These weapons serve as reminders of the devastating consequences of nuclear weapons and the importance of disarmament efforts and diplomatic agreements to prevent their use.
1. Castle Bravo
Castle Bravo was the codename for a hydrogen bomb test conducted by the United States in 1954. It was the first test of a dry fuel thermonuclear hydrogen bomb.
This has an unexpectedly high yield due to a design miscalculation, resulting in a detonation of 15 megatons—approximately 1,000 times more powerful than the Hiroshima bomb. It caused widespread damage and radioactive contamination.
The bomb had a capacity for immense destruction, capable of devastating large areas and causing long-term environmental consequences.
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Castle Bravo demonstrated the capability of the United States to produce high-yield thermonuclear weapons. The miscalculation in design led to unintended consequences and highlighted the importance of precise calculations in weapon development.
Castle Bravo was manufactured in the United States by a team led by physicist Edward Teller.
2. Satan 2 (RS-28 Sarmat)
Satan 2, also known as RS-28 Sarmat, is a Russian intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) system intended to replace its aging predecessor, the R-36M2 Voevoda.
The specific destructive capability of the RS-28 Sarmat remains classified, but it is believed to possess multiple independently targetable reentry vehicle (MIRV) technology, enabling it to carry multiple warheads and potentially evade missile defense systems.
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Satan 2 missile has an estimated range of over 10,000 kilometers and a payload capacity that can accommodate several large nuclear warheads.
RS-28 Sarmat has also increases Russia’s nuclear deterrence capabilities by enhancing its ability to deliver nuclear strikes.
As an ICBM, it is vulnerable during the initial launch phase when it can be detected and intercepted.
The Satan 2 or RS-28 Sarmat is manufactured by the Russian company Makeyev Rocket Design Bureau.
3. Tsar Bomba
Tsar Bomba, detonated by the Soviet Union in 1961, was the largest nuclear bomb ever tested.
The bomb had a record-breaking yield of 50 megatons, equivalent to 3,800 Hiroshima bombs, making it the most powerful human-made explosion in history. The detonation created a fireball that reached a diameter of about 8 kilometers.
However, Tsar Bomba was designed for maximum yield rather than practical use, and its full destructive capacity would obliterate an entire city and result in widespread radioactive fallout.
The test showcased the Soviet Union’s nuclear capabilities and demonstrated their ability to produce extremely high-yield nuclear weapons.
Tsar bomba immense size and weight limited its practical use, making it more of a symbolic landmark of the nuclear arms race.
It was put together by the Soviet physicists and engineers under the direction of Academician Andrei Sakharov.