What is the difference between tactical and strategic nuclear weapons

[Theiananator]

What is the difference between tactical and strategic nuclear weapons?

 

[K1052]

Yield, size, and weapons platform.

 

[Mutilator]

A tactical nuke is used when you know who you want to kill.
A stategic nuke is used when you know WHERE you want to hit the guy with the nuke.
It's all in the strategery.

 

[Theiananator]

When would you use one versus the other?


EDIT: Nevermind.

 

[flyboy84]

tactical nuclear weapons have a smaller yield and are designed to take out troop concentrations on the ground for example, as opposed to strategic nuclear weapons, which have a much larger yield, and are designed to level an entire city

 

[Gibsons]

sort of helpful

Main thing is yield and range, but it's kinda fuzzy, strategic nukes these days aren't that big.

 

[gsellis]

It boils down to the working definition of tactical vs strategic (as stated, just reformated). Tactical is an immediate need to react to an action. Strategic changes the infrastructure to allow/deny the ability to make future efforts. Troops attacking = tactical. Bombing a factory that makes tanks = strategic.

Works the same in IT. Virus eradication is tactical while evaluating and deploying AV/firewalls/patch management is strategic.

 

[K1052]

Originally posted by: Gibsons
sort of helpful

Main thing is yield and range, but it's kinda fuzzy, strategic nukes these days aren't that big.

Yields (in the US at least) were decreased in light of advances in guidance system accuracy and the desire to MIRV.

 

[StageLeft]

Tactical is when we hit a bunker and strategic is when we flatten the entire middle east.

 

[Gibsons]

Originally posted by: K1052

Originally posted by: Gibsons
sort of helpful

Main thing is yield and range, but it's kinda fuzzy, strategic nukes these days aren't that big.

Yields (in the US at least) were decreased in light of advances in guidance system accuracy and the desire to MIRV.

Yes, I imagine things were similar from the Russion side, they just weren't quite as successful at it (the guidance part). afaik, they've usually maintained larger missiles and warheads than the U.S.

here's a better page than the earlier one I posted Text

 

[b0mbrman]

On a deeper level, it relates to the three levels of command: tactical, operational, and strategic.

Tactical refers to issues of individual unit interest, operational refers to issues of regional interest, strategic refers to issues of national interest.