Launching nukes during High School lesson

[Hawk66]

Originally Posted by TLAM Strike

The smallest yield nuclear warhead that was ever mass deployed (to my knowledge) was the W54 with a yield of 10 tons to 1 kT (it was a dial a yield weapon). At its lowest setting it is equivalent to the conventional GBU-43B (Actually the MOAB is more powerful). It pales in comparision to some of the stuff that has been done with conventional explosives like the mining at the Battle of Messines, or the Russian Aviation Thermobaric Bomb of Increased Power (ATBIP) which has a yield of 44 t. The size of the target destroyed by a W54 at its lowest yield would be roughly equivalent to ground zero at the WTC, maybe that is not "surgical" in today's meaning but that is basically one major point target.

Ok, I see, it is debatable what surgical is...personally I'd judge that depending if there is (considerable) contamination or not.

@Oberon: I agree in general that decision making was easier and more straightforward in Warsaw Pact. After the German reunification it became evident, that using of nuclear tactical warheads was not a remote but a core element of the warplan of the GDR. The question is if the political leaders would have tried to oppose the using of those weapons - at least in the beginning of the war....