First the MOAB Bomb...now put your hands together for "Divine Strake"

[Squatch]

a 700 ton HE explosion.

-snip-

The US military plans to detonate a 700 tonne explosive charge in a test called "Divine Strake" that will send a mushroom cloud over Las Vegas, a senior defense official said.

"I don't want to sound glib here but it is the first time in Nevada that you'll see a mushroom cloud over Las Vegas since we stopped testing nuclear weapons," said James Tegnelia, head of the Defense Threat Reduction Agency.

Tegnelia said the test was part of a US effort to develop weapons capable of destroying deeply buried bunkers housing nuclear, chemical or biological weapons.

"We have several very large penetrators we're developing," he told defense reporters. "We also have -- are you ready for this - a 700-tonne explosively formed charge that we're going to be putting in a tunnel in Nevada," he said.

Link

I actually had to look up "strake". It's a piece of metal lining the sides of wooden ships. Not a very bomb-like name.

[DS1]

1. It's the "Divine" aspect that's the most bothersome

fucking nutcases

[Kindigger]

3. That was my first thought

divine?

[Squatch]

4. I think Pat Robertson is the one coming up with the names

Lord, bless this divine bomb and all those who this divine bomb will save.

[mr_hat]

21. Why do you hate fat, poop-eating cross-dressers so much?

[jpak]

2. Divine??? WTF

700 tonnes??? That's the yield of mini-nuke.

They ARE going to use those things against Iran...there's no question now...

[Lerkfish]

7. yup. I've been saying it for over a year now, and keep getting told I"m

looney for doing so.

[tridim]

5. I'm more worried about the "Divine" part

Divine Strake = "Godlike metal plating"?

[BR_Parkway]

11. Sounds like the Armor of God that they always claim to be girding

themselves in doesn't it?

[Dogmudgeon]

6. Oh, how cute

It's like Internet neologisms -- like "stank" for "stink", or "spam" for "spew", or "Bush" for "shit-mouthed motherf*cking rapist crimelord child molester".

I wouldn't worry about the name, though. I'd worry about the bomb.

--p!

[SledDriver]

8. What good is it?

How the hell do you deliver a 700 ton bomb to a target?

[Redstone]

10. That's the explosive force measured vs. TNT, not the weight.

Redstone

[tridim]

14. Aren't most nukes classified by megatons?

That is, 1 million tons of TNT.

Is "tonnes" different than "tons"?

[Squatch]

15. Yeah..."tonnes" has an extra "n" and "e"

[Wildewolfe]

17. Kilotons

Actually most in the arsenals are measured in Kilotons, or thousand tons of TNT.

Megaton bombs have been built and detonated, but most in the arsenal are in the 20 to 250KT range as I recall.

[Redstone]

23. "Tonne" usually indicates metric tons (1000 Kg). Roughly equivalent to

a US "long ton" (2200 pounds).

Redstone

[Squatch]

12. Damned good question.

[jpak]

22. It's a mini-nuke simulation

tonnes are metric tons (~2200 pounds)

700 tonnes = 770 tons

Explosive yields of nuclear weapons are measured in tons TNT equivalent.

More modern explosive compositions (RDX for example) have greater explosive power than TNT

The actual yield of this explosive device is probably 1 kiloton TNT - which puts into the range of yield characteristic of so-called mini-nukes....

http://www.fas.org/faspir/2001/v54n1/weapons.htm

totally fucked up...

[phoebe]

9. is this their way of ensuring the massive nuclear waste dump will

have to be built?? The neighboring states will undoubtedly be thrilled with the extra "pollution"..

[Neil Lisst]

13. they really to called it THE CHRISTIAN MAKER

blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be missiles in war

[Ian David]

16. Great! More Downwinders in Nevada again!

Anyone else remember the U.S. Government deliberately exposing civilian towns to nuclear fall-out?

http://www.downwinders.org/


Downwinders is a research and educational foundation started by former downwind resident of southwest Utah, and formally established in 1978 in Salt Lake City, Utah. Downwinders takes its name from the residents living in the prevailing wind pattern surrounding the Nevada Test Site, and who have been constantly exposed to radioactive fallout from America's nuclear testing activities conducted there. Downwinders was founded with two primary goals:

* To expose the plight of downwind residents whose fallout exposures have caused cancers, leukemia, and other illnesses, and to obtain justice for their injuries.

* To fight for an immediate end to all nuclear testing at the Nevada Test Site and elsewhere.

Since its founding Downwinders has expanded its efforts to other nuclear, military, and environmental projects and issues where the health and safety of residents surrounding them have been placed at risk. Over the years these have included such problems as chemical and biological weapons research and testing at the Dugway Proving Ground. Other issues of concern are high and low-level nuclear waste, uranium mining, milling and tailings disposal, phosphate mining and wastes, groundwater issues, land and air space grabs by the military, and military toxics. Downwinders has also expanded its scope of operations from regional work confined to the Great Basin of Utah and Nevada to one of global outreach.

More:
http://www.downwinders.org/Aboutus.html

[Lerkfish]

18. guys, nowhere does it call this a nuclear weapon.

just wanted to point that out. When I first read it, I assumed it was, but on rereading it, in fact they never say that. The nuclear references are to TARGETS of the bomb, and a mushroom cloud does not have to be nuclear.

:shrug:

so I'm not entirely certain from the source this is anything other than an extremely hepped up conventional weapon, like the MOAB.

[Squatch]

19. Yep, I believe you are correct. A non-nuclear, conventional weapon.

[LSK]

20. listen!!! whats that sound??? the sound of contractors cashing checks

More corporate welfare on display for all to see.

:grr: