The USS Tennessee (SSBN-734), an Ohio-class ballistic missile submarine, recently deployed with low-yield weapons. I have zero reason to doubt the veracity of this report, as it is fully consistent with the new Nuclear Force Posture as released by the Trump administration.
The W76-2 warhead is believed to have a total yield of 5 kilotons or about a third of the bomb detonated at Hiroshima.
In comparison, W76-0 has a 100 kiloton yield and W76-1 has a 90 kiloton yield.
The small warheads are in response to Russia’s deployment of similar sized warheads, which they might theoretically use to deter the United States from responding.
The danger here is that with an incoming ballistic missile, the enemy (whether the United States, Russia, China, Israel, Pakistan, India or North Korea) does not have a clue whether the warhead is 5 kilotons or 10 megatons. Also, when a nuclear explosion goes off somewhere there is going to be panic.
It only takes ONE mistake to eradicate mankind from existence.
I don’t care if they are 5 kilotons or 10 megatons, keep them in their ******* silos. Hopefully, nobody will ever be stupid enough to actually push the button, regardless of the warhead size.
That is why I don’t like this development, either with Russia doing it or the United States doing. Somebody will think, “but it is only a baby nuke.” While not thinking of papa nuke that might get fired in response.
