3rd Generation Nuclear Weapons

During the early 1950's American weapon laboratories were
exceptionally productive. They not only achieved dramatic improvements in
the performance of fission bombs, which represent the first generation of
nuclear weapons, but also succeeded in establishing a second generation of nuclear weapons by harnessing the explosive power of fusion in the form of the hydrogen bomb and its various derivatives. By the end of the 1950's the warheads in the U.S. nuclear armament bore little resemblance to the bombs that had ushered in the nuclear age over Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Today a third generation of nuclear weapons is technologically
feasible. By altering the shape of the nuclear explosive and manipulating
other design features, weapons could be built that generate and direct
beams of radiation or streams of metallic pellets or droplets at such
targets as missile-launch facilities on the ground, missiles in the air and
satellites in space. These weapons would be as removed from current nuclear weapons in terms of military effectiveness as a rifle is technologically distant from gunpowder.

The surge of technical creativity that produced the first two
generations of nuclear weapons can be explained largely by the fact that
the national laboratories had massive funding, a mandate to pursue new
weapon possibilities and unqualified Government support. Yet speaking as
one who worked at that time on the design of nuclear weapons, perhaps the most stimulating factor of all was simply the intense exhilaration that
every scientist or engineer experiences when he or she has the freedom to
explore completely new technical concepts and then to bring them into
reality.

The rest of the article :
files.abovetopsecret.com...

I came across this interesting article about how the 3rd generation of nukes can be tuned for different effects. They even hypothesize being able to direct the energy on nuclear weapons like a shaped charge.
If this is possible it makes the current research into an earth penetrating nuclear bunker busters rather obsolete.
Anyway have aread of the article, it will open your mind into the future possibilties of US nuclear research and development.



[edit on 4-5-2005 by rogue1]

I recall a conversation with a olde timer...years ago , who was in the construction buisness. He told me talk at the time was of constructing a new sea level canal through Central America in Nicaragua. Talk was that they were discussing how to use nuclear devices as a construction tool since they would not have to cart off as much dirt. The difficulties that he mentioned were directing the blast in a satisfactory manner and background radiation. Apparently at the time these problems were never satisfactorily overcome.
This article is intresting for the above reasons.
However , today ...this would most likely not be done just for the reasons of security. In todays political enviornment the security in handling such devices would put such an added burden and expense so as to make any such construction cost prohibitive.

Thanks ,
Orangetom