In connection with the current tense situation in the world, many are interested in will there be a nuclear war in the near future? Many experts and analysts have recently begun to admit the possibility of using nuclear weapons. But what is hidden under the term “nuclear weapons”? Of course, we are talking about weapons of mass destruction, the action of which is based on the damaging factors of a nuclear or thermonuclear explosion. This description covers many different types of weapons, differing in both power and purpose, as well as the method of use.
Currently, there are many types of nuclear weapons that are designed to solve different military problems. Source: vm.ru
Contents
- 1 How atomic weapons differ from nuclear and thermonuclear
- 2 What is a dirty bomb and how is it different from nuclear weapons
- 3 Nuclear war 2024: what weapons could be used
- 3.1 What are tactical nuclear weapons
- 3.2 What are strategic nuclear weapons
How are atomic weapons different from nuclear and thermonuclear weapons
People often use the terms “atomic bomb” and “nuclear weapon” interchangeably. However, this is not entirely true. The term “atomic bomb” is a general term for any weapon that uses nuclear reactions to release energy. Accordingly, an atomic bomb is by definition nuclear. However, not all nuclear bombs can be called atomic.
You have probably heard the term “hydrogen bomb”. This type of weapon is thermonuclear. But what is the difference between a nuclear weapon and a thermonuclear weapon? In nuclear bombs, energy is released due to the decay of uranium nuclei. Moreover, the decay of each nucleus also causes the decay of several neighboring nuclei, resulting in a chain reaction in geometric progression. It is the chain reaction that underlies atomic weapons.
Thermonuclear weapons are 5 times more powerful than nuclear weapons. Source: ria.ru
In a hydrogen bomb, instead of radioactive decay of the nucleus, a nuclear fusion reaction occurs. That is, the nuclei of atoms do not decay, but merge together, forming a heavier element. In this case, even more energy is released than during the decay of the nucleus. To start the process of fusion of nuclei, hydrogen bombs use nuclear charges. As a result of the explosion, they compress and heat the deuterium in the core of the bomb, which ultimately triggers fusion. That is why the weapon is called thermonuclear.
Due to the thermonuclear reaction, the power of the explosion is five times greater than that of the atomic weapons that were dropped on the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Nowadays, when talking about nuclear weapons, it is thermonuclear charges that are most often meant. The most famous and powerful thermonuclear bomb was the “Tsar Bomba”, which we have already talked about earlier.
“Tsar Bomba” is the most powerful bomb in history. Photo source: tass.ru
What is a dirty bomb and how is it different from a nuclear weapon
When it comes to the use of nuclear weapons, you can often hear the term “dirty bomb”. However, in reality, this type of weapon cannot be called nuclear, since it works completely differently. The task of a dirty bomb is to radioactively contaminate the area, and not to cause damage due to a powerful explosion. Therefore, a dirty bomb may not explode at all. For example, barrels of radioactive waste dropped from an airplane can quite well be called a “dirty bomb”.
Unlike nuclear weapons, the area after the use of a dirty bomb will remain contaminated for much longer. Fortunately, no army in the world has such bombs. As we have already said, they are completely ineffective in terms of solving military problems. Even radiation sickness, which can lead to death, develops gradually.
Nuclear weapons can include anything from artillery shells to aerial bombs and intercontinental missiles. Photo source: e-news.su
Nuclear War 2024: What Weapons Could Be Used
All types of nuclear weapons, depending on their power and range, are divided into two types – strategic (SNF) and tactical (TNW). Each of these types is designed to solve certain specific problems.
What are tactical nuclear weapons
Tactical nuclear weapons are less powerful and are used at short distances. In fact, they were originally created for use on the battlefield – to break through the enemy's defenses. In addition, due to their high power, they made it possible to compensate for the inaccuracy of non-nuclear weapons (missiles, artillery).
The power of TNW is approximately in the range from 0.4 kilotons to 10 kilotons, although theoretically it can be more powerful. By the way, the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki fall under the definition of tactical nuclear weapons. At present, in addition to aviation bombs, there are many other types of these weapons – artillery shells, tactical missiles, torpedoes, etc. That is, in fact, a nuclear charge can be used in any type of weapon.
TNW could theoretically be used in the form of a tactical missile. Photo source: rg.ru
It should be said that, according to many analysts, it is the use of tactical weapons that is most likely during military conflicts. For example, a tactical missile with a nuclear warhead with a capacity of up to 10 kilotons can destroy a large settlement or hit a large infrastructure facility.
What is a strategic nuclear weapon?
As for strategic nuclear weapons, they are designed to hit targets at a long distance, for example, on another continent. Accordingly, they have much greater power than TNW. TNW includes three types of weapons: land-based, air-based and sea-based.
Land-based weapons include intercontinental ballistic missiles, which are either stationary (silo-based) or mobile. The latter are vehicle- or train-based installations. The advantage of mobile ballistic missiles is that they are harder for the enemy to hit, but they are more vulnerable than silo-based missiles.
The carriers of sea-based nuclear weapons are submarines. Photo source: gazeta.ru
The carriers of sea-based nuclear weapons are submarines that carry intercontinental ballistic missiles, and surface ships capable of launching cruise missiles. The carriers of nuclear weapons in the air, as you might guess, are strategic bombers.
Aircraft can carry bombs and missiles. Their advantage is the ability to stay in the air for a long time. Thanks to this, aircraft can strike almost anywhere in the world.
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All three types of weapons, that is, land, sea and air-based, together are called the nuclear triad. Currently, only four countries have a nuclear triad: Russia, the USA, China and India. It must be said that the use of any type of nuclear weapons immediately entails the beginning of a full-scale nuclear war, since the launch is recorded by early warning systems.
For example, if the USA or Russia uses nuclear weapons first, the launch of nuclear missiles will immediately become known, as a result of which the nuclear triad will be used in response. Therefore, if a nuclear war between Russia and the USA or NATO countries occurs, a number of cities on both sides of the conflict will be hit. It is no secret which cities in Russia and the US would suffer in the event of a nuclear war. Read more about this at the link.