Comment by lazide

6 days ago

[flagged]

Was something I said unclear?

The purpose was to clarify that the obstacles to constructing modern nuclear weapons is not accurately characterized as "99%" fuel-related. Even if a group were to obtain a stockpile of ready HEU and plutonium-239, there is knowledge they simply will not have because they did not spend a trillion USD testing different bomb configurations last century. The difference in yield is two orders of magnitude.

  • Aka this has zero relevance to the proliferation discussion. Anyone having the problem you are describing long ago already created a basic nuclear stockpile.

    Notably, neither China nor Russia seemed to have issues creating Thermonuclear weapons despite the shortcomings you identified either.

  • And that is relevant how?

    I'm sure something in the few dozen kilotons range doesn't need all that stuff,

    while still giving you more than enough heat-rays to "enjoy".