Is the Neutron Bomb Coming(Kommt die Neutronenbombe?)

Abstract

The neutron bomb is the latest development in the apparently never ending search for new weapons, especially nuclear weapons, that can be used for highly specific purposes. Its official name is Enhanced Radiation Warhead (ERW). It was guarded as a secret for years and was disguised as a research and development project in ERDA (Energy Research and Development Administration). Its uncovering by reporters last summer stimulated a heated controversy which continues unabated. In the event of war, the neutron bomb's task is to kill more people with a single warhead than with a conventional nuclear weapon. At the same time, the damage to buildings, agriculture and materiel is to be reduced to a minimum. At present, the military seems to be seriously thinking about the use of tactical atomic weapons as a means of waging war. These thoughts and the well-known horrible biological effects of neutron radiation have roused resistance from many quarters.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jun 01, 1978
Accession Number
ADA382631

Entities

People

  • Fred M. Kaplan

Organizations

  • University of California

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Chemical Reactions
  • Explosions
  • Explosives
  • Fast Neutrons
  • Fissile Materials
  • Fission
  • Materials Laboratories
  • Nuclear Bombs
  • Nuclear Energy
  • Nuclear Explosions
  • Nuclear Fusion
  • Nuclear Warfare
  • Nuclear Weapons
  • Radioactivity
  • Therapy
  • Thermal Radiation
  • Ussr

Fields of Study

  • Physics

Readers

  • Military History of the United States in the 20th Century.
  • Munitions and Ordnance Engineering
  • Nuclear and Radiation Engineering.