From: Adrian Tymes (wingcat@pacbell.net)
Date: Wed Jun 25 2003 - 18:51:51 MDT
--- Dehede011@aol.com wrote:
> In a message dated 6/22/2003 10:17:06 PM Central
> Standard Time,
> Spudboy100@aol.com writes: I am guessing some dry
> attempts have been practiced in the last
> 55 years; and have been found wanting.
>
> My information is that it has been practiced
> many times and is a
> perfectly viable technique once you get past the
> threshold of a workable suitcase
> nuke.
What about a nuclear warhead taken off an ICBM? If
impact is necessary to trigger critical mass, strap an
impact plate to the tip of the nose, and back it up
with enough explosives to simulate the force of
impact. It's not suitcase sized, but I don't think
you would need that big a boat or airplane to carry
this and a pilot. In fact...
<googles>
http://www.boeing.com/news/feature/nmd/threat.html
indicates that you can have a useful nuclear warhead
for well under 1000 pounds.
http://citationx.cessna.com/range.chtml
indicates that, with such a payload, you could go at
least 3000 nautical miles in this commercially
available private jet. This is about the distance
from, say, Lisbon, Portugal to New York. Assuming you
carefully packed the warhead, you could probably fly
from somewhere in the Middle East to some European or
West African airport near the Atlantic, land, wave off
customs with the excuse that you're just refuelling
before taking off for America, then proceed to do just
that without anyone getting close enough to glimpse
your cargo. (This is assuming you can't just get
everything assembled at or near said West African
airport in the first place.) The first sign of
trouble would be when you deviate from your approach
pattern once you're already over the target city, if
you're even in controlled airspace when you start your
descent.
Presto: one homemade, fairly cheap and available
nuclear warhead delivery system. Now, if you only had
a warhead, and someone dedicated enough to pull off
the above.
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