Main delivery mechanisms Nuclear weapons delivery

1 main delivery mechanisms

1.1 gravity bomb
1.2 ballistic missile
1.3 cruise missile
1.4 other delivery systems

main delivery mechanisms
gravity bomb

the little boy , fat man devices large , cumbersome gravity bombs.

historically, first method of delivery, , method used in 2 nuclear weapons used in warfare, gravity bomb dropped plane. in years leading development , deployment of nuclear-armed missiles, nuclear bombs represented practical means of nuclear weapons delivery; today, , decommissioning of nuclear missiles, aerial bombing remains primary means of offensive nuclear weapons delivery, , majority of u.s. nuclear warheads represented in bombs, although in form of missiles.

gravity bombs designed dropped planes, requires weapon able withstand vibrations , changes in air temperature , pressure during course of flight. weapons had removable core safety, known in flight insertion (ifi) cores, being inserted or assembled air crew during flight. had meet safety conditions, prevent accidental detonation or dropping. variety of types had have fuse initiate detonation. nuclear weapons met these criteria designated letter b followed, without hyphen, sequential number of physics package contains. b61 , example, primary bomb in arsenal decades.

various air-dropping techniques exist, including toss bombing, parachute-retarded delivery, , laydown modes, intended give dropping aircraft time escape ensuing blast.

the gravity nuclear bombs carried b-29 superfortress. next generation of weapons still big , heavy carried bombers such b-52 stratofortress , v bombers, mid-1950s smaller weapons had been developed carried , deployed fighter-bombers.

ballistic missile


trident ii slbm launched royal navy vanguard-class submarine.

missiles using ballistic trajectory deliver warhead on horizon, @ distances of thousands of kilometers, in case of intercontinental ballistic missiles (icbms) , submarine-launched ballistic missiles (slbms). ballistic missiles exit earth s atmosphere , re-enter in sub-orbital spaceflight.

placement of nuclear missiles on low earth orbit has been banned outer space treaty 1967. also, eventual soviet fractional orbital bombardment system (fobs) served similar purpose—it deliberately designed deorbit before completing full circle—was phased out in january 1983 in compliance salt ii treaty.

an icbm more 20 times fast bomber , more 10 times fast fighter plane, , flying @ higher altitude, , therefore more difficult defend against. icbms can fired in event of surprise attack.

early ballistic missiles carried single warhead, of megaton-range yield. because of limited accuracy of missiles, kind of high yield considered necessary in order ensure particular target s destruction. since 1970s modern ballistic weapons have seen development of far more accurate targeting technologies, particularly due improvements in inertial guidance systems. set stage smaller warheads in hundreds-of-kilotons-range yield, , consequently icbms having multiple independently targetable reentry vehicles (mirv). advances in technology have enabled single missile launch payload containing several warheads. number of independent warheads capable of deployment ballistic missiles depends on weapons platform missile launched from. example, 1 d5 trident missile carried ohio-class submarine capable of launching 8 independent warheads, while typhoon has missiles capable of deploying 10 warheads @ time. mirv has number of advantages on missile single warhead. small additional costs, allows single missile strike multiple targets, or inflict maximum damage on single target attacking multiple warheads. makes anti-ballistic missile defense more difficult, , less economically viable, before.

missile warheads in american arsenal indicated letter w ; example, w61 missile warhead have same physics package b61 gravity bomb described above, have different environmental requirements, , different safety requirements since not crew-tended after launch , remain atop missile great length of time.

cruise missile



cruise missiles have shorter range icbms. u/rgm-109e tomahawk pictured (not nuclear capable anymore).

a cruise missile jet engine or rocket-propelled missile flies @ low altitude using automated guidance system (usually inertial navigation, supplemented either gps or mid-course updates friendly forces) make them harder detect or intercept. cruise missiles can carry nuclear warhead. have shorter range , smaller payloads ballistic missiles, warheads smaller , less powerful.

the agm-86 alcm air force s current nuclear-armed air-launched cruise missile. alcm carried on b-52 stratofortress can carry 20 missiles. cruise missiles can compared mirv warheads. bgm/ugm-109 tomahawk submarine-launched cruise missile capable of carrying nuclear warheads, nuclear warheads removed.

cruise missiles may launched mobile launchers on ground, , naval ships.

there no letter change in arsenal distinguish warheads of cruise missiles ballistic missiles.

cruise missiles, lower payload, have number of advantages on ballistic missiles purposes of delivering nuclear strikes:

launch of cruise missile difficult detect satellites , other long-range means, contributing surprise factor of attack.
that, coupled ability actively maneuver in flight, allows penetration of strategic anti-missile systems aimed @ intercepting ballistic missiles on calculated trajectory of flight.

partially reasons, nuclear-armed cruise missiles amongst least deployed of nuclear weapons, deployment restricted treaties such salt ii.

other delivery systems

the davy crockett artillery shell smallest known nuclear weapon developed usa.



the mk-17 u.s. thermonuclear weapon , weighed around 21 short tons (19,000 kg).

other delivery methods included artillery shells, mines such medium atomic demolition munition , novel blue peacock, nuclear depth charges, , nuclear torpedoes. atomic bazooka fielded, designed used against large formations of tanks.

in 1950s u.s. developed small nuclear warheads air defense use, such nike hercules. 1950s 1980s, united states , canada fielded low-yield nuclear-tipped air-to-air rocket, air-2 genie. further developments of concept, larger warheads, led anti-ballistic missiles. united states have largely taken nuclear air-defense weapons out of service fall of soviet union in 1990s. russia updated nuclear tipped soviet era anti-ballistic missile (abm) system, known a-135 anti-ballistic missile system in 1995. believed the, in development(2013) successor nuclear a-135, a-235 samolet-m dispense nuclear interception warheads , instead rely on conventional hit-to-kill capability destroy target.

small, two-man portable tactical weapons (erroneously referred suitcase bombs), such special atomic demolition munition, have been developed, although difficulty combine sufficient yield portability limits military utility.

hypersonic glide vehicles new potential method of nuclear delivery. can potentially combined icbm mirvs such rs-28 sarmat.