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To: Texas Fossil

Wikipedia and other sources contain statements such as, “The M-388 round used a version of the Mk-54 warhead, a very small sub-kiloton fission device. The Mk-54 weighed about 51 lb (23 kg), with a yield equivalent to somewhere between 10 and 20 tons of TNT—very close to the minimum practical size and yield for a fission warhead.”

I see a video of text firing the device and it looks like a significant explosion to me.

I see a picture of a man holding the warhead with a yield four times as great as the largest conventional bomb produced by the Allies in the Second World War.


39 posted on 03/19/2017 11:51:13 AM PDT by Retain Mike
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To: Retain Mike
This weapon was made in the late 1950’s. Our attitude toward safe shielding is much different now than then (would make it heavier now). I stand corrected, it does say it was a fission weapon. I'm doubtful if that tells the real story of the power.

Davy Crockett (nuclear device)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Davy_Crockett_%28nuclear_device%29

The M-388 round used a version of the Mk-54 warhead, a very small sub-kiloton fission device. The Mk-54 weighed about 51 lb (23 kg), with a yield equivalent to somewhere between 10 and 20 tons of TNT—very close to the minimum practical size and yield for a fission warhead.

The M-388 would produce an almost instantly lethal radiation dosage (in excess of 10,000 rem, 100 Sv) within 500 feet (150 m), and a probably fatal dose (around 600 rem, 6 Sv) within a quarter mile (400 m).

The units were deactivated in mid-1968.

So the effective kill range is 500 ft-1/4 mile. This makes me ask the question, is it a fission device because of it's explosive capability or the radiation it emits?

40 posted on 03/19/2017 1:52:57 PM PDT by Texas Fossil ((Texas is not where you were born, but a Free State of Heart, Mind & Attitude!))
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To: Retain Mike

See my post #40


41 posted on 03/19/2017 2:01:48 PM PDT by Texas Fossil ((Texas is not where you were born, but a Free State of Heart, Mind & Attitude!))
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