Tactical nukes or strategic? Size doesn't matter - it's all about how they're used
Russia's continued invasion of Ukraine and the current state of US politics has led the West - and in particular Europe - to reconsider its defence strategy, including its nuclear options.
Some defence analysts have debated whether Europe and the UK can go it alone in terms of nuclear deterrence in the absence of any support from the United States - something had been guaranteed until now.
That nuclear deterrent is made up of both tactical and strategic weapons, but while the terms are generally very well known, their meaning is not.
William Alberque, a former director for European Security for the US Department of Defence, spoke to the BFBS Forces News Sitrep podcast about the difference between the two.
He said strategic refers to the defeat of an entire nation, whereas tactical means a battlefield, but pointed out the actual size of the weapon did not define its role.
"You could have a tactical warhead that's very large, you can have a strategic warhead that's relatively small," he explained.
"Size doesn't matter, it's what the intention is."
Mr Albeque added that a "strategic nuclear weapon is "designed to deter or defeat Russia", while an operational nuke could be used in a "theatre battle, like across Europe to try to settle the battle on that level".
"A tactical nuclear weapon is designed to defeat a small unit, so a battalion or a brigade or something like that, that's how you think about it," he said.
"Tactical is a battlefield commander, operational is a theatre commander and then strategic is your national level."
On the same episode of Sitrep, resident defence analyst Professor Michael Clarke said if the US was to walk away tomorrow, the UK and France would opt for Britain's model of nuclear weapons.
"If you had to opt for only one system, you would almost certainly opt for what the British have got and the French also share, and the Americans, of course, which is sea-based," Prof Clarke said.
"But there's a problem. Britain only ever has one nuclear-armed submarine at sea. Stealthy, yes, but it's also our only shot.
"The fact that we've only got one boat on patrol means that if we used our weapons tactically... we could actually fire an unboosted primary of one or two kilotons or four or five kilotons, which would be pretty small by nuclear standards.
"But using them in a tactical way would reveal where the boat is."
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