Weigth of nuclear devices

Warspite · Post by **Warspite** » 2002-12-07 02:16pm

I know this information might be kept in the secret of the Gods, but how much nuclear warheads weight?

Both strategic and tactical, and nevermind the rocket package, just the nuclear device.

Post by **Sea Skimmer** » 2002-12-07 02:52pm

50 pounds to about twenty tons depending on date and yeild.

Warspite · Post by **Warspite** » 2002-12-07 03:09pm

I would like data on the more recent devices (say, post 70's), since efficiency can account for the weigth.

Exonerate · Post by **Exonerate** » 2002-12-07 03:48pm

Umm... Depends on the yield. I believe suitcase nukes are around 30-50lbs, and that is 1kt. More than that, I don't know...

Post by **Sea Skimmer** » 2002-12-07 07:36pm

The Russian suitcase weapons are 150 pounds and sub kiloton.
Your average 100-300 kiloton range nuclear device will be several hundred pounds. However once you factor in other important things like a casing, altitude fusing system, RV, the weight can double or triple. But you don't need all that stuff to make them go boom.

Megaton range weapons are well over a ton and size spirals very quickly.

Post by **Darth Wong** » 2002-12-07 07:42pm

Tsar Bomba (the big 61-megaton Russian nuke that holds the current world record) was about 27 tons.

Post by **Sea Skimmer** » 2002-12-07 07:46pm

Darth Wong wrote:Tsar Bomba (the big 61-megaton Russian nuke that holds the current world record) was about 27 tons.

50 or 57 megatons seems to be the most commonly accepted, with the yield with all three stages being twice whatever the test was. No ones quite sure of what it really was beyond somewhere in that range, official US CIA line is 57. Course the Russians never built another. Completed with all three stages in place it would have been even heavier IIRC.