Nuclear weapon: Difference between revisions

Nuclear weapon (edit)

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 Nuclear weapons are commonplace in the [[United Nations Space Command]]'s arsenal and in select [[civilian]] uses. The UNSC uses nuclear weapons to a great effect in [[space warfare]], increasing their effectiveness with special payloads enhanced for vacuum use.<ref>'''Halo: Ghosts of Onyx''', "Chapter 35" ''page 326''</ref> Throughout the [[Insurrection]] and early on in the [[Human-Covenant War]], space-borne UNSC nuclear weapons used proximity-fused warheads that relied on the detonation's direct radiation and thermal shock, which quickly proved ineffective against [[Covenant]] warships' [[energy shielding]]. As a result, the UNSC developed new types of warheads sporting [[Wikipedia:Nuclear pumped laser|nuclear-pumped]] X-ray lasers<ref name="warfleet 16">''[[Halo: Warfleet]]'', p. 16</ref> and Casaba Howitzer-type shaped-charge warheads known as "Spears", which focus the nuclear blast into a directed, relativistic plasma jet.<ref>''Halo: Warfleet'', p. 92</ref> Conventional nuclear weapons are still used in [[planetary warfare]] as tools of last resort.<ref name="warfleet 16"/> Some planetary nuclear weapons also have shaped-charge properties, such as the [[HAVOK tactical nuclear weapon#Mark 2550 MFDD|Mark 2550 Havok MFDD]], a bunker buster warhead designed to direct its blast against underground targets.<ref>'''Halo: Last Light''', ''page 364'' (Google Play edition)</ref>
-Commonly, the casings of UNSC nuclear weapons such as the [[FENRIS nuclear warhead]]s are heavily reinforced, both to contain [[radiation]] and to boost the thermonuclear yield for containing the detonation for a split second longer.<ref>'''Halo: Ghosts of Onyx''', "Chapter 1", ''page 39''</ref> 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.<ref>'''Halo: Ghosts of Onyx''', "Chapter 23", ''page 209''</ref> There a various grades for the types of nuclear weapons. An example is the excavation-grade [[HAVOK tactical nuclear weapon]]. While presumably not as powerful as a military-grade weapon, a single warhead is described as being powerful enough to turn [[Ivanoff Station]] "into piñata" and was powerful enough to destroy ''[[Mantle's Approach]]'' and the [[Composer]] when detonated on the inside of the ship.
+Commonly, the casings of UNSC nuclear weapons such as the [[FENRIS nuclear warhead]]s are heavily reinforced, both to contain [[radiation]] and to boost the thermonuclear yield for containing the detonation for a split second longer.<ref>'''Halo: Ghosts of Onyx''', "Chapter 1", ''page 39''</ref> 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.<ref>'''Halo: Ghosts of Onyx''', "Chapter 23", ''page 209''</ref> There are various grades for the types of nuclear weapons. An example is the excavation-grade [[HAVOK tactical nuclear weapon]]. While presumably not as powerful as a military-grade weapon, a single warhead is described as being powerful enough to turn [[Ivanoff Station]] "into piñata" and was powerful enough to destroy ''[[Mantle's Approach]]'' and the [[Composer]] when detonated on the inside of the ship.
 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 [[terrorism|terrorist]] attack on the [[Haven arcology]] on [[Mamore]], killing two million and injuring over eight million more.<ref>'''[[Intersystem News]]''': ''HAVEN TERROR BOMBING KILLS TWO MILLION''</ref>