/sci/ - Science & Math

PROTIP: Modern-day nuclear weapons are designed to provide strategic and second strike capability.

The idea is not to actually use them, but to discourage others from using them first; a stalemate of sorts. If Russia, which is the biggest nuclear enemy of the United States, were to strike first, it is likely they will try to destroy military infrastructure and nuclear silos rather than civilian centers.

Destroying civilian centers only guarantees that your adversary will return fire with surviving nukes like Polaris SLBM's. The Russians know this, and have a ballistic missile defense system set up around Moscow, but St. Petersburg and other high population areas would be fucked nonetheless.

The United States is at a big disadvantage in second strike capability from submarines in comparison to Russia, just look at how many high population areas are near the Atlantic and Pacific oceans (NY, LA, SF, MIA, etc.)

First strike would be MIRV'ed (multiple small nuclear warheads, with individual targetting capabilities) Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles. These would produce low amounts of fallout. The only huge 25mt single warhead nukes in a first strike would probably land in Washington DC, Mt. Weather, Raven Rock, and Cheyenne mountain. Stay away from those areas and all military installations/ICBM silo fields.

Nuclear terrorism is unlikely, a man-portable nuke will have a relatively low yield, enough to devastate a city, but not cause fallout endangering the rest of the world.

The only currently nuclear capable state I see as dangerous would be Pakistan.