China discovers multiple nuclear strikes enhance destructive effectiveness

In a recent study conducted by Chinese military researchers, findings suggest that launching successive nuclear strikes on a single target can result in significantly greater damage compared to a single larger warhead detonation. This research was published on October 1 in the peer-reviewed journal Explosion and Shock Waves, aiming to assess the capacity of multiple nuclear shockwaves to amplify destructive effects. The team, led by Xu Xiaohui from the People’s Liberation Army Engineering University in Nanjing, modeled the effects of three rapid nuclear strikes within a laboratory environment to investigate this phenomenon further. The experimental study focused on simulating nuclear blasts through controlled methods using a high-pressure gas gun, which could effectively replicate the rapid energy release associated with nuclear explosions. Preceding this research, existing studies on nuclear earth-penetration predominantly centered on the efficiency of individual warhead impacts, operating under the presumption that a single powerful detonation would suffice to obliterate hardened targets. However, the recent findings challenge that assumption by demonstrating that surface damage from consecutive blasts expanded dramatically. Where a single blast produced damage over approximately 71,000 square feet, three successive strikes increased that impacted area to over 860,000 square feet. The implications of these results are critical for military strategy, particularly concerning the targeting of fortified underground facilities like nuclear refinement centers, necessitating new methodologies in destruction tactics. The researchers advocate for employing precision-guided munitions that carry low-yield warheads configured in clusters. Such an approach may maximize damage capabilities against hardened underground installations, substantially altering projected military tactics and national security strategies. This research is particularly consequential as global military powers consistently assess and enhance their nuclear capabilities, thereby highlighting the importance of understanding the intricate effects of nuclear weapon deployment.