Peace Through Superior Firepower/Tactical Nukes: Difference between revisions

We should note here that what distinguishes a tactical nuclear device from a strategic nuclear device is the intended use. Tactical nuclear weapons are intended for use on the battlefield, perhaps against massed enemy mechanized formations or air bases. A strategic nuclear weapon, on the other hand, is intended to be used against the enemy homeland more directly, perhaps against military bases (such as ICBM launch sites), in what is known as the [http://en.[wikipedia.org/wiki/:Counterforce |counterforce strategy]], or perhaps against the enemy's cities, in what the theorists call [http://en.[wikipedia.org/wiki/:Countervalue |countervalue strategy]] and what the rest of the world calls [[Kick the Dog|a major dick-move.]]

This category includes fighter-bombers, artillery and missiles with a range below 186 miles/300  km, the limit set by the [http://en.[wikipedia.org/wiki/Missile_Technology_Control_Regime:Missile Technology Control Regime|Missile Technology Control Regime]] on missile proliferation.

The first nuclear artillery system anywhere. Combined a 280mm-howitzer with the W9 warhead inside a special artillery shell. This was a gun-type device. Tested in 1953 (the shot was Upshot-Knothole Grable) at the Nevada Test Site; the footage is quite famous. By no means the last word in nuclear gun artillery; the US quickly miniaturized the warheads. They became small enough to fit in special 155mm artillery shells and be fired from standard 155mm howitzers.

Three-man crew-served recoilless rifle. Developed in the late 50's to use against Soviet forces if they invaded [[West Germany]]. The 23  kg projectile had a selectable yield between 10 and 500 tons, but its inaccuracy (and the fact its blast radius was larger than its effective range) made it just as dangerous to the operators as the target. The Little Feller test shots were the last atmospheric detonations at the Nevada Test Site.

* The theft of a Davy Crockett and some warheads drive the plot of [[Metal Gear Solid]] 3: Snake Eater. It also served as the inspiration for the Fat Man tactical nuclear catapult that appears in ''[[Fallout 3 (Video Game)|Fallout 3]]'' and ''[[Fallout New Vegas (Video Game)|Fallout: New Vegas]]''.

* [[Shout -Out|Referred to]] in the [[Battle Tech|BattleTech]] rules, where a 'Davy Crockett' is a tactical nuclear weapon small enough to be delivered by 'Mech-portable artillery. A more literal equivalent, also specifically referred to by name, features and is in fact used in the novel ''Ideal War''. {{spoiler|It's fired into a more traditional battle between 'Mech forces for control of the planet by local guerillas notionally allied with one side...causing both sides to promptly concentrate their fire on ''them''.}}

* Features in ''[[Command and& Conquer]]''

* A stolen warhead from a Corporal is acquired by Auric Goldfinger in the original ''[[Goldfinger (Film)|Goldfinger]]'' novel to be used to blow open the doors of Fort Knox. OK...

A nuclear ''air-to-air'' rocket with a 1.5 KT yield. Unguided, once it was launched, the launching aircraft had to turn sharply to get away. Air-tested once, with a group of USAF officers apparently volunteering to stand underneath the explosion to test whether it could be used over populated areas. Designed to destroy bombers. It was important to completely and thoroughly destroy Soviet bombers, because the bombs had fail-deadly functionality (a dead man's switch, essentially); if they were shot down, the bombs would still detonate. In the late 1950s and early 1960s, North America had a very sophisticated and effective air defense network (and still does), which would have probably performed well against Soviet bombers. The heavy use of nuclear weapons in a defensive role might have worked against it, however, on account of EMP. There was much less understanding of the phenomenon back then. On the other hand, they were using primarily vacuum-tube electronics and they were generally less sophisticated and fussy than today, and in addition to this the bursts were fairly low-yield and at a low altitude. There might have been some equipment-damaging and radar blackout effects, though.

Dubiously holds the honor of being the only American aircraft with attrition rates high enough to deem it unfit to, well, fly. Anywhere. The career featured a long list of maintenance, performance, and electronics problems, usually arising as soon as another was fixed, and among other concerns, possibly earning the aircraft an unflattering nickname.

Republic's successor to the F-84F, this Mach 2 capable (it could exceed Mach 1 at sea level too) single-seat fighter-bomber could carry nukes and was originally designed for long-range interdiction with said weapons. It became affectionately known as the "Thud", among other names. Converted for a conventional role, the aircraft was used extensively in the [[Vietnam War]], including two-seater versions dedicated to the "Wild Weasel" defense suppression role (not a nice role for a pilot, since you're "first in, last out" of a hostile area). There the USAF managed to lose just under half of the entire production run, most of that in combat due to low-level attack runs, dive-bombing and the presence of North Vietnamese ground fire during both. The Thud got handed all the dangerous missions--itmissions—it was the most capable aircraft in the Air Force arsenal for lugging several tons of bombs "up north", planting them a target, and then dashing back out again. With a lot of the rest having exhausted their service lives, the type was retired in 1984, with dedicated SEAD (Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses) duties going to the F-4.

Based off a now aging design, this still remains the most numerous and up-to-date nuclear bomb in U.S. inventory thanks to a long list of upgrades. Specifically designed to be carried by anything capable of carrying a 2,000  lb conventional bomb, almost every combat aircraft in the USAF and USN can deploy these. Has a variable yield from the sub-kiloton range (300 tons) all the way to nearly 400 kilotons. Continuous rumors abound concerning a "bunker-busting" variant. Can be used in the strategic role by loading up a whole bunch of 'em in, say, a B-52.