megatonnage
Explosive force measurement
Megatonnage is explosive force measured in megatons—units equivalent to one million tons of TNT.
The term belongs almost exclusively to nuclear weapons discussions, quantifying the destructive capacity of arsenals or individual warheads: The treaty limited total megatonnage on both sides.
It can refer to a single weapon's yield or the combined firepower of a stockpile.
Explosive force unit
- gigatonBillion-ton measurement unit
- thermonuclearInvolving nuclear fusion heat
- fissionNuclear breakup releasing energy
- fusionJoining into unity
warhead · payload · device · detonation · plutonium · uranium · enrichment · isotope
Total destruction or erasure
- annihilationUtter, complete destruction
- devastationSevere widespread destruction
- vaporizationConversion to gas
- craterImpact or volcanic basin
fireball · shockwave · fallout · radiation · contamination · firestorm · overpressure · casualties
Mutual annihilation doctrine
- brinkmanshipPushing conflicts to disaster's threshold
- escalationProgressive increase in intensity
- proliferationRapid increase in quantity
- nonproliferationRestricting weapons dissemination
disarmament · SALT · START · treaty · sanctions · containment · retaliation · counterforce
kiloton
Explosive force unit
- gigatonBillion-ton measurement unit
- thermonuclearInvolving nuclear fusion heat
- fissionNuclear breakup releasing energy
fusion · warhead · payload · device · detonation · plutonium · uranium · enrichment · isotope · implosion
obliteration
Total destruction or erasure
- annihilationUtter, complete destruction
- devastationSevere widespread destruction
- vaporizationConversion to gas
crater · fireball · shockwave · fallout · radiation · contamination · firestorm · overpressure · casualties · ruins
MAD
Mutual annihilation doctrine
- brinkmanshipPushing conflicts to disaster's threshold
- escalationProgressive increase in intensity
- proliferationRapid increase in quantity
nonproliferation · disarmament · SALT · START · treaty · sanctions · containment · retaliation · counterforce · credibility
stockpile
Accumulated reserve supply
- warheadsExplosive missile components
- ICBMOcean-spanning nuclear delivery system
- launcherDevice that sends projectiles
triad · bomber · silo · superpower · overkill
megatonnagekilotons
Units of explosive force
firecracker · low yield · pop · small arms · pinprick
megatonnageconventional weapons
Non-WMD military equipment
small arms · rifles · grenades · hand-to-hand combat · diplomacy
megatonnageconventional weapons
Non-WMD military equipment
rifles · handguns · bayonets · hand-to-hand combat · non-nuclear