Nuke, Nuke, who has the Nuke

[tsofian]

Originally Posted by mmartin798

The use for creating a pass or a canal has been explored in the US Operation Plowshare and the more extensive Soviet testing under Nuclear Explosions for the National Economy. In these cases, the charges are set to be mostly fusion and minimized the fission. The yields ranged from 10 ton to 140 KT with the average being about 12.5 KT. The fusion demolition charge in 3rd edition is a 1 MT yield. Using it for peaceful purposes seems a bit dubious.

After Operation Plowshare, the civilian uses were deemed limited and risky, but there were combat engineering scenarios that made sense.

Yep 1 MT is just nuts. I can't even seen any reasonable reason to have it as a weapon. If the yield is variable it would make more sense. 1 MT is huge even for an ICBM warhead, let a lone something you are going to have to drive away from!

What is limited and risky in a pre war scenario with lots of labor and big D9R Cats and such is far different than what is risky after the war. Having a few around to blow out oil field fires might be a pretty good idea https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MVrosCy3I20

[mmartin798]

Originally Posted by tsofian

What is limited and risky in a pre war scenario with lots of labor and big D9R Cats and such is far different than what is risky after the war. Having a few around to blow out oil field fires might be a pretty good idea https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MVrosCy3I20

The Soviet program did demonstrate some interesting use cases. I think this gas fire had been burning for about 3 years until they used the nuke to close it off. The Soviets also used a nuke in shale fields to release natural gas much like non-nuclear fracking today.

[tsofian]

There was talk about using a nuke to stop the Deepwater Horizon spill

[cosmicfish]

I have no objections to the Project having fusion charges (even in the MT range) for a variety of reasons, or to using them in the fall of Prime Base, but they would have extensive controls on them. Even if a team got a hold of one, they would not be able to activate it without codes that probably only a few people would have.

[dragoon500ly]

Originally Posted by cosmicfish

I have no objections to the Project having fusion charges (even in the MT range) for a variety of reasons, or to using them in the fall of Prime Base, but they would have extensive controls on them. Even if a team got a hold of one, they would not be able to activate it without codes that probably only a few people would have.

Shades of the Andromeda Strain! I can accept the argument that certain critical bases should have a self-destruct position, in my campaign it would be Prime, it's backup and the science bases.

I feel better about modifying the fusion demo charge into a variable yield weapon, with its controlling codes held by, say a regional command base and Prime, who have to release their part of the firing code.

Still, not a weapon that will find itself in a team's possession!

[tsofian]

Originally Posted by dragoon500ly

Shades of the Andromeda Strain! I can accept the argument that certain critical bases should have a self-destruct position, in my campaign it would be Prime, it's backup and the science bases.

I feel better about modifying the fusion demo charge into a variable yield weapon, with its controlling codes held by, say a regional command base and Prime, who have to release their part of the firing code.

Still, not a weapon that will find itself in a team's possession!

I agree completely. No codes for player characters, usually!