Newly released footage shows an atmospheric test of the smallest and lightest nuclear weapon ever deployed by the U.S. The test, code-named Little Feller I, took place on July 17th, 1962, with Attorney General and presidential adviser Robert. F. Kennedy in attendance.

The Davy Crockett battlefield nuclear weapon system was designed to destroy enemy armor on the battlefield, giving the U.S. Army extra punch during the Cold War. The system consisted of the XM-388 nuclear projectile and two launchers, the XM-28 and XM-29. The XM-388 was one of the smallest nuclear devices ever built, weighing just 76 pounds and measuring 30 inches long by 11 inches wide. With its large, bulbous body and small tail fins, the XM-388 looked like a cartoon caricature of a bomb.

Wrecked enemy armor and lingering, lethal radiation would create impassable areas.

There was nothing funny about the XM-388, though. The device had an explosive yield the equivalent of 10 to 20 tons of TNT. This was far, far less than the bomb that was dropped on Hiroshima, which had a yield of about 16,000 tons, but Davy Crockett had a different purpose. It was designed to be used against enemy armored forces at bottlenecks such as valleys or mountain passes, where wrecked enemy armor and lingering, lethal radiation would create impassable areas.

The XM-388 projectile was launched from the XM-28 recoilless rifle. A small, man-portable recoilless rifle, the XM-28 had a range of just 1.24 miles. An improved launcher, the XM-29, had a range of 2.5 miles. Both were operated by a three-man crew and an a M151 jeep could carry the entire system.

One might be tempted to think of the Davy Crockett as a bluff. Surely a nuclear weapon that small and with such a short range wouldn't actually be used? Don't be so sure. Davy Crocketts were issued at the battalion level in Germany and Korea, meaning every mechanized battle group had their own Davy Crocketts to defend their sector against Soviet, Chinese, or North Korean tanks.

The Davy Crockett was phased out by 1971. Believe it or not, today's conventional bombs actually outdo the Davy Crockett in terms of raw firepower. The U.S. Air Force's Mother of All Bombs (MOAB) has an explosive yield of 11 tons. Not to be outdone, Russia's Father of All Bombs (FOAB)—a terrifying fuel-air explosive bomb that generates a powerful supersonic shockwave—has a yield of 44 tons.

These days there are easier ways to stop an attack without crossing the nuclear threshold and sending the entire world barreling toward all-out nuclear war. The CBU-97 Sensor-Fuzed Weapon is an aerial bomb that deploys 40 skeet-shaped munitions that sense and destroy tanks and armored vehicles. A single aircraft with four CBU-97s could bag up to 160 armored vehicles.

Here's a short video of the Sensor-Fuzed Weapon in a live-fire test:

http://www.popularmechanics.com/military/weapons/a20682/watch-the-smallest-nuclear-explosion-ever/

Hey Moe,,, good story. I had done reasearch on this weapon back in the day. We now have 2.2 lbs or 1kg nukes, shoulder fired called little farts. Same purpose small fall out. Last issued in the 80's. We really don't need these on the battle field. They would lead to further escalation. Maybe alien invasion? Who knows.

That was interesting... Loved the video I had to watch it 2x to make sure I didn't miss anything...
Thank you for posting Moe

LOL banana:

Cool video Moe...makes you wonder how small and what kind(neutron, hydrogen)of bombs we have now after 50 years of more research and development.

lol... probably will find out soon enough...

Reminds me just a bit of a Simpsons episode, where Homer buys a gun. The rest of the responsible gun owners are shocked when he starts using it as a "remote control" around the house. The US was a bit like that about nukes, for a while.

There was a time, long ago, when the flush of victory in world war 2 made us fall in love with a fabulous nuclear future, where nukes would make us safe from war by giving us permanent battlefield superiority, and nuclear power was going to make electricity almost free.

It took a while, but as always has happened in the past, the new "greatest weapons in the world," turned out to have only limited application, and only temporary advantage.

The small tactical nuke concept stayed around a long time.

yea, like the dirty bombs... stupidest thing ever...

When your whole economy relies on "killing devices"

it's no wonder some will come up with the worst ideas ever.

Shoulder fired nukes

Hahaha

Must be speaking about N.Korea or Iran

socialist Canada...

If the shoe fits, go ahead and add NK and Iran?

Some are trying to save this planet through many ways
Teach the next generation to recycle. Reuse and to be careful with what we have
Resources are slowly disappearing.

It makes me wonder why even bother when there are others who want to blow it up?


Sorry Moe
It was a good read.
I was just expressing how I feel

no problem, i feel much the same way... while i'm all for nuke power stations, i really don't see the point of nuke weapons... even if anyone did use them, it won't let them use the land for at least 50 years... seems to defeat the purpose, except just for killing everything...

I agree
It would be nice of we could live in a peaceful world bit least be honest that won't happen.
If we had more love, respect and , consideration towards others that a good start.

It would be better if we put more money into healing people not destroying them.

there's no money in a cure... they don't want people healed...

Then it makes it a pretty screwed up world

? No one's whole economy relies on "killing devices." You must be imagining things.

Actually, the history of a lot of weaponry has been the search for the Holy Grail of the Ultimate Weapon which will bring an end to all fear of war.

One of the greatest problems I have always seen with so-called tactical nukes, is battlefield security. Anything you take with you to use against the enemy, has to be dealt with as though it could fall into their hands. The cost of the logistics alone, involved with having certain weapons in the field, can be prohibitive.

A lot of the weapons used against our people right now, especially in the ME, is our own weapons, captured or lost on the battlefield.

nope the old dudes from hiroshima both saga.even this time is more smaller one. yea whatever......but the traditional economic locate saga is base on the "manhaton" way whatever.....no doubt to it.....history teaching nothing but everythings........

Wow, when you said 30 inches long and 11 inches wide I got a little worried. I was worried about how you knew my Penis size!