Guest guest Posted July 9, 2002 Report Share Posted July 9, 2002 US Seeks to Develop New, More " Usable " Nuke The Bush Administration has requested $15.5 million to develop a new nuclear weapon designed to be used in conventional combat, and that is also more likely to be used against states that don't have nuclear weapons. This nuclear weapon, known formally as the Robust Nuclear Earth Penetrator, would be made to bore into the earth and destroy underground bunkers or other deeply buried targets. While the combined force of its blast and the effect of the radiation left over would be less than current nuclear weapons, it would still be devastating. If used in an urban setting, this new nuclear weapon would likely kill 10,000 to 50,000 people within 24 hours. Because this new weapon is designed to detonate underground, it will, according to Dr. Rob Nelson of the Federation of American Scientists, " blow out a huge crater of radioactive material, creating a lethal [radioactive] field over a large area. " http://www.voice4change.org/stories/showstory.asp?file=020709~capa.asp Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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