A stupid question

[rubberneck]

I just got done reading the following article on the North Korean Nuke test:

http://www.breitbart.com/news/2006/10/09/061009125648.z00xypgf.html

According to one of the "experts" the blast was very small, only equal to 550 tons of TNT. Is it possible that the North Korean's incapable of getting a Nuke to work and desperate for attention detonated 550 tons of conventional explosives underground and claimed that it was a successful nuclear test?

I seem to recall that we conducted a blast test in the late 50's using nothing but conventional explosives that greatly exceeded what North Korea manged to pull off. I just find it curious that the blast was so small and no one has confirmed that it was an actual nuke.

[Nuke]

On May 7th 1945 we set off 108 tons of TNT to calibrate instrumentation and to test the cameras in preparation for the Trinity test. I'm not sure if that's the one you're referring to.

I've heard of a conventional explosive tests in the 700 ton range being planned in recent years.

http://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/ops/divine-strake.htm

Here is another link that describes some other large conventional tests that we've done.

http://www.nukestrat.com/us/stratcom/gs-divinestrake.htm

[Jack Moroney (RIP)]

According to one of the "experts" the blast was very small, only equal to 550 tons of TNT. Is it possible that the North Korean's incapable of getting a Nuke to work and desperate for attention detonated 550 tons of conventional explosives underground and claimed that it was a successful nuclear test? .

I have heard several of the experts running this to ground today. I have no expertise in this field other than in targeting and target analysis from the very old nukes course they ran for some of us after IOAC at Benning. What concerns me is, if it was in fact a low yeild wpn, that this wasn't a validation of a Small Atomic Demolition Munition for sale and delivery to the various groups that would like to hand deliver such devices to critical nodes worldwide.

[rubberneck]

I have heard several of the experts running this to ground today. I have no expertise in this field other than in targeting and target analysis from the very old nukes course they ran for some of us after IOAC at Benning. What concerns me is, if it was in fact a low yeild wpn, that this wasn't a validation of a Small Atomic Demolition Munition for sale and delivery to the various groups that would like to hand deliver such devices to critical nodes worldwide.

Col. I hadn't thought of that angle. While the North Koreans are a different breed they would have to be downright crazy to try and get away with that one. Saber rattling in return for economic benefits makes sense on one level. Creating a SADM to sell to other countries doesn't make sense. They can squeeze more out of the S Koreans and Japanese than they could get from selling them to rouge states. They have to know that if they sold one and it was used on us or an ally that they wouldn't survive our response. Then again that midget Kim Jong Il is a few eggs short of a dozen.