Nuclear weapon

A nuclear weapon is a type of ordnance using nuclear fission and/or fusion as a source of energy. The yield of a nuclear weapon is measured in the amount of tons of "TNT" needed to generate an explosion of similar proportions.

Overview
At the time of the start of the Insurrection in 2494 it was widely believed that fissile detonations in space were practically useless, as the vacuum of space severely reduces the explosive yield and the resulting electromagnetic pulse. As such, it came as a surprise to the UNSC when the Insurrectionists used a nuclear device in a space battle following the Callisto Incident, having hidden in into an asteroid in advance. When detonated, the nuke shattered the asteroid to molten pieces, which in turn destroyed one UNSC ship and severely damaged two. Later on, the UNSC has used nukes in space warfare to a great degree, increasing their explosive power by developing loads enhanced for vacuum use.

Engagements against the Covenant during the Human-Covenant War constantly kept the UNSC's nuclear stockpiles near depletion. This occasionally forced them to resort to using obsolete nukes or unorthodox solutions. The Covenant did not generally use nuclear weapons, regarding them as "heretic" weapons. An exception to this were the Jiralhanae, who had no qualms about using captured UNSC nukes or any other UNSC matériel.

Commonly, the casings of UNSC nuclear weapons such as the FENRIS nuclear warheads are heavily reinforced, both to contain radiation and to boost the thermonuclear yield for containing the detonation for a split second longer. The hardened cases also protect the nukes inside and prevent them from going off accidentally - it was noted that detonating a bomb next to a FENRIS warhead would barely scratch the casing.

An operational idiosyncrasy of nuclear weapons is the result of containing fissile material. Fissile materials, such as plutonium, emit a readily detectable Čerenkov radiation signature upon exiting slipspace that negates stealth measures. As a result, if complete stealth is required, prowlers are forced to jettison any on-board nuclear weapons before transitioning back to normal space to avoid detection. In addition, nukes launched from slipspace can easily be detected by enemy sensors, despite the use of stealth coatings or lead linings.

The energy shielding used in Covenant warships has been noted to dampen the EMP generated by the detonation of a nuke inside the ship. The SPARTAN-IIs used this to their advantage when they destroyed a Covenant cruiser during the Fall of Reach, without risking damaging the nearby orbital defense generators.

Nuclear weapons are also sold commercially, and are commonly used in asteroid mining. In 2513, an Insurrectionist suicide bomber used one such commercial explosive in a terrorist attack on the Haven arcology on Mamore, killing two million and injuring over eight million more.

UNSC nuclear ordnance


The UNSC employs a range of nuclear ordnance.

FENRIS nuclear warhead
The FENRIS is a type of low-yield thermonuclear device. They were slated for decommissioning but munition expenditures during the Human-Covenant War saw the survivors return to service.

Fury tactical nuclear weapon
The Fury, formally designated as the Medium Fusion Destructive Device, is a rugby ball-sized device with a yield slightly less than a megaton. It is the "closest thing the UNSC has to a nuclear grenade".

HAVOK tactical nuclear weapon
The HAVOK is a 30 megaton thermonuclear device. Some were delivered by ground forces during the Human-Covenant War.

HORNET mine
The HORNET is a 30 megaton space mine. The devices are designed to be more stealthy than an ordinary nuke and are carried aboard UNSC prowlers. Although like all nuclear weapons, they can be easily detected when exiting slipspace, they can be rendered practically undetectable by cooling them to near-absolute zero temperatures, same as that of interstellar space, in their launch chambers.

NOVA bomb
The NOVA is a strategic device, and undoubtedly humanity's most powerful weapon. It consists of 9 nuclear warheads encased in a lithium triteride shell, which is compressed during detonation, boosting the yield "a hundred-fold". A single NOVA has enough power to cause complete devastation on a planetary scale, and can destroy orbiting moons and naval fleets.

Shiva-class nuclear missile
The Shiva is a type of starship ordnance. They may also be carried by GA-TL1 Longswords.

Harpoon nuclear missile
Harpoon missiles are a type of nuclear ordnance carried by starships such as frigates.

List of appearances

 * Halo 2
 * Halo 3: ODST
 * Halo: Reach
 * Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary
 * Terminals
 * Halo: The Fall of Reach
 * Halo: First Strike
 * Halo: Contact Harvest
 * Halo: Ghosts of Onyx
 * Halo: The Flood
 * Halo: Evolutions - Essential Tales of the Halo Universe
 * The Mona Lisa
 * The Impossible Life and the Possible Death of Preston J. Cole
 * Halo: Legends
 * Origins
 * Deliver Hope