Manhattan project nukes production capacity, 1945-46

Discussions on all aspects of the United States of America during the Inter-War era and Second World War. Hosted by Carl Schwamberger.
Adrian B
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Re: Manhattan project nukes production capacity, 1945-46

#16

Post by Adrian B » 16 Feb 2019, 22:23

Carl Schwamberger wrote:
16 Feb 2019, 03:30
Neutron bombs were a big thing back in the 1980s, tho I never see them referred to now. In those days I was paid to know about such things, and execute or plan their use. The Neutron Bombs were nuclear weapons for tactical use. The core materials and detonation were designed to produce a much more intense burst of human destructive radiation, from a relatively low yield device. These aircraft, missile, and cannon delivered projectiles were to be detonated in groups at altitude over 'massed Warsaw Pact armies. The intent was to swiftly sicken the exposed enemy soldiers, but minimize the overpressure damage, and leave the terrain relatively uncontaminated for NATO ground combat units to counter attack through. Cold stuff to ponder at the professional level.
Development of Enhanced Radiation weapons ("Neutron Bombs") began back in the early 1960s. There's good evidence that the first test of an early prototype ER device may have been the Carmel test in Nevada on February 21st 1963, although there's some evidence that it may have been the Madison test on December 12th 1962. Plus the Dominic I Swanee test on May 14th 1962 may have been a related test that provided a lot of useful data.

However, developing useful tactical devices took some time. The first operational "Neutron Bomb" was the W66 warhead for the Sprint ABM, which didn't enter service until 1975. The other known US devices didn't enter service until the early 1980s (the W70 mod 3 for the Lance TBM, and the W79 Mod 0 8" shell). The W71 warhead for the Spartan ABM was also an Enhanced Radiation device but, rather than being a "Neutron Bomb", was designed to maximise the x-ray burst as this was considered more effective than the neutron burst for exo-atmospheric interception.

And the reason that you don't hear anything about them now is because all of the US devices were retired in the early 1990s - but it's known that the USSR, China, France and (possibly) Israel have all done work on such devices, which are probably still in service today.

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Re: Manhattan project nukes production capacity, 1945-46

#17

Post by OpanaPointer » 25 Feb 2019, 04:29

I think the casualty list for the Atomic Veterans would be informative.
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