Follow along with the video below to see how to install our site as a web app on your home screen.
Note: This feature may not be available in some browsers.
China has two million tonnes of Uranium
China only needs 25kg of highly enriched uranium (HEU) and 4kg of plutonium for a modern thermonuclear warhead. (See China's Nuclear Strike Force - Page 21)
----------
China claims to hold over 2 million tonnes of uranium deposits | MINING.com
[Note: Thank you to UnnamedSweeperMonk for the newslink.]
Sixth flight of China's DF-ZF thermonuclear-capable hypersonic glide vehicle (HGV)
Remember the picture of the AMaRV (ie. Advanced Maneuverable Re-entry Vehicle) that I posted previously? A Chinese DF-41 ICBM can carry 10 AMaRVs. AMaRVs can flatten out its trajectory to evade missile defense. However, an AMaRV is limited by the general ballistic flight path of an ICBM. In other words, if a defensive tactical thermonuclear warhead reaches the AMaRV before the fins are deployed then it can be stopped. Thus, an AMaRV is limited by a small radius.
The earlier that an AMaRV's steering fins are deployed, the sooner it starts slowing down due to friction. This means an AMaRV will not deploy its steering fins until the last minute.
A Chinese DF-ZF hypersonic glide vehicle (HGV) is like an AMaRV on steroids. A DF-ZF can maintain hypersonic speeds (somewhere between Mach 5 to Mach 10) for thousands of miles. This means a thermonuclear-armed Chinese DF-ZF is unstoppable. The defender is helpless as a barrage of DF-ZF HGVs glide hypersonically to their targets.
A DF-ZF hypersonic glide vehicle cannot be stopped by a laser. There are two reasons. Firstly, a laser has a limited range of a few miles in the dense lower atmosphere. The energy is bled away when the air molecules are lased and starts rising. Cooler air molecules take their place and keeps bleeding away the energy.
Secondly, a DF-ZF HGV travels hypersonically. This means it has a glowing plasma sheath. The plasma sheath is comprised of ionized particles that will keep dispersing a laser due to chaotic refraction caused by differing density (which continuously fluctuates due to temperature variation and air flow throughout the plasma sheath and layer density variations dependent on the distance from the surface of the warhead). Also, the gas atoms (such as oxygen, nitrogen, and others) will disperse the laser light energy in different directions. This makes it impossible to focus the laser light energy on one spot to burn through the warhead.
On an unrelated matter, Chinese scientists recently theorized that it is possible to communicate through a plasma sheath by using the plasma sheath as part of the antenna circuit. It's a very clever idea. In the past, everyone has been trying to brute force it and punch through the plasma sheath. Instead, the Chinese scientists decided to co-opt the plasma sheath for communication. This is a new idea that no one had thought of before.
----------
China Again Tests Nuclear Hypersonic Missile - Washington Free Beacon
----------
A matching approach to communicate through the plasma sheath surrounding a hypersonic vehicle
----------
Scientists look at communicating with hypersonic vehicles using plasma resonance
----------
Have you heard of AMaRV? It can perform a hairpin turn (see photo below). The US tested three AMaRVs around 1980. It is logical to expect China to develop its own AMaRVs.
Source: http://www.paforge.com/files/articles/ballisticmissiles_techistory.pdf (p. 4)
"Flight test of the Advanced Maneuvering Reentry Vehicle in early 1980. The path of the reentry vehicle is the upper streak of light, with the booster tanks immediately below. Lights from the Kwajalein Atoll in the Pacific can be seen in the lower right corner. (U.S. Air Force)"
As a general rule of thumb, I would say five to ten successful tests are sufficient for deployment. The Chinese DF-ZF HGV (aka Wu-14) has had five successful flight tests.Good progress, 6th test now, all successful except the 2nd (August 2014 if I remember correctly). How close you think we are from deployment of DF-ZF (or Wu-14 as called previously)? This is one critical solution to penetrate US missile defense.
Pakistan only has atomic (fission) warheads.I wish Pakistan to be around 500-MT around 2020 and then we just focus on conventional capabilities.
Since 1998, a lot has changed and no one knows. All of the info on net is just estimates. Pakistan does not provide much info and that is the best policy so far.Pakistan only has atomic warheads.
Pakistan's total tonnage is probably one to two megatons. About the same as India's.
No. Seismic tests do not lie. They are objective. The most powerful Indian nuclear test was about 20 kilotons. Similarly, Pakistani nuclear tests are in the kiloton range.Since 1998, a lot has changed and no one knows. All of the info on net is just estimates. Pakistan does not provide much info and that is the best policy so far.
Did you even read my or understood my comment. If you need a pair of glasses, I can send you. I clearly said a lot has changed since 1998.No. Seismic tests do not lie. They are objective. The most powerful Indian nuclear test was about 20 kilotons. Similarly, Pakistani nuclear tests are in the kiloton range.
China's 1964 atomic test was 22 kilotons.
China's 1967 thermonuclear (fusion) test was 3.3 megatons. Seismographs can easily distinguish between a megaton fusion bomb versus a 0.02 megaton (or 20 kiloton) atomic bomb.
http://fas.org/nuke/guide/india/nuke/
Nothing has changed. All known Pakistani nuclear tests have been a few kilotons.Did you even read my or understood my comment. If you need a pair of glasses, I can send you. I clearly said a lot has changed since 1998.
Since 1998, a lot has changed and no one knows. All of the info on net is just estimates. Pakistan does not provide much info and that is the best policy so far.
I very well know the difference between fission, fusion and boosted devices and also the nuclear reactions in fission and fusion and even the Carbon cycle in the bigger stars.Bro the links that @Martian2 has provided are good reads. As a quick summary, thermonuclear weapons are megaton-grade, that's exponentially more powerful than fission (i.e. atomic) weapons which are kiloton grade. Five nations have successfully tested: US (1952), USSR (1954), Britain (1957), China(1967), France (1968). As per 1958 US-UK Mutual Defence Agreement, Britain was given access to the design of the American Mk 28 warhead and were able to manufacture copies hence ceased indigenous program. Other four nations have pursued their respective thermonuclear programs till nowadays.
Since 1998 Pakistan has successfully built an inventory of fission (HEU-based) warheads, securing a balance with India which has similar level of stockpile. Sure I believe Pakistan must have made further progress by now, no doubt on that, keep up the good work bros!