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{{Wikipedia|Nuclear Weapon}}
[[File:Atomicblast.jpg|thumb|250px|An atomic blast.]]
A '''nuclear weapon''' is a type of ordnance using [[nuclear fission]] and/or [[Nuclear fusion|fusion]] as a source of energy. The yield of a nuclear weapon is measured in the amount of tons of "[[wikipedia:Trinitrotoluene|TNT]]" needed to generate an explosion of similar proportions.


''Note: This page contains the definition and history of nuclear weapons. For a list of nuclear weapons used in the [[The Halo Universe|Halo Universe]], see [[Nuke]].''
==Overview==
[[Image:Nagasakibomb.jpg|thumb|The nuclear mushroom seen the bombing of Nagasaki of World War II.]]
Nuclear weapons are commonplace in the [[United Nations Space Command]]'s arsenal and in select [[civilian]] uses. The UNSC uses nuclear weapons to 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/Reuse|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>
== History ==


A '''Nuclear Weapon''' is employed as a weapon of mass-destruction created in the middle 20st century by physicists and scientists on [[Earth]]. A nuclear weapon derives its destructive force from nuclear reactions of fusion or fission. As a result, even a nuclear weapon with a small yield is significantly more powerful than the largest conventional explosives, and a single weapon is capable of destroying an entire city.
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.


The first nuclear weapon (and later, more nuclear arms) was created by the [[United States]] with help from an international team, including many displaced scientists from central Europe, which included [[Federal Republic of Germany|Germany]], with assistance from the [[United Kingdom]] and [[Canada]] during World War II as part of the top-secret "Manhattan Project". While the first weapons were developed primarily out of fear that Nazi Germany would develop them first, they were eventually used against the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The first test was conducted on July 16, 1945 at a site near Alamogordo, New [[Mexico]]. The [[Soviet Union]] developed and tested their first nuclear weapon in 1949, based partially on information obtained from Soviet espionage in the United States. Both the U.S. and USSR would go on to develop weapons powered by nuclear fusion (hydrogen bombs) by the mid-1950s. With the invention of reliable rocketry during the 1960s, it became possible for nuclear weapons to be delivered anywhere in the world on a very short notice, and the two Cold War superpowers adopted a strategy of deterrence to maintain a shaky peace.
Nuclear weapons are also sold commercially, and are commonly used in [[asteroid]] mining. In [[2511]], 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>
===World War II===
During World War II, two major nuclear detonations took place on [[Earth]] on the territory of the former [[Japan|Empire of Japan]], in the cities of Nagasaki and Hiroshima. The detonations were made by the [[United States of America]], and they represented the decisive strike in the fall of the Axis Powers.


== Nuclear Warfare ==
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, [[UNSC prowler|prowlers]] are forced to jettison any on-board nuclear weapons before transitioning back to normal space to avoid detection.<ref name="goo187">'''Halo: Ghosts of Onyx''', "Chapter 22", ''page 187''</ref> In addition, nukes launched from slipspace can easily be detected by enemy sensors, despite the use of [[Stealth ablative coating|stealth coatings]] or [[lead]] linings.<ref>'''Halo: Ghosts of Onyx''', "Prologue", ''page 15''</ref>


Nuclear warfare strategy is a way for either fighting or avoiding a nuclear war. The policy of trying to ward off a potential attack by a nuclear weapon from another country by threatening nuclear retaliation is known as the strategy of nuclear deterrence. The goal in deterrence is to always maintain a second strike status (the ability of a country to respond to a nuclear attack with one of its own) and potentially to strive for first strike status (the ability to completely destroy an enemy's nuclear forces before they could retaliate). During the Cold War on [[Earth]], policy and military theorists in nuclear-enabled countries worked out models of what sorts of policies could prevent one from ever being attacked by a nuclear weapon.
The [[energy shielding]] used in [[Covenant]] warships has been noted to dampen the [[electromagnetic pulse]] generated by the detonation of a nuke inside the ship. The [[SPARTAN-II program|SPARTAN-IIs]] used this to their advantage when they destroyed a [[Covenant cruiser at Longhorn Valley|Covenant cruiser]] during the [[Fall of Reach]], without risking damaging the nearby [[orbital defense generator]]s.<ref>'''Halo: First Strike''', "Chapter 3", ''page 25''</ref>


== Nuclear Effects ==
If nuclear arsenals are not available, especially during a situation where [[NOBLE Team]] needed one to destroy a {{Pattern|Sh'wada|supercarrier}}, one alternative is to use a [[Shaw-Fujikawa Translight Engine|Slipspace Drive]] in lieu of nuclear weaponry.


