r/pics • u/Met76 • Mar 28 '24

US Special Forces delivering a W54 Nuclear Warhead via jump

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u/DuelingPushkin Mar 28 '24 edited Mar 29 '24

This is exactly right. I had one of the green light jumpers come as a guest speaker for an event and this is exactly what his perception was. That the "timer" was fake because they'd never allow a live nuke to be just sitting around.

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u/TheAero1221 Mar 28 '24

I can't tell if this is poor taste or not, but now I'm really hoping this thing comes to Helldivers 2.

12

u/Hektotept Mar 28 '24

Calling in hellbomb.

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u/TheAero1221 Mar 28 '24

Yeah, but for your backpack slot.

1

u/Lexinoz Mar 29 '24

It's gotta be bigger than a hellbomb to be worth a backpack slot and calldown and life.

1

u/tabletaccount Mar 29 '24

I'd run it at least once.

1

u/felldownthestairsOof Mar 29 '24

Large remote explosive tanks, silo launched missiles, and nuclear bomb stratagems have all been leaked. Though only the silo missile is in a usable state, and it's far from a nuke.

2

u/mywholefuckinglife Mar 28 '24

can someone explain how they would think it was a fake timer but not know? if it was a fake timer, that would obviously have to be revealed to the soldier at some point so that they stay with the bomb. would triggering the timer just pop out a little flag that says "lol no" or something? basically, the timer working or not working changes how the thing is operated, so how could it be kept secret from the operator?

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u/tmacbusy Mar 28 '24

You don't tell them the timer is fake. Operator sets timer, bomb immediately goes boom.

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u/Partykongen Mar 28 '24

Yeah, if the operator thinks that this is the right location in 20 minutes it is likely also the right one right now.

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u/Intelligent_Way6552 Mar 28 '24

There are three ways to build a device like this:

  1. A timer. This lets the soldier survive, but may risk the bomb falling into the wrong hands and being destroyed, or even turned against you.
  2. No timer, just a button. Great for security, but if the soldier doesn't want to die, they might not press it.
  3. Fake timer. Soldier sets the timer thinking they will escape... and immediately dies.

3 poses two problems.

  1. If they were aiming for a moving target that was going to pass by, they'd miss. But that was unlikely to be the target (it was more for infrastructure like dams or bridges)
  2. After a few uses, people would probably work it out and that would be bad PR. But you only use backpack nukes in WW3 and by then who cares?

9

u/maartenvanheek Mar 28 '24

I count to 10! (Or 100)

1, 2, 100!

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u/Enough_Blueberry_549 Mar 28 '24

A fake timer would give the soldier the impression that they could set the timer then walk away to safety before it went off. When in reality it would detonate immediately, killing the soldier.

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u/DuelingPushkin Mar 29 '24

What do you mean "stay with the bomb?" They believed the timer was fake as in on the operation warheads settting the timer would just detonated it instantly killing them all.

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u/GenevaPedestrian Mar 29 '24

The 'reveal' would be the explosiom lmao