Page 38 - MILITARY-STUDIES-2

Module -V
Nuclear Warfare
Warfare and
• Heat Effects on Materials: The thermal pulse delivers a large quantity of heat Its Types

in a very short time. Damage will be related to the amount of heat absorbed.
Fires started by the ignition of paper, fabric, netting, vegetation and other
combustible material are likely to cause a major secondary hazard.

12.4.3 Blast and Shock Effects
Note
The pressure wave from a nuclear explosion causes a blast wave in the air and a shock
wave through the ground. It is likely to produce 35% casualties.

• Effect on Personnel: The human body has lot of resistance to the blast
overpressure. The main danger is from indirect effects, such as: -
• The collapse of buildings and field defences or overturning of vehicles.
• The impact of flying debris.
• Injuries caused to personnel by being picked up and flung by the wind.

• Damage to Infrastructure: The damage suffered by equipment and installations
is likely to be:-
• Antenna broken off; cables stretched and severed.
• Vehicles, aircraft and equipment overturned.

• Buildings and field defences collapses.
• Earthworks collapsed by the ground shock wave.
• Supplies, equipment and weapons blown away by the winds.

• Terrain Effect: The most significant terrain effect will be the falling down of
structures and trees. Pressure wave follows ground undulations; hence terrain
affords little protection from blast and shock.

The estimated size of the damage caused by the 16 KT and 22 KT atomic bombings
of Hiroshima and Nagasaki is schematically depicted for you.

Fig 12.4 - An estimate of the size of the damage caused by the 16 KT and 22 KT atomic bombings of
Hiroshima and NagasakiFig 12.3- Nuclear Chain Reaction

31
MILITARY STUDIES 31