US's Most Powerful Nuclear Bomb Being Dismantled

ABC NEWS ^ | October 25, 2011 | BETSY BLANEY

[penelopesire]

Hmmmm....just as Obama is setting the Middle East on fire..he is weakening America's defenses. What could go wrong?

[Strategerist]

We started disassembling these in the 1980s. So it’s Reagan’s fault.

Seriously? This is in breaking? Giant iron-bomb nukes are pretty useless. I doubt a BUFF would make it close enough to a real target to drop it.

[goodnesswins]

Why do I suddenly feel sick?

[E. Pluribus Unum]

[Oldexpat]

In the meantime we have Chinese scientist throughout our nuclear programs and China, no doubt, continues to develop EMP bombs, neutron bombs and killer satellites, using technology stolen from the US.

[jagusafr]

‘Cause, y’know, if we do it, everybody else will...

Freakin’ Pollyanna.

[RedStateRocker]

The original intent of this weapon was as a bunker buster. We now have much more effective deep penetrating and very accurate weapons to do the job. It’s obsolete. Like the Sherman tank, a good piece of engineering in its day,

[Strategerist]

Why do I suddenly feel sick?

Because you don't read articles, and just glance at headlines?

[hoagy62]

Like I said in the OTHER thread on this same subject...we got a ton more nukes sitting atop missiles in silos. They can go anywhere in the world with a few minutes notice. No reason to feel sick, worried, distraught, upset, on even slightly shaken. The B-53 did it’s job, and it’s being retired. There is NO MORE to read into it than that.

[Obadiah]

Good perspective. Thanks.

[Walkingfeather]

Well if there is a work accident it would happen in amarillo where you couldnt tell the difference in the landscape.

[swain_forkbeard]

“The original intent of this weapon was as a bunker buster.”

But it could also be detonated at altitude to optimize effect on a city. 9 mile effective blast radius. Double that for lethal thermal effects. That’s one bad piece of work.

[Westbrook]

Too bad it wasn’t dismantled as originally intended: instantaneously in a 10 million degrees F, 4-mile wide fireball above Iran’s nuclear development facility, or even better, on Amahdi-jihad himself.

[LibLieSlayer]

obama promised to disarm America and he is doing so at an accelerated rate.

LLS

[GraceG]

Well if we need to nuke a Giant Asteroid we are SOL:

[goodnesswins]

"The completion of the dismantling program is a year ahead of schedule, according to the U.S. Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration, and aligns with President Barack Obama's goal of reducing the number of nuclear weapons."

MAYBE that's why....

[goodnesswins]

Thanks.

[Attention Surplus Disorder]

The B-53 is an early to mid-60’s era device, 9000 lbs, 12-1/2 feet long. It is a complete pig. The first ones to be dismantled were dismantled in 1968. That’s how old it is. If ever we became engaged in a nuclear exchange, this is the absolute last thing we would use on anything or anybody. It’s a museum piece, at best. Not that it wouldn’t ruin your day if it went off, but it’s better to dismantle it, from any conceivable standpoint, war OR peace.

[chimera]

It had deterrent value back in the day (50’s and 60’s) when the Soviets and the Western Alliance seemed to place great value on putting lots of megatons out in the field, ready to fly. I have heard that current strategic planning values accuracy and the destructive power of a lot of smaller warheads properly placed for maximum effect. Fielding big blockbusters that have little chance of reaching the target is a lot like loading up on battleships. Better to have subs to take them out, and do other things.

[GraceG]

Oh, come on, we can do better, I can build somethign that can take out 7/8 of a solar system...