THE DAVY CROCKETT NUKE, RIFLE OR NUCLEAR WEAPON?
Put a rifle into the hands of any sharpshooter, and you have a deadly combination. Rifles are great for accurate shooting to hit long-range targets. Nuclear weapons, however, require less finesse. Once activated, a nuke will take out your target and anything else nearby for at least several city blocks. It’s unusual to think of these two weapons as having any sort of a crossover, but the Davy Crockett nuke combined just that. Although it was deactivated in 1968 and fully retired in 1971, it is still a unique weapon that is the epitome of someone saying, “What would happen if we…” Read next:DEFCON Levels Explained
Meet the M-28 and M-29 Davy Crockett Nuclear Weapon Systems
After the Manhattan Project and the United States using nuclear bombs against Japan in World War II, nuclear interest rose globally. As devastating as the weapons were, research was pouring in for superpowers such as the U.S. and the Soviet Union, who were determined to create the best nuclear weapons on the planet. Nuclear weapons started as large and complex custom bombs that had to be dropped from massive bomber planes. The investments and intrigue that poured into nuclear development led to many improvements, including the ability to make the warheads much more portable. They were also able to be operated by more and more personnel rather than only a few highly-trained individuals. This would eventually lead to the development of the Davy Crockett nuke. A man-portable rocket launcher that could destroy a city block, the Davy Crockett mini nuke could be deployed on the battlefield with as little as three men operating it. The Davy Crockett nuke/tactical nuke fired from only a few miles away and was an example of raw power. A Davy Crockett nuke explosion delivered 20 tonnes of TNT in its blast and was a solution for the U.S. Army to deploy around Europe. The M-28 Davy Crockett nuke could be fired at just 1.25 miles away, while the M-29 Davy Crockett weapon system required 2.5 miles of distance between the operators and their target. Outside of Europe, the Army would issue Davy Crockett nukes to Soldiers in Korea. Though never executed, the idea was to create radioactive areas that were impassable by the enemies when mixed with destroyed tanks and debris.
Testing the Davy Crockett Nuclear Weapon
Thankfully, the only uses of the Davy Crockett nuke would come from military institutions across the United States. Around 2,100 were created, and some made their way to Europe. However, none were ever used in combat. Some of the places which were used for testing the Davy Crockett nuke include the Pohakuloa Training Area, Yuma Test Station, Nevada Test Site, and military institutions in Alaska. Out of all of the testing, only two out of dozens of tests contained nuclear warheads. The rest were merely testing the functionality and operations of the weapon but did not have warheads containing nuclear materials activated. Many museums still feature the nuke in all of its former glory, where visitors can learn about the weapon and observe its design. Such museums include the West Point Museum and the National Museum of Nuclear Science and History.
Find the Davy Crockett Nuke Blast Radius
If you’re curious to gain some perspective on the Davy Crockett nuke’s blast radius, then you’re in luck. While it is unlikely you’ll find someone firing a Davy Crockett nuke any time soon, NUKEMAP by Alex Wellerstein is an interactive map that allows you to see the blast radius and potential radiation of the Davy Crockett nuke and any other nuclear device in history. It’s a “fun” way to see exactly what would happen if a nuclear device were to go off anywhere in the world. Suggested read:How Does a Bunker Buster Work?
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