Shakti II

Test deviceIndiaImplosion fission

No freely licensed photo of this device yet.

Yield · TNT equivalent12 kt

Key specs

Country: India
Design: Implosion fission
Type: Test device
Number built: 1

Overview

A 12 kt fission device tested in Operation Shakti on 11 May 1998, described by India as a lightweight weapon design suitable for delivery by aircraft or missile.

Effect radii: estimates

Calculated for 12 kt

Fireball, maximum radius: ≈ 160 m
Initial radiation, 500 rem (5 Sv): ≈ 1.3 km
Blast 5 psi: most buildings collapse: ≈ 1.6 km
Thermal: third-degree burns: ≈ 1.9 km
Blast 1 psi: windows shatter: ≈ 5 km

Estimated ground ranges for an air burst at the optimum height over flat, open ground, computed from the yield with standard scaling laws. These are not measurements: real effects depend on the height of burst, terrain, buildings and weather.

Formulas from: Glasstone & Dolan, The Effects of Nuclear Weapons (1977), chapter II; Carey Sublette, Nuclear Weapons FAQ, section 5

Tests and use

Date	Event	Site	Yield
May 11, 1998	Shakti II	Pokhran Test Range, Rajasthan, India	12 kt

Sources

Pokhran-II, Wikipedia