed in the United States at that time. It had a selectable yield equivalent of 10 or 20 tons of TNT. As a comparison the 10 ton version would have been two to four times more powerful than the bomb used in the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing of a federal building.
Unfortunately the weapon had poor accuracy so the main purpose of it was to expose enemy troops to extreme levels of radiation. Anyone within 150m of the explosion would receive an instantly lethal dose of radiation. Anyone caught within 400m of it would receive a fatal dose. The theory was that these weapons could be deployed in western Europe to slow down advancing Soviet ground troops.
Another type of low yield atomic bomb was the Special Atomic Demolition Munition (SADM) developed in the 1960's but never used in combat. Essentially is was a backpack nuke with a selectable yield. The plan was that two members of the US Army Special Forces would parachute into enemy territory with the device. Once planted at a strategic location they would set the timer then evacuate out of the area. It was designed to halt or slow down advancing Soviet forces if they were to invade western Europe.
Although both of these weapons are no longer used it would be foolish not to think that replacement compact nuclear devices have been developed in the last thirty years. We can only hope that such devices are always controlled by those with common sense and a level head.
Previous Articles
How to create an evacuation kit
There are numerous web sites devoted to evacuation and survival. However we intend to separate fact from fantasy so that you are prepared if a disaster strikes. Listed here are all the items you will need to take with you in the event of an evacuation.
How society will react to a pandemic
In recent years we have been bombarded with TV specials, documentaries and government announcements all related to bird flu. We have been inundated with what steps we should take, what the risks are, how it spreads and how likely it is to happen. But how will society react to a pandemic?
Earth targeted for elimination
In a previous article we investigated how a potentially hostile alien species could invade Earth. However what if invasion was not an option. What if the objective was the neutralization of Earth?
How the majority of the human race are wrong
Could the majority of the human race be wrong? We investigate that possibility and provide you with the facts so you can draw your own conclusions.
| 
