RADIOLOGICAL DEFENSE

RESPONSE TO A NUCLEAR WEAPON ACCIDENT/INCIDENT

PROTECTION AGAINST AIR BLAST, HEAT, AND UNDERWATER SHOCK

Military Requirements for Petty Officer First Class
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RADIOLOGICAL DEFENSE The detonation of a nuclear weapon creates a nuclear warfare environment. A nuclear weapon burst produces characteristic effects that damage both ship and equipment, injure personnel, and adversely affect the performance of electronic, electrical, and communications equipment. Nuclear and thermal radiation are hazards of a nuclear warfare environment that are added to those ordinarily met in conventional warfare. The air blast and underwater shock effects of a nuclear weapon burst pose defensive problems of a greater magnitude than those posed in an encounter using high explosives. The air blast and released heat energy of high-explosive detonation cause localized damage; in a nuclear weapons detonation, these effects may envelop the entire ship. NUCLEAR WEAPONS HAZARDS Nuclear radiation is a hazard to personnel at distances well beyond the range of lethal damage from other effects. A ship’s continued perform- ance depends upon the effectiveness of nuclear warfare defense actions that are undertaken during and after a nuclear weapons burst. Personnel injuries may result from the nuclear weapons effects of air blast, underwater shock, thermal radiation, and nuclear radiation. DAMAGE-SURVIVAL ZONE The damaging effects of a nuclear weapons attack generally decrease in severity as distance from the burst increases. As shown in figure 7-5, a kill zone surrounds surface zero; ships in the kill zone will be sunk, immobilized, or severely damaged. Outside of this zone is a much larger damage-survival zone in which ships will receive severe topside damage, operational damage, moderate damage, or light damage. The size of each of these zones depends primarily on weapons yield. The damage-survival zone is not only much larger than the kill zone, it is also much more important from the standpoint of modern naval formations. This is because most of the damaged ships in a modern naval formation probably will be located within the damage-survival zone. NON-NUCLEAR EFFECTS A brief discussion of damage by non-nuclear effects is given below. Table 7-7 summarizes the Figure 7-5.—Damage-survival zone. possible types of damage that can result from air blast, underwater shock, or water waves. Damage by Air Blast An air blast is the name given to the pressure pulse created in the air by explosion. Air blast from a nuclear detonation can cause general damage up to 10 miles from the burst. The time required for the damaging effects to reach a ship may range from seconds to about 1 minute. Air- blast damage primarily will be inflicted on the superstructure and the hull above the waterline. Surfaces that are nearly parallel to the air blast will be damaged less than those that are nearly perpendicular to it. Damage by Underwater Shock Underwater shock is the name given to the pressure pulse created in water as a result of an explosion on or below the water surface. Shock from a nuclear burst is similar to that resulting from a depth charge. It can inflict severe damage 7-20

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