Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site fisher.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!cmcl2!seismo!uwvax!harvard!wjh12!genrad!decvax!mcnc!akgua!whuxle!spuxll!abnjh!u1100a!pyuxn!pyuxww!gamma!ulysses!allegra!princeton!astrovax!fisher!david From: david@fisher.UUCP (David Rubin) Newsgroups: net.politics Subject: Re: Strategic Arms (reply to Tim Sevener) and Apologia Message-ID: <345@fisher.UUCP> Date: Tue, 2-Oct-84 09:54:34 EDT Article-I.D.: fisher.345 Posted: Tue Oct 2 09:54:34 1984 Date-Received: Sat, 6-Oct-84 02:47:15 EDT References: <204@tekigm.UUCP>, <1822@ucbvax.ARPA> <493@tty3b.UUCP> <1889@ucbvax.ARPA>, <222@whuxl.UUCP> <1983@randvax.UUCP> <312@fisher.UUCPTue, 2-Oct-84 09:54:34 EDT Organization: Princeton Univ. Statistics Lines: 31 >6 bombs detonated at the same spot and the same time??? >Come on now, I realize you are familiar with fuzing mechanisms >but common sense should tell you something is wrong with that >idea. Also, 2 40 kt warheads causing more damage than a single 250 >kt is not necessarily correct. It depends on the city, >its terrain, and the altitude you burst them at. Also, >fratricide is going to make such a proposition much more >risky than a single warhead. You cant explode things precisely >in sychonization in this sort of context, at least its very hard. >I wouldnt count on it for much, we've never tested warheads like >that.... > Milo I was responding to an article which equated 6 40kt warheads with 1 250 kt warhead. My point was that such an equivalence assumed a delivery as described: 6 bombs in the same place at the same time. Not only is it unlikely, it is inefficient. You are right that 2 40kt warheads may not produce as much damage as a 250kt warhead. It does depend on manyu other factors. Sometimes it will produce as much, sometimes more, sometimes less. My point was only that even the "6" factor was too large. As for fratricide, whatever effects are suffered by 40kt bombs will also be suffered by 250kt bombs. All major targets have more than one warhead targeted on them, and I don't see why delivering 6 40kt warheads will be more difficult than delivering 2 or 3 250kt warheads. David Rubin {allegra|astrovax|princeton}!fisher!david