Often, when we talk about atomic weapons, we focus on the most powerful, such as the Zadar bomb 50 megatonsor the most famous ones such as those of Hiroshima and Nagasaki (about 15 kilotons); however, we do not always ask ourselves what the opposite extreme is, that is, theleast powerful atomic weapon ever made. In this case we are talking about a portable tactical nuclear weapon known as Davy Crocketta rocket with a power of “just” 0.01 kilotons capable of firing a projectile with a nuclear warhead. It was created by the United States during the Cold War to hit possible Soviet troops in the event of a conflict.
The characteristics of the Davy Crockett
From a technical point of view the weapon system Davy Crockett consisted of a XM-388 projectile weighing just over 34kgapproximately long 70cm and with a diameter of 27cm. Its compact dimensions allowed it to be transported on a simple military off-road vehicle and allowed it to be operated by just 3 men.
This weapon system could be equipped with a nuclear warhead from 0.01 kilotonsi.e. equivalent to the explosive power of 10 tons of TNT. For comparison, it was a weapon 5 million times less powerful compared to the Tsar Bomb and approx 1300 times less than that of Hiroshima. To launch the XM-388 it was possible to use a rifle from 120 millimeters (i.e. the “light” version, with a maximum range of Approximately 2km) or by one from 155 millimeters (with a maximum range of 4km).
Because it was never used
The Davy Crockett it was part of the US arsenal between 1961 and the 1971 and it is estimated that approximately 1,000 have been produced 2100 specimens. The section non-nuclear was produced at Rock Island Arsenalin Illinois, while the nuclear warhead at the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory. These weapons were deployed in West Germany, Guam, Hawaii, Japan and South Korea, although in fact no missile will ever be detonated against real targets – with the exception of two tests carried out in the Nevada desert in 1972 within the missions Little Feller I And II.
