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Season Six Research Files
Episode Four
9:00am - 10:00am
A “suitcase” bomb is a nuclear weapon small enough to fit in a briefcase and just as portable. It is also known as atomic demolition munitions (ADM). The suitcase would also need to house the firing unit.
The Soviet Union had developed versions of the ADM in the 1960s. There have been rumors for years that many had gone unaccounted for and ended up on the Russian black market since the Cold War. More suspicions were raised when the Russians offered confusing and conflicting statements about the ADMs they had.
Since the fissure material inside the suitcase bombs degrades over time, it is unlikely that the new owners could have maintained the Russian ADMs. Their current effectiveness would be low or non-existent. Without scheduled maintenance, these devices apparently can produce only minimal yield and eventually possibly no yield at all, and can only serve as a source of small amounts of weapons-grade fissile materials.
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