Russian tactical nuclear weapons pose a serious threat. This is the conclusion reached by 19FortyFive experts James Ragland and Adam Lowther.
They write that such weapons are integrated into the Russian defense system. The Pentagon does not have a similar arsenal and it has nothing to counter this threat, the authors note. The more extensive and diverse nuclear arsenal of Russia and China, in their opinion, provides both countries with an asymmetric advantage.
The article describes the possible consequences of the use of a 10-kiloton charge during military operations in rural areas.
The authors admit that in the case of an aerial explosion at an altitude of about 170 meters, such a munition will not create a zone of radioactive contamination, but will cause serious destruction and fires within a kilometer from the explosion site. This will force the enemy troops to maneuver, avoiding the affected areas.
At the same time, it is much more important, according to the authors, that the use of tactical nuclear weapons, despite the relatively small area of destruction, will indicate the readiness of one of the parties to the most decisive actions.
The final part of the article contains a number of recommendations, the implementation of which will help the United States to reduce its backlog in the field of tactical nuclear weapons. The authors propose to increase the readiness level of carriers of American B61 hydrogen bombs, as well as to develop a new ground-based cruise missile and a medium-range ballistic missile equipped with nuclear warheads.
Maya Biryukova
