How would one of today's U.S. nuclear missiles compare in total destruction to the ones dropped on Japan?

Answer 1

While in the past megaton weapons have existed, in the US inventory most weapons today have a yield between 150 and 350 kilotons, that's equivalent to 150,000 to 350,000 tons of TNT. As noted above, the WWII atomic bombs had a yield of about 15 kilotons. So the smallest nuclear weapons currently in the US inventory are about 10 times more destructive, while the largest are about 25 times more destructive. Basically we've gone for better targeting and more reliable weapons with smaller yields.

DU weapons are not nuclear, do not explode, and use DU only because it is so dense and heavy. they are not comparable in any way to nuclear weapons.

http://www.thebulletin.org/article_nn.php?art_ofn=mj03norris

Answer 2

Which ones?
The really big ones or the really little ones or the ones in between?

Nuclear explosive devices can have a wide variety of yields. Some older bombs had yields of about 20 megatons, or 1540 Hiroshima bombs. A megaton is the amount of energy released by 1 million short tons (907,000 metric tons) of TNT. Today most nuclear devices have yields of less than 1 megaton."

'Castle/Bravo' was the largest nuclear weapon ever detonated by the United States. Before it was set off at Bikini on February 28, 1954, it was expected to explode with an energy equivalent of about 8 million tons of TNT. Actually, it produced almost twice that explosive power -- equivalent to 15 million tons of TNT."

By today's standards the two bombs dropped on a Japan were small -- equivalent to 15,000 tons of TNT in the case of the Hiroshima bomb and 20,000 tons in the case of the Nagasaki bomb."

http://hypertextbook.com/facts/2000/MuhammadKaleem.shtml

Weather and topography also play a part.

Answer 3

Assuming you're talking about the ones with the greatest kiloton yield (they range from the .3 kiloton of the tactical nukes up to the 500 kilotons of the strategic nukes)....one Trident missile in the 500k ranges is equal to all the bombs dropped during WWII, including Hiroshima, Nagasaki, Dresden, Coventry, etc COMBINED.

At ground Zero, approx. 5 miles diameter at Hiroshime, the larger bombs have 3 time greater diameter (15 miles) where most homes are completely destroyed and stronger commercial buildings will be severely damaged due to the high pressure blast wave in this region.

At approx. 7 miles from ground zero at Hiroshima(or 4 times greater in the 500k range-28 miles) , intense heat from the explosion will likely cause widespread fires within this region

At approx 10 miles from ground zero at Hiroshima (3 times greater in the 500k range-30 miles) moderate damage to buildings causing some risk to people due to flying debris is caused by the blast wave in this region.

Conditions will vary with each target and method of delivery (ie airburst or groundlevel). Choosing to deliver the bomb by aircraft assumes it is flying at an altitude which maximizes the size of the 5 psi over pressue. The closer to ground zero marks the region in which the thermal flux is 15 cal/cm2 or higher. This is likely to cause many materials to begin combustion, which can then spread into much larger fires.

These approximations, however, do not take into account obstructions that may block some of the heat radiating from the fireball...such as reinforced concrete buildings, small hills or knolls, etc.

Answer 4

Well the "littleboy" was 14.5-kiloton yield dropped on Hiroshima and "Fat Man" was a 23-kiloton yield dropped on Nagasaki

Todays missiles have multi warhead capabilities and although the current yield of these devices is classified back in the 1960's we were in the 20-50 Megaton range.

Simply put Kiloton = Rubble
Megaton = Dust
Multimegaton = Self lighting glass parking lot.

Answer 5

Those Dropped on JAPAN killed a mere 70,000 Then a lil' more - From unexpected Fall out and even Soldiers of our own who went into maintain order unknowing Scientist had no idea of the poisoning.....And disposition of aftermath. One Bomb today as We have and now IRAN + many others is equal to 1000 to the 10th/power of one Heroshima or Nagasaki - And enuff of these exist to equal every human life on Planet - One per - person..Enuff ay' - We also have means to turn the oxygen in the air to a plasma that can melt wholes in the earths crust...Sad but true - I be a over 40 year MARINE w/Masters in Certain technologies. So kiss it good bye or pray real hard...

Answer 6

The bomb that hit Hiroshima had a 15 kiloton yield.

The largest nuclear weapon ever tested was 50,000 kilton yield.

Most missile nukes are below that, but average about 10,000. So the difference would be, shall we say, immense.

Answer 7

By today's standard, the yield of the bombs used in Hiroshima, and Nagasaki would qualify as a tactical (small) nuclear device. Their actual size of the weapons were HUGE compared to the size of a comparable yield nuke today.

Answer 8

little boy had a destructive power estimated around 15,000 tons of TNT. By comparison, todays missiles have warheads using fusion bomb technology instead of fission.

The largest test of a fusion bomb was in russia with an estimated explosive power of 50,000,000 tons of TNT.

Answer 9

If we are talking nuclear radiation we don't have to go as far as a missile.
The DU (depleted uranium) shells used in Iraq so far are rated at the equivalent of 400,000 Hiroshima bombs.
There must be big nukes and mini nukes, so its hard to give an accurate answer.

Answer 10

Atomic bomb was dropped on Japan. Nuclear bombs are more destructive.