Nuclear Skydiving

[Ben]

SGT Maj Joe Garner, jumping out of plane while strapped to a W54 nuclear warhead.

https://johnmtaylor.com/LostKey/sadm.htm

[K Frame]

Da fuq?

[WLJ]

W54 was the same warhead used on the Davy Crockett and had a yield equal to 10-1,000 tons of TNT

W54 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/W54

Davy_Crockett https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Davy_Crockett_(nuclear_device)

[HankB]

W54 was the same warhead used on the Davy Crockett and had a yield equal to 10-1,000 tons of TNT

I always thought it interesting that they figured out how to get such low yields - as little as 10 tons of TNT - from nukes. And I wonder if those were proportionately more "dirty" than bigger bombs.

[Tuco]

If a former marine or soldier was motivated it wouldn't be difficult to find a "highest and best use for a Sargeant Major"  joke here

[MillCreek]

I remember several years ago that the Soviets/Russians had also made up some man-portable SADM, and they could not account for all of them. There was speculation where they could be and if in the collapse of the USSR, some enterprising fellow took it upon himself to sell them.  I wonder if something like that requires periodic maintenance, or if some German farmer finds a cached bunker in the woods from 50 years ago, you could still light it off.

[HankB]

I remember several years ago that the Soviets/Russians had also made up some man-portable SADM, and they could not account for all of them. There was speculation where they could be and if in the collapse of the USSR, some enterprising fellow took it upon himself to sell them.  I wonder if something like that requires periodic maintenance, or if some German farmer finds a cached bunker in the woods from 50 years ago, you could still light it off.

There was some thought - speculation, perhaps - that some of the Soviet backpack nukes had already been pre-positioned in Western countries - including the USA - for use by infiltrated Spetsnaz or other operatives. Some people speculated that we did the same thing. If any of these speculations are true, I imagine BOTH sides today want to keep a lid on it.

As far as lighting it off after 50 years, that might be problematic. I remember talking to a guy who'd worked on nukes and he said that periodic maintenance was required to maintain reliability, as the pits would have some spalling over time. (My memory may be faulty here, and I'm in no position to vouch for the accuracy of what he told me or how I remember it.) But I sure as heck wouldn't want to be within 25 miles if someone DID try to set off one of these "old" pocket nukes.  (Even further if I was downwind.)

[230RN]

Didn't I see that on "Funniest Tricks Of Pets And People?"

[Pb]

There was some thought - speculation, perhaps - that some of the Soviet backpack nukes had already been pre-positioned in Western countries - including the USA - for use by infiltrated Spetsnaz or other operatives.

I heard there was a nuke in the Soviet Embassy in DC. 

Probably still there.   

[HankB]

I heard there was a nuke in the Soviet Embassy in DC. 

Probably still there.   

That wouldn't surprise me at all. I've NO idea if it could be shielded & sealed up well enough that close monitoring wouldn't detect it. On the other hand, we've lost a couple of nukes over the years, and even knowing pretty well where they are, we haven't been able to zero in and recover them. So - I dunno.

[Angel Eyes]

I'm a little surprised this hasn't been posted yet:

[230RN]

I always wondered how in hell he managed to hang onto his hat in a 2-3-4 hundred mph breeze.

Or, for that matter, onto the bomb.

Oh well, it was just a movie.  Suspend reality, Terry.  I know... it's hard.  But try to anyway.

[Bogie]

I knew a guy a few decades back... he blamed the cancer he died from on training with backpack nukes... There's a reason why they were light enough to move...

[JTHunter]

Nukes like that brings a whole new meaning to "light 'em up!"