ABSTRACT
This chapter presents basic information about the design and functioning of nuclear warheads and US and Soviet nuclear weapons and nuclear weapons testing programs. Two nuclear processes—fission and fusion—are responsible for the tremendous energy release of nuclear warheads. Nuclear warheads are explosively tested at several stages in their lifetime. Depending upon how radically a new warhead differs from previous designs, from one to several tests may be conducted during the design and development stages. The Natural Resources Defense Council estimates that from 1949 through 1985 the Soviet Union conducted 608 nuclear explosions. A similar situation exists regarding nuclear weapons effects testing. Because of the expense in conducting nuclear tests, the resistance of military equipment to most nuclear weapons effects-e.g., blast, heat, and electromagnetic radiation-is tested through nonnuclear simulations. The integrated functioning of the warhead and its delivery system, except for the nuclear explosion, can be tested in a variety of conditions, including some that simulate elements of the operational environment.
