What are “tactical” nukes and how likely is Russia to use them after Putin's threats
Russian President Vladimir Putin declared his willingness to use nuclear weapons to defend the national territory, raising concerns that he could launch a small or “tactical” nuclear weapon in Ukraine.
This is not the first time that Putin has made such threats. At the beginning of his incursion into Ukraine, the Russian president claimed that he was mobilizing “deterrence forces”, which were interpreted as his nuclear weapons, particularly tactical weapons.
But the president of the United States United States, Joe Biden immediately warned his counterpart that doing so would be the most serious military escalation since World War II.
What are tactical nuclear weapons?
Tactical nuclear weapons are small nuclear warheads with delivery systems intended for use on the battlefield or in a limited attack.
They are designed to destroy enemy targets in a specific area without causing a wide radioactive discharge.
This distinguishes them from long-range “strategic” nuclear weapons that, during the Cold War, the two warring superpowers, the United States and the Soviet Union, threatened to launch.
Nuclear weapons tac tics vary enormously in size and power.
The smallest can be a kiloton or less (equivalent to a thousand tons of the explosive TNT).
The largest can reach 100 kilotons.
The effects would depend on the size of the warhead, how far from the ground it detonates, and the local environment.
But for comparison, the bomb that killed some 146,000 people in Hiroshima, Japan, during World War II, was 15 kilotons.
What tactical nuclear weapons does Russia have?
According to US intelligence, Russia has about 2, tactical nukes.
These can be placed on various types of missiles that are normally used to launch conventional bombs.
They can even be fired as artillery shells on a battlefield.
Also have been developed to aircraft and ships, for example, torpedoes and depth charges to target submarines.
USA says Russia has recently invested heavily in such weapons to improve their range and accuracy.
These warheads are believed to be in storage facilities, rather than deployed and ready to fire.
When have tactical nuclear weapons been used?
Tactical nuclear weapons have never been used in conflict.
Nuclear powers such as the US and Russia have also found effective ways to destroy large targets in the battlefield using conventional munitions.
Furthermore, until now no country with atomic potential has been willing to be responsible for unleashing an outright nuclear war by using tactical nuclear weapons.
However, the concern of the international community is that Russia might be willing to use smaller tactical weapons instead of missiles larger strategic arms.
“It is possible that they believe that the use of smaller arms does not cross the red line that transforms the armed conflict into a nuclear conflict, says Patricia Lewis, head of the international security program at the Chatham House think tank.
“They could see it as a use of conventional forces.”