Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 4:53:24-4:54:22

Why Talos had a nuclear air-defence option

The final missile follow-up explains the nuclear Talos option in terms of a massed bomber attack and its Cold War setting.

Cold WarNuclear WeaponsRIM-8 TalosSurface-to-Air Missiles
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Question

Why would an air-defence missile such as Talos need a nuclear warhead?

Short answer

The nuclear option is explained as a way to attack a massed bomber formation, rather than dealing with each aircraft separately.

Notes

The question follows the discovery that Talos could carry a nuclear warhead. Its intended target in the explanation is a massed bomber force approaching the fleet. Talos's size and long range are treated as reasons that such a warhead fitted the system's role. The panel places the idea within a Cold War period when nuclear warheads were also considered for torpedoes and other naval missiles.