=== Nuclear Explosion ===
==History==
[[Image:Soviet_super_test.jpg|thumb|A nuclear warhead test.]]
[[File:HWF Longsword Nukes.png|thumb|250px|Nuclear weapons carried by a [[GA-TL1 Longsword]].{{Ref/Reuse|warfleet 16}}]]
A nuclear detonation has the explosive power to destroy an entire city and well into its outskirts. A nuclear warhead often represents a "Drastic measure" taken by a certain military force, including the [[UNSC]] in defeating an enemy force or avoiding its own destruction by means of mass-destruction. In this case, the [[UNSC]] used nuclear warheads against the [[Covenant]] in a [[Operation: FIRST STRIKE|First Strike]].
The first space-borne nuclear weapons were used during the [[Interplanetary War]] in the 22nd century.<ref>'''Halo 4: The Essential Visual Guide''', ''page 74''</ref> However, they were not considered a viable weapon of space warfare for the next several hundred years; 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 [[Insurrectionist]]s used a nuclear device in a space battle following the [[Callisto Incident|''Callisto'' Incident]], having hidden it in 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 more.<ref>'''Halo: Evolutions - Essential Tales of the Halo Universe''', "The Impossible Life and the Possible Death of Preston J. Cole", ''page 445''</ref> The Jiralhanae used nuclear weapons during their [[First Immolation|global civil war]] to such a degree that it set their species back hundreds of years.<ref>'''[[Halo: Envoy]]''', ''page 42''</ref>


==== Hiroshima ====
Engagements against the [[Covenant]] during the [[Human-Covenant War]] quickly proved conventional nuclear weapons' ineffectiveness against Covenant warships' shields, forcing the UNSC to develop more effective payloads.{{Ref/Reuse|warfleet 16}} The frequent deployment of nuclear weapons in space engagements constantly kept the UNSC's nuclear stockpiles near depletion. This occasionally forced them to resort to using obsolete nukes or [[Operation: UPPER CUT|unorthodox solutions]].<ref name="goo34">'''Halo: Ghosts of Onyx''', "Chapter 1", ''page 34''</ref><ref name="goo205">'''Halo: Ghosts of Onyx''', "Chapter 23", ''page 205''</ref><ref>'''Halo: Reach''', campaign level ''[[Long Night of Solace]]''</ref>


Hiroshima was the primary target of the first nuclear bombing mission on August 6, with Kokura and Nagasaki being alternative targets. August 6 was chosen because there had previously been clouds over the target. The bombing of Hiroshima was the first case of nuclear detonation in [[Human]] history.
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.<ref>'''Halo: Ghosts of Onyx''', "Chapter 23", ''page 207''</ref><ref>'''[[Halo 2]]''', campaign level ''[[Uprising]]''</ref> However, following the end of the war, [[Covenant remnants|remnant groups]] of the Covenant have adopted more liberal policies in regards to human weaponry for practical reasons. Human-made nuclear weapons have subsequently fallen into the hands of Covenant [[terrorism|terrorists]] and cultists.<ref>'''Spartan Ops''', ''[[Departure]]''</ref>


==== Nagasaki ====
==UNSC nuclear ordnance==
[[File:Nagasakibomb.jpg|thumb|The nuclear mushroom cloud seen in the bombing of Nagasaki in World War II.]]


On the morning of August 9, [[1945]], the second nuclear detonation of World War II took place in [[Japan]] in the city of Nagasaki by the [[United States of America]] which marked the end of the war between Japan and the Allies.
The UNSC employs a range of nuclear ordnance.


