Editing Talk:Nuclear weapon
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== Fission warheads == | == Fission warheads == | ||
Why is the UNSC still using nuclear warheads with fissile material, by now they should have converted to pure fusion weapons entirely by now. Considering this is the same UNSC that authorized the SPARTAN-II program to put down rebels, you'd think that they wouldn't be squeamish about introducing relatively practical-for-tactical use WMDs. The only reason why we haven't converted is, besides expenses and technical difficulties, to keep us from throwing them out like candy (not that any sane military would, it's just a figure of speech) since their lack of radioactive fallout consequences make them easier to use and the associated expenses and difficulties, but like I said, the UNSC was willing to go through with the S-IIs, | Why is the UNSC still using nuclear warheads with fissile material, by now they should have converted to pure fusion weapons entirely by now. Considering this is the same UNSC that authorized the SPARTAN-II program to put down rebels, you'd think that they wouldn't be squeamish about introducing relatively practical-for-tactical use WMDs. The only reason why we haven't converted is, besides expenses and technical difficulties, to keep us from throwing them out like candy (not that any sane military would, it's just a figure of speech) since their lack of radioactive fallout consequences make them easier to use and the associated expenses and difficulties, but like I said, the UNSC was willing to go through with the S-IIs, | ||
:I can't speak for canonical reasons, since it may just be a writing oversight by writers unclear about the difference, but if there is one I imagine it's a cost issue - modern nuclear reactors use uranium and plutonium because the process or decay can make the material better suited to creating nuclear weapons, or in the case of depleted uranium is used in kinetic penetrator weapons. That was the rationale behind using them in the first place, during the Cold War, when the military need for nuclear deterrents was considered imperative. I imagine the UNSC does something similar. As for issues of fallout - in space combat, this is mitigated by radiation shielding and vacuum, and in-atmosphere, the fallout may be desired - if the Covenant are going to render the planet uninhabitable anyway by glassing population centres, why bother keeping it "clean" when you hit them? | :I can't speak for canonical reasons, since it may just be a writing oversight by writers unclear about the difference, but if there is one I imagine it's a cost issue - modern nuclear reactors use uranium and plutonium because the process or decay can make the material better suited to creating nuclear weapons, or in the case of depleted uranium is used in kinetic penetrator weapons. That was the rationale behind using them in the first place, during the Cold War, when the military need for nuclear deterrents was considered imperative. I imagine the UNSC does something similar. As for issues of fallout - in space combat, this is mitigated by radiation shielding and vacuum, and in-atmosphere, the fallout may be desired - if the Covenant are going to render the planet uninhabitable anyway by glassing population centres, why bother keeping it "clean" when you hit them? | ||