schizoidman@lemmy.zip to Europe@feddit.orgEnglish · 5 days agoUS would "strenuously oppose" Poland or other European state developing nuclear weapons, says Pentagon officialnotesfrompoland.comexternal-linkmessage-square53linkfedilinkarrow-up1142arrow-down12
arrow-up1140arrow-down1external-linkUS would "strenuously oppose" Poland or other European state developing nuclear weapons, says Pentagon officialnotesfrompoland.comschizoidman@lemmy.zip to Europe@feddit.orgEnglish · 5 days agomessage-square53linkfedilink
minus-squareplyth@feddit.orglinkfedilinkEnglisharrow-up1·23 hours agoYou were right, I looked it up, Germany could create a nuclear threat. Though if Germany starts would the US not intervene? Germany has 3000 tSWU per year enrichment capacity. https://fissilematerials.org/facilities/enrichment_plants.html About 300 SWU are needed for 1kg weapons-grade, 85%, uranium. https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urantrennarbeit So 10,000 kg can be created per year. Additionally the research HEU can be anything as low as 20% U235. So maybe 300kg 85% can be extracted from the research material for a quick start. Uranium 235 critical mass is 50kg, but reflectors can lower that to what looks like 10kg. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Critical_mass So Gernany could have 1,000 warheads in a year. But then it is almost useless if Russia already cannot win a conventional war and the US don’t have to win a war to influence German policies.
You were right, I looked it up, Germany could create a nuclear threat. Though if Germany starts would the US not intervene?
Germany has 3000 tSWU per year enrichment capacity.
https://fissilematerials.org/facilities/enrichment_plants.html
About 300 SWU are needed for 1kg weapons-grade, 85%, uranium.
https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urantrennarbeit
So 10,000 kg can be created per year.
Additionally the research HEU can be anything as low as 20% U235. So maybe 300kg 85% can be extracted from the research material for a quick start.
Uranium 235 critical mass is 50kg, but reflectors can lower that to what looks like 10kg.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Critical_mass
So Gernany could have 1,000 warheads in a year. But then it is almost useless if Russia already cannot win a conventional war and the US don’t have to win a war to influence German policies.