=== Nuclear Aftermath ===
===FENRIS nuclear warhead===
{{Main|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.{{Ref/Reuse|goo34}}{{Ref/Reuse|goo205}}<ref>'''Halo: Ghosts of Onyx''', "Chapter 24", ''page 215''</ref>


The energy released from a nuclear weapon detonated in the troposphere can be divided into four basic categories:
===Fury tactical nuclear weapon===
{{Main|Fury tactical nuclear weapon}}
The '''Fury''', formally designated as the '''Medium Fusion Destructive Device''',<ref>'''[[Halo: Reach]]''': ''[[Deliver Hope]]''</ref> 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".<ref>'''[[Halo: First Strike]]''', "Chapter 1", ''page 20''</ref>


*Blast—40-50% of total energy
===HAVOK tactical nuclear weapon===
*Thermal radiation—30-50% of total energy
{{Main|HAVOK tactical nuclear weapon}}
*Ionizing radiation—5% of total energy
'''HAVOK''' is a series of 30 megaton thermonuclear devices, which come in various configurations. Some were delivered by ground forces during the Human-Covenant War.<ref>'''Halo: The Fall of Reach''', ''page 200''</ref><ref>'''Halo: The Fall of Reach''', ''page 212''</ref><ref>'''Halo Wars: Genesis''', ''page 17''</ref> One was used to destroy the [[Composer]] and the ''[[Mantle's Approach]]'', stopping the [[Ur-Didact|Didact]]'s [[New Phoenix Incident|assault on Earth]]. Due to its many variants, it appears to be one of the most commonly used nuclear weapons.
*Residual radiation—5-10% of total energy


However, depending on the design of the weapon and the environment in which it is detonated the energy distributed to these categories can be increased or decreased to the point of nullification. The blast effect is created by immense amounts of energy, spanning the electromagnetic spectrum, with the surroundings. Locations such as submarine, surface, airburst, or exo-atmospheric determine how much energy is produced as blast and how much as radiation. In general, denser mediums around the bomb, like water, absorb more energy, and create more powerful shockwaves while at the same time limiting the area of its effect.
===HORNET mine===
{{Main|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 prowler]]s. Although like all nuclear weapons, they can be easily detected when exiting slipspace,{{Ref/Reuse|goo187}} they can be rendered practically undetectable by cooling them to near-absolute zero temperatures, same as that of interstellar space, in their launch chambers.<ref>'''Halo: Ghosts of Onyx''', ''page 325''</ref>


The dominant effects of a nuclear weapon where people are likely to be affected (blast and thermal radiation) are identical physical damage mechanisms to conventional explosives. However the energy produced by a nuclear explosive is millions of times more powerful per gram and the temperatures reached are briefly in the tens of millions of degrees.
===NOVA bomb===
{{Main|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".<ref>'''[[Halo: First Strike]]''', ''page 180''</ref> A single NOVA has enough power to cause complete devastation on a [[Joyous Exultation|planetary]] scale, and can destroy orbiting [[Malhiem|moons]] and [[Combined Fleet of Righteous Purpose|naval fleets]].<ref>'''Halo: Ghosts of Onyx''', ''page 244''</ref>


Energy from a nuclear explosive is initially released in several forms of penetrating radiation. When there is a surrounding material such as air, rock, or water, this radiation interacts with and rapidly heats it to an equilibrium temperature. Causing vaporization of surrounding material resulting in its rapid expansion. Kinetic energy created by this expansion contributes to the formation of a shockwave. When a nuclear detonation occurs in air near sea level, much of the released energy interacts with the atmosphere and creates a shockwave which expands spherically from the hypocenter. Intense thermal radiation at the hypocenter forms a fireball and if the burst is low enough, its often associated mushroom cloud. In a burst at high altitudes, where the air density is low, more energy is released as ionizing gamma radiation and x-rays than an atmosphere displacing shockwave.
===Shiva-class nuclear missile===
{{Main|Shiva-class nuclear missile}}
The '''Shiva''' is a type of starship ordnance.<ref>'''[[Halo: The Fall of Reach]]''', ''pages 147, 322-324''</ref><ref>'''Halo: The Cole Protocol''', ''page 82''</ref> They may also be carried by [[GA-TL1 Longsword]]s.<ref>'''[[Halo Encyclopedia (2009 edition)|Halo Encyclopedia: The Definitive Guide to the Halo Universe (2011)]]''', ''page 320''</ref>


== Cold War ==
===Rudra-class nuclear missile===
{{Main|Rudra-class nuclear missile}}
The ''Rudra'' is another type of starship ordnance. The {{UNSCShip|Port Stanley}} carried multiple enhanced yield Rudra nukes.<ref>'''[[Halo: The Thursday War]]''', ''page 320''</ref>


