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posted by martyb on Wednesday April 12 2017, @11:31PM   Printer-friendly
from the just-under-six-inches dept.

Russia is reportedly developing sub-kiloton yield tactical nuclear weapons that can be shot from the upgraded guns of its future T-14 tanks. According to Defense One:

"The Russians ... maintain their tactical nuclear stockpile in ways that we have not," Hix said. Potomac Institute head Philip Karber, who helped write the Pentagon's Russia New Generation Warfare Study, offered a bit more explanation when Defense One spoke to him in January. While the United States retains just a few of its once-large arsenal of tactical nukes, Karber estimates that Russia currently has anywhere from 2,000 to 5,000 of the weapons. "Look at what the Russians have been doing in low-fission, high-fusion, sub-kiloton tactical nuclear technology," he said. "It appears that they are putting a big effort...in both miniaturizing the warheads and using sub-kiloton low-yield warheads."

Why is that significant? By shrinking the warhead, you can shoot it out of a wider variety of guns, including, potentially, 152-millimeter tank cannons. "They've announced that the follow-on tank to the Armata will have a 152-millimeter gun missile launcher. They're talking about it having a nuclear capability. And you go, 'You're talking about building a nuclear tank, a tank that fires a nuke?' Well, that's the implication," said Karber.

The U.S. developed their own tactical nuclear weapons, such as 127, 155, 200, and 280 mm nuclear artillery shells, during the Cold War. The U.S. withdrew nuclear artillery from service in 1991, and Russia followed suit in 1992.


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  • (Score: 2) by Kromagv0 on Thursday April 13 2017, @12:23PM (1 child)

    by Kromagv0 (1825) on Thursday April 13 2017, @12:23PM (#493333) Homepage

    These small nukes were never meant to be main battle weapons. Given their small range you will likely be in the fallout zone and die for radiation poisoning if the wind isn't blowing the right direction. These nuclear artillery shells and other things like the Davy Crockett Weapon System [wikipedia.org] were/are weapons of last resort. These were the weapons that you use as the last man is retreating from the battle field as that guy is fucked anyway so it was to make taking ground by an advancing army as painful as possible for them. Also given their small size they produce substantially more fallout in the small area they affect since the fuel blows apart before most of it can undergo fission so they are like a giant dirty bomb.

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  • (Score: 2) by tibman on Thursday April 13 2017, @02:55PM

    by tibman (134) Subscriber Badge on Thursday April 13 2017, @02:55PM (#493415)

    Almost every main battle tank has NBC systems to protect the crew. A tank can also easily strike at a target over 1km away. Tanks typically fight by pulling up in defilade, firing, and backing down into an even more protected position.

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