# What are some crazy Soviet weapons of their day? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 1, 2004, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-crazy-soviet-weapons-of-their-day/222177 "2004-01-01T22:20:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Poetgrrl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@Poetgrrl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Poetgrrl)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2004, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-crazy-soviet-weapons-of-their-day/222177/1 "2004-01-01T22:20:19Z")
At a new year’s party, some friends of mine were drunkenly discussing all the ‘great ideas that never made it’. Basically things that might have seemed like a good idea on the outset, but if you spend more than 5 seconds thinking about it, it becomes incredibly silly and impractical. One of the things they were talking about was ‘Those crazy Soviets’ and all the crazy cold-war weapons the Soviets had. The things that came up, which I’ve heard rumors of before- **Nuclear Hand Grenades** - I read in a magazine (Time? Newsweek? I can’t remember ☹ ) about suitcase bombs that had small nuclear weapons, and these _were_ real, so it seems like it wouldn’t be that farfetched that the soviets might have a throwable/lobbable version? Or was that _too_ crazy even for the Soviets? **Tanks parachuted out of airplanes** - People were talking about how the Soviets wanted to parachute tanks out of airplanes. I remember seeing an episode of Ren and Stimpy where they trained to become tank paratroopers and I figured maybe they were spoofing a real Soviet idea. It seems like Cold War scaremongering to me, but would it be a viable tactic to rapidly deploy tanks in distant places? Parachuting into my neighborhood to crush my decadent capitalist bourgois home?! :eek: Of course I know that the dubious sources of these tales could mean they are BS, but watching the History channel I was suprised what measures people were willing to go through in wartime. I mean in WWII the Japanese had all sorts of suicide craft, so it makes it hard to totally disbelieve the possibility that the Soviets might have developed something as silly as a nuclear hand grenade… ---
**Author:** ![Xgemina](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/b5e925/32.png) [@Xgemina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xgemina)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2004, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-crazy-soviet-weapons-of-their-day/222177/2 "2004-01-01T22:44:33Z")
Actually, it depends on what you mean by “Tanks parachuted out of airplanes.” If you mean dropping a tank from the same height that paratroopers jump from, no, there is no such thing. However, there are airdropped armor units. The US Army 82nd Airborne had 3/72 Armor which used Sheridans and they were last airdropped into combat in 1989 in Panama. The 3/72 was the only light armor battalion in the US Army at the time and was inactivated in 1997. The armor is deployed like any other heavy vehicle, airdroped from a low height, IIRC, within 30’ or less from the ground. They really dragged out of the plane by their chute and packed on a collapsible pallet. The crew is dropped in the normal fashion and once on the ground, clear the vehicle from its packing and move out. You can read more about 3/72 Armor at [http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/agency/army/3-73ar.htm](http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/agency/army/3-73ar.htm) ---
**Author:** ![bunyip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e19b73/32.png) [@bunyip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bunyip)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2004, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-crazy-soviet-weapons-of-their-day/222177/3 "2004-01-01T22:49:16Z")
Not from the Soviet side, but the US Davy Crockett is probably as close as you’d get to an actually fielded nuclear “hand grenade” (always looks to me like something Wile.E.Coyote would buy from the ACME Co. in the Roadrunner cartoon) [http://www.guntruck.com/DavyCrockett.html](http://www.guntruck.com/DavyCrockett.html) The following talks about Soviet nuclear weapons for use in Vietnam in '66 [http://www.nautilus.org/VietnamFOIA/background/TNW1966.html](http://www.nautilus.org/VietnamFOIA/background/TNW1966.html) Also a bit about suitcase bombs [http://nuclearweaponarchive.org/News/DoSuitcaseNukesExist.html](http://nuclearweaponarchive.org/News/DoSuitcaseNukesExist.html) ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2004, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-crazy-soviet-weapons-of-their-day/222177/4 "2004-01-01T22:51:21Z")
There was the [Ekronoplan](http://aeroweb.lucia.it/~agretch/RAFAQ/WIG.html) - the world’s biggest plane. The US, OTOH wad the [Davy Crockett](http://www.guntruck.com/DavyCrockett.html). Not exactly a nuclear hand grenade, but a 250ton payload and a range of around a mile, it was a spectactularly stupid idea. ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2004, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-crazy-soviet-weapons-of-their-day/222177/5 "2004-01-01T22:54:55Z")
As for nuclear hand grenades: I think the laws of physics would get in the way. I’d need more info on how much plutonium you’d need to achieve critical mass, but looking at the density of plutonium I’d imagine it would make for a grenade too heavy for a human to carry, let alone lob. ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2004, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-crazy-soviet-weapons-of-their-day/222177/6 "2004-01-01T23:05:46Z")
