Is Nuclear War Inevitable?

[Dougie93]

Shots fired on the Subcontinent, be advised.

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/iaf-strikes-in-pakistan-live-updates-mea-summons-pakistan-deputy-high-commissioner-lodges-protest/liveblog/68177682.cms

[Yzermandius19]

2 hours ago, Dougie93 said:

Shots fired on the Subcontinent, be advised.

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/iaf-strikes-in-pakistan-live-updates-mea-summons-pakistan-deputy-high-commissioner-lodges-protest/liveblog/68177682.cms

Biggest news story of the day, but the media would rather talk about Cohen and North Korea instead. Trump Political Witch Hunt always leads, who knew?

Edited February 27, 2019 by Yzermandius19

[Dougie93]

30 minutes ago, Yzermandius19 said:

Biggest news story of the day, but the media would rather talk about Cohen and North Korea instead. Trump Political Witch Hunt always leads, who knew?

No smoking gun for the win,  Roger Stone will go to the Supermax for our sins.

[DogOnPorch]

The Grable test shot from Atomic Annie...an M65 Howitzer...7 miles downrange. Yield is 15 kilotons...equal to Hiroshima. 

[DogOnPorch]

I think this wins the smallest nuke ever award.

Operation Hardtack II...Test Shot Dona Ana.

37 tons yield...that's right...tons. Note that the balloon it was suspended from is clearly visible. This was a test of the so-called Gnat device....meant to be a tiny primary in future hydrogen bombs.

http://nuclearweaponarchive.org/Usa/Tests/Hardtack2.html

Edited March 19, 2019 by DogOnPorch

[DogOnPorch]

Interesting footage from Operation Plumbbob.

Somebody has to set-up the blimp...

Quote

1) MS K-TYPE BLIMP FLYING LOW OVER THE GROUND BLIMP LANDS ON THE FLATS. MEN CATCH MOORING LINES AND ATTACH THEM TO A JEEP. F2) CU PORTABLE MOORING MAST BEING TOWED TOWARD THE NOSE OF THE BLIMP. G3) LA MS MOORING MAN ATOP MAST AS NOSE OF BLIMP IS PULLED TOWARD THE TOP OF THE MAST. G4) MS CONTROL CABIN OF THE BLIMP. G5) LA MS BLIMP BEING SECURED TO THE MAST. G6) MCU SEVERAL PERSONNEL NEAR CONTROL CABIN AS JEEP TOWS BLIMP AND MAST MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN BG. G7) CU A4D IN FLIGHT LIGHT BLINKS ON STRBD. SIDE OF AIRCRAFT WHICH IS IN SILHOUETTE (NIGHT SCENE). G8) MS A4D IN FLIGHT AS SUN RISES IN BG AIRCRAFT IN SILHOUETTE (SV DIFFERENT ANBLES).G9) CU AIRCRAFT BANKING TO LEFT. G10) ATOG LS SUN RISING OVER MOUNTAIN PEAKS HEAVY CLOUDS SKY IS BEAUTIFUL (VERY GOOD SCENE).

 

[DogOnPorch]

More 'new' footage...from Camp Desert Rock. A recent detonation pokes-up over the mountains. A few comments claim it is Tumbler-Snapper Charlie shot.

 

[DogOnPorch]

Some more recently released footage.

Operation Buster-Jangle Dog Shot...21 kilotons.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Buster–Jangle

 

Edited March 30, 2019 by DogOnPorch

[DogOnPorch]

Joe-4 was the Soviet's first attempt at a fusion device but didn't produce the desired yield. A 'mere' 400 kilotons. It was also called the 'Sloika'...a Russian layered pastry...due to the layers of  lithium-6 & deuterium surrounding the pit.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_4

 

[DogOnPorch]

8mm film of Camp Desert Rock and some related test footage.

