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MADM mines

K

kz11gr

Well-Known Member
Hi

Medium Atomic Demolition Munition (MADM) was a tactical nuclear weapon developed by theUnited States during the Cold War. They were designed to be used as nuclear land mines and for other tactical purposes, with a relatively low explosive yield from a W45 warhead, between 1 and 15 kilotons. Each MADM weighed around 400 lb (181 kg) total. They were produced between 1965 and 1986
Medium_Atomic_Demolition_Munition_(with_scientists).jpg
800px-Medium_Atomic_Demolition_Munition_(internal).jpg



The SADM


http://3ad.com/history/cold.war/nuclear.pages/weapons.pages/adm.3.htm


SADM(cropped).jpg
H-912 transport container for Mk-54 SADM​
Storax_Sedan_nuke.jpg
Link

http://images.mitrasites.com/atomic-demolition-munitions.html


madm_atomic.jpg
 
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Some reaon my reply didnot get posted,, the SADM is a B54 (the one in the pic that shows the parachute) if was a man portable system. The war head was first used on the Davy Crockett, it was also used int he Facon Missile. The first bigger pics are the MADM, big enough it had to,be transported by truck.it was also used in the Little John and the Terrier missiles. Both are implosion type device, both are suppose to have been demilled or taken apart, but I feel someof the SADms may have been kept as it is such a versitle weapon. FYI - these weapons were kept all over Germany during the Cold War. If you ever were driving through the moutains and saw a manhole cover in the middle of no where, that was a pre determined location for one of these devices. By the way they were not land mines, they were demoliton devices. Both were fired by timer, but the MADM could also be fired by wire or radio.

The large blck item ws athe W7 TADM, lage and heavy. It was one of the first systems. A gun type device.
 
I am currently reading about a Sgt.Major Joe R. Garner (U.S. Army ret.) in his own words and his true life exploits as a SF Soldier. He was the first one to try the "Backpack" nuke. Very interesting read so far. Naturally he starts out his early days as a member of a Recon Team (RT) as a part of MACVSOG member and one-zero.
 
V40 said:
I am currently reading about a Sgt.Major Joe R. Garner (U.S. Army ret.) in his own words and his true life exploits as a SF Soldier. He was the first one to try the "Backpack" nuke. Very interesting read so far. Naturally he starts out his early days as a member of a Recon Team (RT) as a part of MACVSOG member and one-zero.
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What books that then? I may try and find it, sounds good.
 
Hi Pointblank,
The book is Code Name Copperhead, will keep an eye out for a copy as well i think.
best regards Weasel.
 
I was a Combat Engineer stationed in Germany in the early 70's. Those "manholes" weren't solely for SADM's. We had specific explosive charges made to fit into these charge chambers. I don't remember the exact designation, but they were stacked on a wire frame and lowered down. You'll also find these chambers in the abutments of bridges and around the center of tunnels. Any place where the routes were constricted. The ones in the roads would only take about half an hour to set up. Bridges and tunnels would take longer, of course. We had plans to take them all down when the Rooskies came through the Fulda Gap. We weren't supposed to stop them, just slow them down until reinforcements arrived from Fort Riley, Kansas. We "jokingly" referred to ourselves as "speed bumps".
 
That's correct they could also be used with more HE. I use to have an old map of placement locations (since declassifed) for some reason I keep think the ADMs were used only in the Fulda Gap and at 2 or 3 major (long bridges). Korea also had the same set up, one thing different there was the placement of these massive concrete poles that would be releaed onto the road ways, and what looked like a concrete bridge but was actually large concrete blocks that would be dropped onto the road way when specially placed charges were set off. The ADM location for Korea are still classifed, but then the ADMs are suppose to aall been demilled and no longer on hand. Which for some reason I just can't see, but gotta trust my government.
 
weberoed said:
The ADM location for Korea are still classifed, but then the ADMs are suppose to aall been demilled and no longer on hand. Which for some reason I just can't see, but gotta trust my government.
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Korea has USA ADM?:bigsmile:
Very interesting, what people from West know about USSR ADM? :)
 
Ivaskin,

Are USSR ADMs not the size of suitcases and so disguised? Was there not meant to be at least one in most Soviet embassies in the West - just in case? The RA 115. Or was this just wishful thinking/scaremongering by Lunev & Lebed?

TimG
 
First all nuclear weapons, whether for a Honest John, Nike Herc, 8", a55mm ADM, etc were all under the control and storage of the US. Last I heard all US nuckear weapons had been removed from Korea. The Soviets were believed to have a SADM like device and I beleive it was given the designation RA 115, but it was no suit case. The suit case bomb is a theroy. If look at the photos of (sic) suitcase nuc bombs, the long pipe like object is too small in dia to support any type of implosion device. Could it be a gun type, maybe but t would be a very very very small bomb. Remember too the suit case bomb shown in all the news was a mock up, ot the real thing. In my over 25 years in US Army EOD I have trained/worked on all the Army weapons systems, and most all the USAF and Navy ones. In training we would tear them competely apart even seperating the HE (simulated) from the pits. These last few years I have read a lot of BS about these weapons systems, alot of it is still clalssified.. The "ADM from Hansen's Swords of Armageddon" is full of technical mistakes and other points. Wish I could release info, that thread would be lasting years
 
TimG said:
Ivaskin,
Are USSR ADMs not the size of suitcases and so disguised? Was there not meant to be at least one in most Soviet embassies in the West - just in case? The RA 115. Or was this just wishful thinking/scaremongering by Lunev & Lebed?
TimG
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USSR ADMs aren`t joke. In USSR were a lot of different tipe ADM: some of them really big (tactic ADM), some of them not (operatiional ADM). People from GRU were studing those devices in some place near the Moscov.I think they were studing small ADM. And people in GRU special forces (спецназ ГРУ) studied how to protect that person, who should put this ADM somewhere. I know man, who was in GRU special forces and studied it!
Large ADM were studing in military Academy of Rocket Forces and last people, who know how to use those ADMs, graduated this Academy in 1994.
I don`t know about ADM in embassies (I think it some joke).
 
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TimG said:
Ivaskin,

Are USSR ADMs not the size of suitcases and so disguised? Was there not meant to be at least one in most Soviet embassies in the West - just in case?
TimG
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I know of an ambassador of a country (not Russia) who said this about his own state. Would not surprise me at all if some countries used this possibility.
 
Rich,

Here is the full title: "Code Name: Copperhead My True-Life Exploits As A Special Forces Soldiere" By Sergeant Major Joe R. Garner. ISBN: 0-671-86435-1

You can still find the book on www.bookfinder.com It really is a good read during his exploits with SOG too.
 
Wherever a fleet of ships goes out on cruises to the far parts of the world their will always be nukes present in that area such as what is near North Korea right now.
 
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