If a nuclear weapon is destroyed, does it detonate?

Question

My girlfriend and I were watching Crimson Tide the other day, and it was rather hokey. We found ourselves disagreeing on the main argument of the film: do you launch a pre-emptive nucelar strike on other nuclear bombs if you were told to, but might have had the order recinded?

My girlfriend was of the opinion that you don't, because if a nuclear warhead destroyed the other nukes, they too would detonate. I was under the impression that unless the warheads were specifically triggered and the fusion/fisson process begun, exploding a nuclear warhead would cause no detonation. In which case, you could use a small, localised warhead to destroy all the bombs, and everyone is happy.

What happens when you destroy a nuclear weapon in such a manner?

Answer 1

That's the whole idea behind anti-ballistic missile defense systems. We blow up the nuclear missles harmlessly. If it was a fact that simply blowing up a nuclear warhead wouild detonate a nuclear explosion, then we'd have a far greater problem of defending ourselves from incoming nuclear warheads.

What makes design of nuclear warheads so particualrly difficult, involving the use of supercomputers these days to do the job, is the critical timing and shape of explosions within the warhead leading up to fusion detonation. Anything that goes wrong will just end up with a big dud.

Answer 2

Low yield fizzle (like Korea) might be possible but its effects would be masked by the high yield detonation of the attacking warhead.

Additional fallout would be insignificant compare to the large amount of fallout generated by a surface/subsurface detonation.

Destroy them (the targeted missiles) before they destroy you!!!
Of the weapons available in our nuclear triad only the missile silos in there fixed positions are most vulnerable. If I were in an AF silo and got the order I wouldn't hesitate to turn the key...because there is no time to wait and see if a missle is on the way to destroy you.

However the B-52's and submarines do have time on there hands and launch on confirmation (of attack) could be considered if the captain or pilot knew his targets were just fixed tactical objectives and not strategic nuclear weapons pointed at the US..

Would you like to be in a city that's vaporized because someone questioned an order??

That's why MAD (Mutually Assured Destruction ) worked during the cold war neither side could be certain the other side would NOT launch.

And if you really want sleepless nights think about Launch on warning.....

Answer 3

The detonation of a nuclear device requires that a spherical high-pressure shock-wave converge on the nuclear material. The shape needs to be at very high accuracy, therefore both the machining of the vessel and charges and the timing of the multiple co-spheric igniters must be almost ridiculously accurate. Anything else results in a dud, compared to the design goal, tho a dirty one in terms of local fallout.

After all, when you need to hammer a nail thru a 2-by-4, do you place the hammer on the head of the nail and push?

Answer 4

The weapon needs to be armed before it can go 'boom'. Just destroying the weapon will release radioactive scrap into the area. This scrap will be harmful to life in the area, but not nearly as harmful as the boom and fall-out would be.

It's the difference between a burning candle, and a burning house. The candle will burn a long time with little energy release, the house will burn over a short time with a lot of energy released.

Answer 5

I believe you are right. To detonate a nuclear device, a precise and controlled detonation needs to occur. One nuke blowing up by another nuke would probably not make it blow up too.

Answer 6

If they are destroyed prior to initiating the nuclear reaction they
will not detonate

Answer 7

It needs to be properly detonated. then it will go BOOM with big sounds and fire that is not cold fire and it will look like a mushroom, I like mushrooms they make me feel good.

Answer 8

If it is armed it will blow if not it will still kill people because of the fall out it will release