 

[DogOnPorch]

Various test detonations from Operation Plumbbob...May-October, 1957. Good quality.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Plumbbob

 

[DogOnPorch]

SLAM - America's Big Stick & Doomsday Weapon

 

[DogOnPorch]

The Building They Couldn't Blow Up at the Nevada Test Site

 

[DogOnPorch]

A big ooops in Northern Russia as a 9M730 Burevestnik explodes on the test stand. Several dead...

https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2019/08/russian-nuclear-powered-cruise-missile-blows-up-creating-mini-chernobyl/

AKA Skyfall in NATO jargon, this critter apparently had a fairly big radioisotope thermoelectric generator aboard which spread radioactive materials far and wide. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radioisotope_thermoelectric_generator

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/9M730_Burevestnik

 

Edited August 15, 2019 by DogOnPorch

[DogOnPorch]

Russia's new weapons...according to RT.

 

[DogOnPorch]

These are back to poking around NATO airspace...

https://www.military.com/daily-news/2019/08/02/russia-spy-planes-enter-alaskan-air-defense-zone.html

https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/9711720/raf-typhoon-fighter-jets-russia/

 

[OftenWrong]

2 hours ago, DogOnPorch said:

Russia's new weapons...according to RT.

 

The irony is that we are locked in an argument with the leftist anti-nuclear movement, who have stirred up public fear especially after incidents like Chernobyl. Meanwhile the Russians are quietly developing ever more lethal nuclear weapons, pointed at us. Their plan are not similarly encumbered. Safety margin, komrad Chairman? Nyet! Enforcing regulations? Nyet! Environmental protections? ... Nyet!

[Dougie93]

2 hours ago, OftenWrong said:

The irony is that we are locked in an argument with the leftist anti-nuclear movement, who have stirred up public fear especially after incidents like Chernobyl. Meanwhile the Russians are quietly developing ever more lethal nuclear weapons, pointed at us. Their plan are not similarly encumbered. Safety margin, komrad Chairman? Nyet! Enforcing regulations? Nyet! Environmental protections? ... Nyet!

The Kremlin is simply responding to the American withdrawal from the 1972 Anti Ballistic Missile Treaty in 2006.

Ballistic Missile Defense induces the Russians to try to compensate for those defenses with a more aggressive posture.

Never the less, an all out exchange between Russia and North America remains a very remote possibility, by anything other than some sort of accident by false alarm.

Much more likely to be a theater thermonuclear war in Central Europe with the Russians only launching nuclear weapons against countries which do not have nuclear weapons to retaliate with, such as Poland, Ukraine and Romania, using Intermediate Nuclear Forces against startegic targets such as the aforementioned ballistic missile defenses.

Due to a lack of funding, the Russians are not likely to be in possession of large numbers of futuristic weapons, more likely they will fall back on the existing Soviet designed arsenal, weapons such as P-700 Granit supersonic cruise missiles and Type 65 heavy torpedoes, with thermonuclear warheads fitted to those.

[JamesHackerMP]

This was kind of scary if somewhat boring at times...

 

 

[DogOnPorch]

 

[Dougie93]

 

[Yzermandius19]

3 hours ago, Dougie93 said:

 

Who gets them first and how long until the rest catch up?

[Dougie93]

8 hours ago, Yzermandius19 said:

Who gets them first and how long until the rest catch up?

I think the Russians will get there first, it's the highest priority for them,  because it's all about countering BMD, and the Russians are good at missiles.

I think China will get them next, perhaps they will copy the Russian designs.

America will get them last because America needs them the least, America will focus on BMD.

What the exact time frames are is hard to say, because that's a political choice more than anything.

Edited August 31, 2019 by Dougie93

[Yzermandius19]

8 minutes ago, Dougie93 said:

I think the Russians will get there first, it's the highest priority for them,  because its all about countering BMD and the Russians are good at missiles.

I think China will get them next, perhaps they will copy the Russian designs.

America will get them last because America needs them the least, America will focus on BMD.

What the exact time frames are is hard to say, because that's a political choice more than anything.

Why would America focus on BMD when their biggest geopolitical opponents are close to countering it? That seems foolish, once they get the hypersonic to test against their BMD, that will speed up BMD development more than anything as well, so they shouldn't slack on the hypersonic, especially when Russia and China are so close.

Edited August 31, 2019 by Yzermandius19

[DogOnPorch]

The SR-72 is in development...but it isn't a missile. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lockheed_Martin_SR-72