What is it?

Weapons based on either:

Nuclear fusion of Uranium 235 or Plutonium 239 or,

Fusion of atomic cores (e.g. Deuterium or Tritium) to Hydrogen.

Process:

Five primary effects:

1.Radioactive radiation during the detonation phase

2.Nuclear, electromagnetic pulse

3. Blast wave

4. Heat wave

5. Local radioactive fallout

Actions after contamination:

Nuclear particles can be removed from personnel, equipment or vehicles after detonation of a N-weapon.

The nuclear particles have to be bound and removed from the contaminated surface.

They cannot be neutralized

History:

Nuclear bomb (N) first tested by the USA

Used first and only time in Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945

First test of the Hydrogen bomb (H) by the USA in 1952

USSR 1949 (N), 1953 (H)

UK 1952 (N), 1957 (H)

France 1960 (N), 1968 (H)

China 1964 (N), 1967 (H)

India 1974 (N)

Pakistan 1998 (N)

North Korea 2006 (N)

Signing of Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) in 1968 to prevent a further distribution

04/26/1986 Nuclear accident in Chernobyl/USSR

Decontamination vehicles of OWR were used to decontaminate trucks coming from USSR into Western Europe.

Effect:

Death

Birth defects

Psychological impact

Economic devastation