Nuclear Warheads: What Are Tactical Nuclear Weapons?

Russia has announced the stationing of tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus. What kind of warheads are we talking about? How dangerous are they and how do they differ from strategic nuclear weapons?

Tactical nuclear weapons differ from strategic nuclear weapons primarily in their destructive power and range. Strategic nuclear weapons serve as a nuclear deterrent. With the help of ICBMs, they can hit targets several thousand kilometers away and have a multiple of the destructive power of the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima in 1945.

In contrast, tactical nuclear weapons are designed for use in a combat zone and are therefore often referred to as “battlefield weapons”. Depending on the variant chosen, they could be used in a battle in relative proximity to positions of their own troops and therefore similar to conventional weapons. However, the destructive effect would be significantly greater than with ordinary artillery shells.

Targets when using tactical nuclear weapons could be enemy soldiers or infrastructure near the front lines, for example to stop an offensive.

Variable explosive power, many possible uses

The yield of tactical nuclear weapons typically varies from 0.3 to more than 50 kilotons of TNT. For comparison: the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima had a yield of 16 kilotons of TNT.

Tactical nuclear warheads can be used relatively flexibly and can reach their target in different ways. They can be mounted on rockets that are otherwise used to carry conventional explosives. But it is also possible for ships to be shot down or dropped by military aircraft. Most tactical nuclear weapons are attached to carrier systems with a range of up to 100 kilometers. Larger distances of a few hundred kilometers are also possible.

The number of tactical nuclear weapons held by the US and Russia has fallen sharply since the end of the Cold War. Experts estimate that Russia still has 1,800 to 2,000 such nuclear weapons. US stocks are well below that.

Some of these US nuclear weapons are to be stored in European NATO countries, including Germany. Russian President Vladimir Putin expressly pointed this out when he announced on March 25, 2023 that his country would station tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus. However, the Foreign Office in Berlin said in its reaction that the “comparison drawn by Putin to NATO’s nuclear participation” was “misleading” and could not serve as a justification.