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Effects of Nuclear Earth-Penetrator and Other Weapons
FIGURE 4.7 Earth-penetrator weapon (EPW) needs to be of sufficient yield to be effective against targets of interest. Note: CEP = circular error probable (i.e., accuracy).
Figures 4.5 through 4.7 are plots of the probability of (severe) damage of deeply buried targets in granite, as a function of the target depth. (For purposes of the calculations the targets are considered as points.) Figure 4.5 compares a 250 kiloton and a 1 megaton weapon, both of which are contact burst on the surface, for 100 meter and 10 meter CEP. Figures 4.6 and 4.7 are similar, but for 10 kiloton, 300 kiloton, and 1 megaton earth-penetrator weapons at 3 meters’ depth of burst. Examining these figures, one observes the following:
The effectiveness of a 250 kiloton contact burst is about the same as that of a 10 kiloton EPW, as expected from the analysis earlier in the chapter showing the 15 to 25 yield factor for equivalent ground shock.
Accuracy (i.e., CEP) is a critical parameter, for contact weapons, and at low yields for penetrating weapons.
For the target depths of interest, the most effective options examined are the 300 kiloton EPW and the 1 megaton EPW.
Included in Attachment 4.1 are additional figures and associated discussion on the influence of target hardness and CEP as well as information on nonsurface bursts.
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