The Cold War on [[Earth]] saw increased tensions and fear of Nuclear War sparking between the [[United States of America]] and the Soviet Union. The two countries and their respective spheres of influence found themselves on constant alert of nuclear launch and nuclear war. During this period the humanity tested the most powerful device, one of the most know the Tsar Bomba.
===Hyperion-class nuclear missile===
{{Main|M4093 Hyperion nuclear delivery system}}
The Hyperion is a class of nuclear weapons shown to be carried by the {{UNSCShip|Forward Unto Dawn}} that is capable of destroying a {{Pattern|Zanar|light cruiser}} in one hit if its shields are down.


== Nuclear Weapons In ''[[The Halo Universe|Halo]]'' ==
==Gallery==
[[Image:First_Strike.jpg|thumb|''[[Halo: First Strike]]''.]]
<gallery>
Various nuclear weapons have been used in the [[The Halo Universe|Haloverse]] launched by the [[UNSC]] against the [[Covenant]] forces.
File:Fenris-class.jpg|An unidentified nuke used by [[Samuel-034]] to destroy the ''[[Unrelenting]]'' in ''[[Halo: Fall of Reach]]''.
</gallery>


=== [[Fury Tactical Nuclear Warhead]] ===
==List of appearances==
 
{{Col-begin}}
During the attack on [[Reach]], Spartans [[Frederic-104]], [[Kelly-087]], and [[Joshua-029]](AKA [[Alpha Team]]) destroyed a [[Covenant]] Cruiser by capturing a trio of Banshees and throwing a Tactical Nuke into its grav-lift.
{{Col-2}}
 
*''[[Halo: The Fall of Reach]]'' {{1st}}
=== [[Shiva-class Nuclear Missile]] ===
*''[[Halo: The Flood]]''
 
It is a ship-mounted thermonuclear missile, outfitted with varying pay load,missile thermonuclear warhead assumable to be anywhere from 20 to 80 Megatons yield depending on its type (most of missiles utilize [[UNSC]] standard 30-megaton [[HAVOK]] thermonuclear warhead)
 
=== [[FENRIS Nuclear Warhead]] ===
 
FENRIS Nuclear Warheads are retired low-yield thermonuclear devices that the [[UNSC]] once used. They were replaced by more powerful warheads. However, recent actions had depleted the [[UNSC]] nuclear stockpile and these retired warheads, slated for conversion into peaceful purposes, were the only bombs they had left.
 
=== [[NOVA]] Bomb ===
 
First mentioned in ''[[Halo: First Strike]]'', the NOVA is a special device that uses nine fusion warheads in a ring formation. Once detonation occurs, the lithium-triteride fusion cores combine together and the resulting blast is multiplied one hundred-fold. Nick-named "planet-killers," these have enough explosive power to destroy an entire planet.
 
=== [[HORNET Mines]] ===
 
HORNET Mines are a type of heavy ordinance used by the [[UNSC]]. HORNET Mines are nuclear devices capable of considerable stealth and are kept aboard some UNSC prowlers, such as the ''[[Dusk]]''.
 
=== [[HAVOK Nuclear Warhead]]s ===
 
The HAVOK thermonuclear warhead is mainly used in missiles fired by [[UNSC]] Bombers or Cruisers. However, an alternate use is to simply place the warhead on a ground target and detonate it with a remote. Its yield is thirty megatons
 
== Related Articles ==
 
*The [[Fury Tactical Nuclear Warhead]]
*The [[Shiva-class Nuclear Missile]]
*The [[FENRIS Nuclear Warhead]]
*The [[NOVA Bomb]]
*[[HORNET Mines]]
*[[HAVOK Nuclear Warhead]]s
 