According to [url=“[http://www.thebulletin.org/issues/1998/so98/so98schwartz.html](http://www.thebulletin.org/issues/1998/so98/so98schwartz.html)”] > [@](#): > > The W54 warhead used in the Davy Crockett weighed just 51 pounds… (i)t was the lightest and smallest fission weapon (implosion type) ever deployed by the United States . ---
**Author:** ![Diceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Diceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diceman)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2004, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-crazy-soviet-weapons-of-their-day/222177/7 "2004-01-01T23:23:37Z")
What would be the minimum “safe distance” for a 250 ton warhead? Would whoever used the Davy Crockett get incinerated by a nuclear fireball, or would they survive, only to die from radiation poisoning? ---
**Author:** ![clairobscur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/839c29/32.png) [@clairobscur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clairobscur)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2004, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-crazy-soviet-weapons-of-their-day/222177/8 "2004-01-01T23:58:13Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Diceman \* > \*\*What would be the minimum “safe distance” for a 250 ton warhead? Would whoever used the Davy Crockett get incinerated by a nuclear fireball, or would they survive, only to die from radiation poisoning? \*\* Read the link provided by \*\* bunyip \*\*. Everything is explained. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Q](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/898d66/32.png) [@Johnny\_Q](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Q)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2004, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-crazy-soviet-weapons-of-their-day/222177/9 "2004-01-02T00:07:49Z")
I’ve heard somewhere that the Soviets actually had submarine launched VTOL aircraft, but this could just be utter crap. ---
**Author:** ![Mazelmavin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Mazelmavin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mazelmavin)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2004, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-crazy-soviet-weapons-of-their-day/222177/10 "2004-01-02T00:27:33Z")
The Russians are the source for this sort of thing. They even conceived of a Doomsday Machine. It was to be a nuclear bomb made from the hull of a rather large ship, perhaps an oil tanker. When the time came, this weapon had one purpose: **TO DESTROY THE WORLD!!** How’s that for crazy Soviet weaponry? ---
**Author:** ![jimmmy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/73ab20/32.png) [@jimmmy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jimmmy)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2004, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-crazy-soviet-weapons-of-their-day/222177/11 "2004-01-02T00:43:13Z")
The NY Times reports that the Soviets tried to turn HIV into a bioweapon [http://online.sfsu.edu/~rone/GEessays/Soviet%20and%20Chinese%20Germ%20Weapons.htm](http://online.sfsu.edu/~rone/GEessays/Soviet%20and%20Chinese%20Germ%20Weapons.htm) The Soviets apparently spent money and resources on a “psychic” program for military use. Exactly what they spent, & even exactly what they were trying to acheive, I have never seen a good Cite. The nature of the subject just brings every wacko who can throw up a website to do so – all calim inside info etc. Best advice is Google something like Soviet Psychic Experiments and make a judgement based on the website owner Speaking of funky sources, I saw this on FARK a while back --it is Pravda which is HIGHLY unreliable. Having said that it is appropos the OP… > **[USA to "devour" unique Russian "UFOs"](https://english.pravda.ru/science/4453-developments/)** > > Earlier this week, western media released information that Russian Aviation Concern “EKIP”, a subsidiary of “Saratov Aviation Factory,” will become the main... ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2004, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-crazy-soviet-weapons-of-their-day/222177/12 "2004-01-02T01:14:56Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by jimmmy \* > \*\* > > The Soviets apparently spent money and resources on a “psychic” program for military use. Exactly what they spent, & even exactly what they were trying to acheive, I have never seen a good Cite. \*\* And obviously, the [CIA](http://www.odci.gov/csi/studies/97unclass/ufo.html#rft90)would never do such a crazy thing > [@](#): > > There is a DIA Psychic Center and the NSA studies parapsychology, that branch of psychology that deals with the investigation of such psychic phenomena as clairvoyance, extrasensory perception, and telepathy. The CIA reportedly is also a member of an Incident Response Team to investigate UFO landings, if one should occur. ---
**Author:** ![jimmmy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/73ab20/32.png) [@jimmmy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jimmmy)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2004, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-crazy-soviet-weapons-of-their-day/222177/13 "2004-01-02T01:21:38Z")
Yeah, \*\* Tapioca Dextrin \*\*the CIA felt they had to do it because the Soviets were doing it and what if, right? At least that is how they painted it to us. Tho exactly what CIA did look at and when they shut down I don’t know – (like the USSR) – does anyone have a good cite? I know there was some congressional testimony on it a while back ---
