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To: henkster
You're right about procurement of the respective metals, but Plutonium is so hot that Plutonium weapons are a lot harder to design, and extensive testing is needed to perfect the conventional charge configuration so the fissile material doesn't just blow itself out; this can't really happen with even very simple Uranium bombs.

We know the North Koreans had several ~1 K-ton (or smaller) detonations trying to perfect the technique. There is as yet no evidence in the public domain of such tests by Iran. Even if US intelligence tried to suppress them, the Israelis surely would not.

Boosted and multi-stage thermonuclear devices are even more difficult. It's not clear that India and Pakistan even have these devices -- though they brag that they do. I seriously doubt the Iranians are at this level of sophistication. It's bad enough that they're on the brink of having 1945-level technology weapons.

22 posted on 12/15/2012 12:51:15 PM PST by FredZarguna (One kilogram of anti-matter is EIGHT megatons, BYOTCHES.)
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To: FredZarguna
You wrote -

It's not clear that India and Pakistan even have these devices -- though they brag that they do.


For reference - India was subject to US-led sanctions on its nuclear program after its first atomic test in 1974. These were hardened in 1998 when New Delhi declared itself a nuclear weapons state after conducting five test nuclear explosions. http://www.globaltimes.cn/content/749827.shtml

http://www.thenews.com.pk/Todays-News-6-143722-Pakistani-&-Indian-scientists-speak-out-on-nuclear-race-issue

I seem to recall there were actual successful nuclear tests by India.

24 posted on 12/15/2012 1:58:51 PM PST by mbj
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