== Sources ==
 
*''[[Halo: The Fall of Reach]]''
*''[[Halo: First Strike]]''
*''[[Halo: First Strike]]''
*''[[Halo 2]]''
*''[[Halo: Ghosts of Onyx]]''
*''[[Halo: Ghosts of Onyx]]''
*http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_Warhead - Wikipedia article on Nuclear Warheads
*''[[Halo 3]]
*http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Effects_of_nuclear_explosions - Wikipedia article on Effects of nuclear warheads.
**''[[Heroic Map Pack]]''
*''[[Halo: Contact Harvest]]''
*''[[Halo 3: ODST]]'' {{Mo}}
*''[[Halo: Legends]]''
**''[[Origins]]''
*''[[Halo: Evolutions - Essential Tales of the Halo Universe]]''
**''[[The Mona Lisa]]''
**''[[The Impossible Life and the Possible Death of Preston J. Cole]]''
*''[[Remember Reach]]''
**''[[Deliver Hope]]''
*''[[Halo: Reach]]'' {{Mo}}
*''[[Halo: Fall of Reach]]''
**''[[Halo: Fall of Reach - Covenant|Covenant]]''
{{Col-2}}
*''[[Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary]]''
**''[[Terminal (Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary)|Terminals]]''
*''[[Halo: The Thursday War]]''
*''[[Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn]]''
*''[[Halo 4]]''
**''[[Spartan Ops]]''
*''[[Halo: Escalation]]''
*''[[Halo: Nightfall]]''
*''[[Halo: Fractures]]''
**''[[Into the Fire]]'' {{mo}}
*''[[Halo: Last Light]]''
*''[[Halo: Envoy]]''
*''[[Halo: Retribution]]''
*''[[Halo: Legacy of Onyx]]'' {{Mo}}
*''[[Halo: Silent Storm]]''
*''[[Halo: Battle Born]]'' {{Mo}}
*''[[Halo: Renegades]]''
*''[[Halo: Oblivion]]''
{{Col-end}}
 
==Sources==
{{Ref/Sources|2}}


[[Category:UNSC]]
[[Category:Nuclear weapons| ]]
[[Category:Human Weapons]]
[[Category:Weapons]]

Latest revision as of 11:59, January 6, 2024

Wikipedia.png
 There is more information available on this subject at Nuclear weapon on the English Wikipedia.
An atomic blast.

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[edit]

Nuclear weapons are commonplace in the United Nations Space Command's arsenal and in select civilian uses. The UNSC uses nuclear weapons to great effect in space warfare, increasing their effectiveness with special payloads enhanced for vacuum use.[1] 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 nuclear-pumped X-ray lasers[2] and Casaba Howitzer-type shaped-charge warheads known as "Spears", which focus the nuclear blast into a directed, relativistic plasma jet.[3] Conventional nuclear weapons are still used in planetary warfare as tools of last resort.[2] Some planetary nuclear weapons also have shaped-charge properties, such as the Mark 2550 Havok MFDD, a bunker buster warhead designed to direct its blast against underground targets.[4]

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.[5] 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.[6] 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 2511, 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.[7]

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.[8] In addition, nukes launched from slipspace can easily be detected by enemy sensors, despite the use of stealth coatings or lead linings.[9]

The energy shielding used in Covenant warships has been noted to dampen the electromagnetic pulse 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.[10]

If nuclear arsenals are not available, especially during a situation where NOBLE Team needed one to destroy a Sh'wada-pattern supercarrier, one alternative is to use a Slipspace Drive in lieu of nuclear weaponry.

History[edit]

The nuclear ordnance carried by a Longsword, identified as such on p.16 of Warfleet.
Nuclear weapons carried by a GA-TL1 Longsword.[2]

The first space-borne nuclear weapons were used during the Interplanetary War in the 22nd century.[11] However, they were not considered a viable weapon of space warfare for the next several hundred years; 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 it in 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 more.[12] The Jiralhanae used nuclear weapons during their global civil war to such a degree that it set their species back hundreds of years.[13]

Engagements against the Covenant during the Human-Covenant War quickly proved conventional nuclear weapons' ineffectiveness against Covenant warships' shields, forcing the UNSC to develop more effective payloads.[2] The frequent deployment of nuclear weapons in space engagements constantly kept the UNSC's nuclear stockpiles near depletion. This occasionally forced them to resort to using obsolete nukes or unorthodox solutions.[14][15][16]

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.[17][18] However, following the end of the war, remnant groups of the Covenant have adopted more liberal policies in regards to human weaponry for practical reasons. Human-made nuclear weapons have subsequently fallen into the hands of Covenant terrorists and cultists.[19]

UNSC nuclear ordnance[edit]

The nuclear mushroom cloud seen in the bombing of Nagasaki in World War II.