**Author:** ![SpectBrain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a87d85/32.png) [@SpectBrain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpectBrain)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2004, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-crazy-soviet-weapons-of-their-day/222177/14 "2004-01-02T01:34:16Z")
I’m not going to provide any links because they’re mostly “nut” sites but google on “soviet ELF woodpecker”. ELF is extreme low frequency radio and woodpecker refers to the sound that is heard when the harmonics from it are picked up by amateur radio. It is speculated that the Soviets were trying to control minds and/or the weather. It is also believed that ELF was used for long distance over the horizon radar. You be the judge (if you care). ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2004, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-crazy-soviet-weapons-of-their-day/222177/15 "2004-01-02T01:36:56Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Mazelmavin \* > \*\*The Russians are the source for this sort of thing. > > They even conceived of a Doomsday Machine. It was to be a nuclear bomb made from the hull of a rather large ship, perhaps an oil tanker. When the time came, this weapon had one purpose: > > **TO DESTROY THE WORLD!!** > > How’s that for crazy Soviet weaponry? \*\* “Mein Fuehrer, I can walk!” > [@](#): > > We’ll meet again, > don’t know where, don’t know when, > But I know we’ll meet again, > some sunny day. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Throatwarbler\_Mangrove](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8c91f0/32.png) [@Throatwarbler\_Mangrove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Throatwarbler_Mangrove)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2004, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-crazy-soviet-weapons-of-their-day/222177/16 "2004-01-02T01:42:03Z")
The soviets pioneered the use of armoured vehicles in their airborn formations, and the old soviet airborn division was a light mechanized formation, as opposed to essentially light infantry formation that american airborn units were. [http://www.geocities.com/Pentagon/Quarters/2116/airborne41.htm](http://www.geocities.com/Pentagon/Quarters/2116/airborne41.htm) I believe the later variant BMD infantry fighting vehicle was the first such vehicle capable of being airdropped with the crew inside, as opposed to dropping the crew seperately, and possibly losing and scattering vehicles and crews. Soviet Airborn armour units were used extensively in the initial invaion of afghanistan in 1979, where a soviet airborn divisionsiezed the entire city of kabul in one day. How’s that for shock and awe? ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2004, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-crazy-soviet-weapons-of-their-day/222177/17 "2004-01-02T01:47:21Z")
The Davy Crockett sounds like a good idea, actually. Fire the thing over the other side of the hill and Bob’s your uncle. People have huge hangups about nuclear weapons, because they are so much more powerful than conventional weapons, but that’s all they are - weapons. You’re just as dead if you’re killed by a bullet as if by a nuke. And given the short half-life of plutonium, they wouldn’t have a long shelf-life. ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2004, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-crazy-soviet-weapons-of-their-day/222177/18 "2004-01-02T01:54:50Z")
**qts** : It’s supremely rude to leave fallout that will lower real estate prices for the next few decades at the very least. Not to mention giving your own soldiers cancer from carrying around the highly radioactive ordinance. Given the [incidence of cancer in those who work around depleted uranium rounds](http://www.ngwrc.org/news/content/wedjun131329182001.asp), I can’t imagine what the Davy Crockett would have done to us. ---
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2004, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-crazy-soviet-weapons-of-their-day/222177/19 "2004-01-02T02:01:56Z")
The [BMD-3](http://web.archive.org/web/20020228173147/http://users.aol.com/threatmstr/afvs.htm#bmd-3), indeed, was designed to be dropped with the crew inside, into a combat area. You might want to try [astronautix.com](http://www.astronautix.com/), for some space-based weaponry. I’m a little too pressed for time right now to make the direct links, but you can find Soviet battle space station designs, shuttle interceptors, and assorted SDI stuff. Most of it never left the drawing board…but the armed **Almaz** and **Polyus** systems were actually _launched._ (!) ---
**Author:** ![Pushkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ee59a6/32.png) [@Pushkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pushkin)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2004, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-crazy-soviet-weapons-of-their-day/222177/20 "2004-01-02T02:23:41Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Ranchoth \* > \*\*The [BMD-3](http://web.archive.org/web/20020228173147/http://users.aol.com/threatmstr/afvs.htm#bmd-3), indeed, was designed to be dropped with the crew inside, into a combat area. > \*\* Have to laugh at the bottom menu on that site you linked to, the icons are from Command and Conquer. Seems kind of at odds with the deadly Russian armour on show on the rest of the page 😛 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-crazy-soviet-weapons-of-their-day/222177.md?page=2)