Posted on 02/28/2006 4:32:13 PM PST by blam
Is Britain conducting nuclear tests?
Ian Sample
Saturday February 25, 2006
The Guardian (UK)
Yes and no. On Thursday, Britain took part in a "subcritical" test of nuclear material 1,000ft beneath the Nevada desert. But the explosion was too small to produce a nuclear blast.
Known as the Krakatau test, the detonation was conducted, according to the Ministry of Defence, for the purposes of "stockpile stewardship", meaning it served to ensure that the country's nuclear bombs have not deteriorated while in storage and will still go off should they ever be launched.
At the heart of the test is the nuclear warhead material, plutonium. Because plutonium can undergo phase changes which can alter its behaviour as it ages, nuclear warheads are regularly refurbished, but subcritical tests are still used to ensure that different compositions of warhead materials perform as expected.
Britain is forbidden from carrying out real nuclear tests under the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, although weapons experts at the Atomic Weapons Establishment in Aldermaston use computer simulations to check whether warheads will explode.
(Excerpt) Read more at guardian.co.uk ...
First the French now the Brits.
About time for us to test one too.
Yes, but where?
1,000ft beneath the Nevada desert........I think we just did......;)
LOL! I guess we did.
An oracle concerning Damascus:
"See, Damascus will no longer be a city but will become a heap of ruins. Isaiah 17:1-3
That's Hugh and Syria...
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.