ABSTRACT
This chapter covers only tactical weapons used against land targets on the battlefield, as opposed to quasi-strategic targets on lines of communication. Tactical missiles have a much shorter range, comparable to field artillery but can still be sited reasonably far to the rear and may be more accurate; although accuracy may not be a function of range with more up-to-date systems. The argument for using ‘tactical’ nuclear weapons on the land battlefield centres on their immensely destructive power, which could be used in the event that inferiority in numbers of conventional weapons and troops permitted a breakthrough by superior enemy forces. The connection between yield and blast effect is governed by the ‘cube root law’ which is essential to even a general understanding of the problems of application of nuclear fire power. Currently nuclear warheads for battlefield use are of the order of 1, 5, 10, 20, 100, 400 KT although Scaleboard is reputed to carry a 1 MT warhead.
