US's most powerful nuclear bomb being dismantled

vienna · 10-25-11, 01:32 PM

http://news.yahoo.com/uss-most-power...071325260.html

It's amazing to think a device created nearly 50 years ago was still in existence given all the advances in technology. It would be thought this device would long ago have met the scrap heap. I remember very vividly watching the continuous television coverage of the Cuban Missile Crisis. I was 11 years old, a couple of months shy of my 12th birthday and, watching all the coverage and dire commentary, wondering if I would actually see my 12th birthday...

Skybird · 10-25-11, 01:39 PM

Quote:

The B53's disassembly ends the era of big megaton bombs, he said. The bombs' size helped compensate for their lack of accuracy. Today's bombs are smaller but more precise, reducing the amount of collateral damage, Kristensen said.

They seem to have plenty of black humour in Pantex.

AVGWarhawk · 10-25-11, 01:49 PM

I'm thinking it is not the most powerful bomb either....

Betonov · 10-25-11, 02:00 PM

My reaction to any nuke being dissmantleded

Krauter · 10-25-11, 02:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AVGWarhawk

I'm thinking it is not the most powerful bomb either....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tsar_bomba

Edit: Also..

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B41_nuclear_bomb

Jimbuna · 10-25-11, 02:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Betonov

My reaction to any nuke being dissmantleded

Aye that

Herr-Berbunch · 10-25-11, 02:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Betonov

My reaction to any nuke being dissmantleded

Yeah, it's nice to know it's (hopefully) not going to be lethal any more, but seeing a detonation of such device would be totally awe inspiring, seen many videos in my previous career and they're all jaw-dropping things.

Betonov · 10-25-11, 02:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Herr-Berbunch

Yeah, it's nice to know it's (hopefully) not going to be lethal any more, but seeing a detonation of such device would be totally awe inspiring, seen many videos in my previous career and they're all jaw-dropping things.

That little angel/devil thing on your shoulders, knowing how awesome these things are and realising they were made only for one thing

vienna · 10-25-11, 02:51 PM

Quote:

Yeah, it's nice to know it's (hopefully) not going to be lethal any more, but seeing a detonation of such device would be totally awe inspiring, seen many videos in my previous career and they're all jaw-dropping things.

Same here; I saw a great number of bomb test films during the sixties in school, including some directly from the pentagon archives in my senior year in high school (I took Jr. ROTC and our Army Sargeant had connections and could get us some rather interesting films and speakers for our classes). I do remember reading an article written by a news reporter in the 1980's who had witnessed, at ground level, quite a few above ground tests. He told in the article of one particular test of a newer, more powerful device. This particular test brought out the top Pentagon brass replete with uniforms festooned with ribbons to strut and crow about their newest "toy". Most of these VIPs had never seen an actual test in person before and had no real idea of what was to occur. The test went off and the veteran reporter turn back to see if he could get comments from the Pentagon brass and found most of them huddled on the far side of the observation bunker cowering in fear and awe...

tater · 10-25-11, 03:53 PM

I think we owe a lot to nukes. I was always in the camp that added a postscript to the "ban the bomb!" idiots...

"Ban the bomb! (save the world for conventional warfare)"

Sans atomic weapons we'd certainly have ended up with WW3, IMHO. People seem to forget how very good at killing people we got during WW2 before nukes.

I'm not against dismantling devices that are no longer needed, but dismantling those that are needed is a different matter.

TLAM Strike · 10-25-11, 03:56 PM

At times like this I'm reminded of Futurama:

Fry: This was our storage closet. My Dad spent years turning it into a bomb shelter.
Leela: [sadly] And yet you guys never had a single nuclear war.
Bender: [sadly] What a waste.

Platapus · 10-25-11, 03:57 PM

I have almost fond memories working on the B-53/W-53. That was one big device. One literally had to climb inside of it to gain access to some of the components.

Lots of sharpy and pokey things.

vienna · 10-25-11, 04:10 PM

Quote:

One literally had to climb inside of it to gain access to some of the components.

I'd bet the last thing you'd want to hear is someone saying "Oops!"...

Sailor Steve · 10-25-11, 04:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vienna

I'd bet the last thing you'd want to hear is someone saying "Oops!"...

Considering it would be the last thing you did hear, it might not be so bad. Not for long, anyway...

Osmium Steele · 10-26-11, 07:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Platapus

I have almost fond memories working on the B-53/W-53. That was one big device. One literally had to climb inside of it to gain access to some of the components.

Lots of sharpy and pokey things.

Of course, you can neither confirm, nor deny, the presence of any nuclear devices during your enlistment.

10-25-11, 01:32 PM	#1
vienna Navy Seal Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Anywhere but the here & now... Posts: 7,718 Downloads: 85 Uploads: 0	US's most powerful nuclear bomb being dismantled http://news.yahoo.com/uss-most-power...071325260.html It's amazing to think a device created nearly 50 years ago was still in existence given all the advances in technology. It would be thought this device would long ago have met the scrap heap. I remember very vividly watching the continuous television coverage of the Cuban Missile Crisis. I was 11 years old, a couple of months shy of my 12th birthday and, watching all the coverage and dire commentary, wondering if I would actually see my 12th birthday... Last edited by vienna; 10-25-11 at 02:00 PM.

10-25-11, 01:49 PM	#3
AVGWarhawk Lucky Jack Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: In a 1954 Buick. Posts: 28,281 Downloads: 90 Uploads: 0	I'm thinking it is not the most powerful bomb either.... __________________ “You're painfully alive in a drugged and dying culture.” ― Richard Yates, Revolutionary Road

10-25-11, 03:53 PM	#10
tater Navy Seal Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: New Mexico, USA Posts: 9,023 Downloads: 8 Uploads: 2	I think we owe a lot to nukes. I was always in the camp that added a postscript to the "ban the bomb!" idiots... "Ban the bomb! (save the world for conventional warfare)" Sans atomic weapons we'd certainly have ended up with WW3, IMHO. People seem to forget how very good at killing people we got during WW2 before nukes. I'm not against dismantling devices that are no longer needed, but dismantling those that are needed is a different matter. __________________ "Government, even in its best state, is but a necessary evil; in its worst state, an intolerable one." — Thomas Paine

10-25-11, 03:56 PM	#11
TLAM Strike Navy Seal Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Rochester, New York Posts: 8,633 Downloads: 29 Uploads: 6	At times like this I'm reminded of Futurama: Fry: This was our storage closet. My Dad spent years turning it into a bomb shelter. Leela: [sadly] And yet you guys never had a single nuclear war. Bender: [sadly] What a waste. __________________

10-25-11, 03:57 PM	#12
Platapus Fleet Admiral Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 19,382 Downloads: 63 Uploads: 0	I have almost fond memories working on the B-53/W-53. That was one big device. One literally had to climb inside of it to gain access to some of the components. Lots of sharpy and pokey things. __________________ abusus non tollit usum - A right should NOT be withheld from people on the basis that some tend to abuse that right.

10-25-11, 02:00 PM	#4
Betonov Navy Seal Join Date: May 2009 Location: Slovenia Posts: 8,647 Downloads: 26 Uploads: 0	My reaction to any nuke being dissmantleded