OTOH a single small A bomb is not going to destroy your country. So what Tom is talking about are 2 very different things.


>This was really depressing.
>
>>North Korea has threatened to attack the United States with a nuclear device. But the source goes on to say that we should not worry because North Korea does not have a device capable of delivering one. Although their current guided missile is capable of hitting the United States, it cannot carry a payload as heavy as a nuclear bomb.
>>
>>When there was a Soviet Union we had a military tactic called deterrent. If the Soviets bombed us we would level them. We concluded that 25% of any strike force sent by the Soviets would succeed. They had 200 heavy bombers at the time and that means that only 50 would be able to drop bombs on us if they all struck during one mission. SAC bombers were in the air 24 hours a day and Minute Man missiles were ready to strike at any time. It was a lovely time if you like such things.
>>
>>Well sports fans, let me tell you a little story. While I was in the United States Air Force, we would play something called War Games. It occurred every October. In order to impress the Pentagon (we wanted more funding), we would come up with "what if scenarios". The posture of deterrent was not good enough. Here is what we devised during the 1966 and 1967 War Games:
>>
>>Scenario 1. A 10 Mega ton nuclear device is placed in a panel truck and parked in downtown Manhattan. It has a timer to go off in 60 minutes. The device is detonated. Manhattan and New York City are destroyed. Who do you retaliate against?
>>
>>Scenario 2. A 100 Mega ton device is placed in a water tight container, placed on a ship and headed for San Francisco (my home town). About 30 miles off of the coast of San Francisco, it is dropped onto the Pacific Shelf, which is very deep. A timer is set for six months and the bomb explodes on time.
>>
>>A wave of water 1200 feet rises from the ocean traveling at 120 miles per hour. It hits San Francisco and wipes out the entire Bay Area. Who do you retaliate against?
>>
>>There is no problem delivering a payload to this country. Just use a cargo ship and let er rip!
>>
>>When I left the Air Force in 1967 the United States had enough nuclear weapons to destroy the world 7 ½ times, and the Soviets could only destroy the world 4 ½ times. That type of thinking was upsetting to me. Twenty five years ago things improved. The United States could then destroy the world 770 times and the Soviets 440.
>>
>>Today a third World Nation can have a nuclear bomb and do whatever it wants to deliver it. A guided missile is not necessary. It could be delivered by a wagon pulled by a few donkeys. It is only a matter of time before it happens. Enjoy the weekend. :)