The UNSC employs a range of nuclear ordnance.

FENRIS nuclear warhead[edit]

Main article: 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.[14][15][20]

Fury tactical nuclear weapon[edit]

Main article: Fury tactical nuclear weapon

The Fury, formally designated as the Medium Fusion Destructive Device,[21] 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".[22]

HAVOK tactical nuclear weapon[edit]

Main article: HAVOK tactical nuclear weapon

HAVOK is a series of 30 megaton thermonuclear devices, which come in various configurations. Some were delivered by ground forces during the Human-Covenant War.[23][24][25] One was used to destroy the Composer and the Mantle's Approach, stopping the Didact's assault on Earth. Due to its many variants, it appears to be one of the most commonly used nuclear weapons.

HORNET mine[edit]

Main article: 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,[8] they can be rendered practically undetectable by cooling them to near-absolute zero temperatures, same as that of interstellar space, in their launch chambers.[26]

NOVA bomb[edit]

Main article: 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".[27] A single NOVA has enough power to cause complete devastation on a planetary scale, and can destroy orbiting moons and naval fleets.[28]

Shiva-class nuclear missile[edit]

Main article: Shiva-class nuclear missile

The Shiva is a type of starship ordnance.[29][30] They may also be carried by GA-TL1 Longswords.[31]

Rudra-class nuclear missile[edit]

Main article: Rudra-class nuclear missile

The Rudra is another type of starship ordnance. The UNSC Port Stanley carried multiple enhanced yield Rudra nukes.[32]

Hyperion-class nuclear missile[edit]

Main article: M4093 Hyperion nuclear delivery system

The Hyperion is a class of nuclear weapons shown to be carried by the UNSC Forward Unto Dawn that is capable of destroying a Zanar-pattern light cruiser in one hit if its shields are down.

Gallery[edit]

List of appearances[edit]

Sources[edit]

  1. ^ Halo: Ghosts of Onyx, "Chapter 35" page 326
  2. ^ a b c d Halo: Warfleet, p. 16
  3. ^ Halo: Warfleet, p. 92
  4. ^ Halo: Last Light, page 364 (Google Play edition)
  5. ^ Halo: Ghosts of Onyx, "Chapter 1", page 39
  6. ^ Halo: Ghosts of Onyx, "Chapter 23", page 209
  7. ^ Intersystem News: HAVEN TERROR BOMBING KILLS TWO MILLION
  8. ^ a b Halo: Ghosts of Onyx, "Chapter 22", page 187
  9. ^ Halo: Ghosts of Onyx, "Prologue", page 15
  10. ^ Halo: First Strike, "Chapter 3", page 25
  11. ^ Halo 4: The Essential Visual Guide, page 74
  12. ^ Halo: Evolutions - Essential Tales of the Halo Universe, "The Impossible Life and the Possible Death of Preston J. Cole", page 445
  13. ^ Halo: Envoy, page 42
  14. ^ a b Halo: Ghosts of Onyx, "Chapter 1", page 34
  15. ^ a b Halo: Ghosts of Onyx, "Chapter 23", page 205
  16. ^ Halo: Reach, campaign level Long Night of Solace
  17. ^ Halo: Ghosts of Onyx, "Chapter 23", page 207
  18. ^ Halo 2, campaign level Uprising
  19. ^ Spartan Ops, Departure
  20. ^ Halo: Ghosts of Onyx, "Chapter 24", page 215
  21. ^ Halo: Reach: Deliver Hope
  22. ^ Halo: First Strike, "Chapter 1", page 20
  23. ^ Halo: The Fall of Reach, page 200
  24. ^ Halo: The Fall of Reach, page 212
  25. ^ Halo Wars: Genesis, page 17
  26. ^ Halo: Ghosts of Onyx, page 325
  27. ^ Halo: First Strike, page 180
  28. ^ Halo: Ghosts of Onyx, page 244
  29. ^ Halo: The Fall of Reach, pages 147, 322-324
  30. ^ Halo: The Cole Protocol, page 82
  31. ^ Halo Encyclopedia: The Definitive Guide to the Halo Universe (2011), page 320
  32. ^ Halo: The Thursday War, page 320
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