Search the Kids Internet
Encyclopedia > Operation Plowshare
Article Content
Operation Plowshare
Operation Plowshare was the overall American term for the development of techniques to use nuclear explosives for peaceful construction purposes. It was coined in 1961.
Proposed uses included widening the Panama Canal, constructing a new waterway through Nicaragua or cutting paths through mountainous areas for highways.
It has never been applied, but it has been tested. These twenty-eight shots were conducted in conjunction with other, weapons-related, test series. These are annotated under the 'notes' column.
The name of the operation came from a bibilical verse in the Book of Isaiah about turning swords into plowshares.
The planned Chariot blast in Alaska was never carried out.
The individual tests were:
| Test Name | Date | Location | Yield | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gnome | 10 December 1961 | Carlsbad, New Mexico | 3 Kilotons | Nougat |
| Sedan | 6 July 1962 | Nevada Test Site | 104 Kilotons | Storax |
| Anacostia | 27 November 1962 | Nevada Test Site | 'Low' | Dominic I and II |
| Kaweah | 21 February 1963 | Nevada Test Site | 'Low' | Dominic I and II |
| Tornillo | 11 October 1963 | Nevada Test Site | 'Low' | Niblick |
| Klickitat | 20 February 1964 | Nevada Test Site | 24 Kilotons | Niblick |
| Ace | 11 June 1964 | Nevada Test Site | Less than 20 Kt | Niblick |
| Dub | 30 June 1964 | Nevada Test Site | Less than 20 Kt | Niblick |
| Par | 9 October 1964 | Nevada Test Site | 38 Kilotons | Whetstone |
| Handcar | 5 November 1964 | Nevada Test Site | Less than 20 Kt | Whetstone |
| Sulky | 5 November 1964 | Nevada Test Site | 0.9 Kilotons | Whetstone |
| Palanquin | 14 April 1965 | Nevada Test Site | 4.3 Kilotons | Whetstone |
| Templar | 24 March 1966 | Nevada Test Site | Less than 20 Kt | Flintlock |
| Vulcan | 25 June 1966 | Nevada Test Site | 25 Kilotons | Flintlock |
| Saxon | 11 July 1966 | Nevada Test Site | Less than 20 Kt | Latchkey[?] |
| Simms | 6 November 1966 | Nevada Test Site | Less than 20 Kt | Latchkey[?] |
| Switch | 22 June 1967 | Nevada Test Site | Less than 20 Kt | Latchkey[?] |
| Marvel | 21 September 1967 | Nevada Test Site | 2.2 Kilotons | Crosstie[?] |
| Gasbuggy | 10 December 1967 | Farmington, New Mexico | 29 Kilotons | Crosstie[?] |
| Cabriolet | 26 January 1968 | Nevada Test Site | 2.3 Kilotons | Crosstie[?] |
| Buggy | 12 March 1968 | Nevada Test Site | 5.4 Kilotons | Crosstie[?] |
| Stoddard | 17 September 1968 | Nevada Test Site | About 13 Kilotons | Bowline[?] |
| Schooner | 8 December 1968 | Nevada Test Site | 30 Kilotons | Bowline[?] |
| Rulison | 10 September 1968 | Grand Valley, Colorado[?] | 47 Kilotons | Mandrel[?] |
| Flask | 26 May 1970 | Nevada Test Site | 105 Kilotons | Mandrel[?] |
| Miniata | 8 July 1971 | Nevada Test Site | 83 Kilotons | Grommet[?] |
| Rio Blanco | 17 May 1973 | Rifle, Colorado | 3@33 Kilotons each | Toggle[?] |
All Wikipedia text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License
|
Search Encyclopedia
|
Featured Article
|