Nuclear Weapons

Nuclear bombs have evolved over the age. It began with gravity bombs and now the bombs have evolved into missiles.

The bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki were the basic nuclear weapon. They were gravity bombs. A heavy bomber was needed to deliver these bombs. These bombs were big, bulky and heavy.  This element limited the range the bombs could travel before they would need to be detonated. This was a problem for a while, but the invention of missiles changed that.

Missiles had already been in use but not to fire nuclear warheads. Soon the U.S started mounting nuclear warheads onto missiles. These missiles could fire far into the horizon onto cities with pinpoint accuracy. These ballistic missiles could also be launched from a submarine. Now many countries have developed the M.I.R.V or Multiple Independently Targetable Reentry Vehicles. These weapons allow more than one nuclear warhead to discharge from a missile. This type of weapon will make any air resistance impossible. For example, the new W87 Mx missile can launch up to 100 small nuclear warheads.

The plutonium bomb "Fat Man" was detonated over Nagasaki,
Japan on August 6, 1945

The uranium bomb "Little Boy" was dropped on Hiroshima, Japan
on August 9, 1945