Suitcase nuclear bomb was lost during the cold war

[cunobelinus]

I heard a while ago that during the cold war the russians lost or sold a suitcase nuclear bomb into the black market.Im just wondering if anyone else knows anything else bout this and if they can explain wether it is true or not.

[CBR]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suitcase_bomb

The Russian government's statements on this matter have been contradictory. First they denied that such weapons had ever existed; then they said that all of them had been destroyed. The best available information suggests that several hundred suitcase nukes were manufactured, but that they have a shelf life of at most a few months in between maintenance and parts replacement. Even if rumors that some suitcase nukes were stolen in the period between 1989 and 1992 are true, it is highly unlikely that they still would produce nominal yield. Most likely, an attempt to detonate one of these devices would scatter plutonium, but not produce any fission.

So it appears that there is no concrete information of any bombs actually stolen.


CBR

[cunobelinus]

I know but it is worrying if they have been stolen because these bombs could be used by terrorists and they could take out hole cities.

[CBR]

Well yeah of course but there are loads of stuff to worry about if one wants to focus on it, and especially stuff that so far looks more like wild rumours than hard facts. I dont think too much about suitcase bombs, but thats me of course


CBR

[Lemur]

If the Salafies, the Wahhabis or the Iranians had gotten their hands on a suitcase nuke, you can bet your sweet hiney they would have used it by now. No love lost for us or Israel, and they'd have teenaged boys lining up, begging to carry the bomb to the infidel.

I'll bet you good money that even if the suitcase is missing, it's just lost. You know how crumbling armies can misplace things ...