Recently I wrote a couple of posts about esoteric tactical nuclear weapons programs in the U.K. and the old Soviet Union that were abandoned as impractical. However, some tactical nuclear weapons were built and deployed.
       In the 1950s, the Soviet Union mounted two 230mm recoilless rifles on a BTR-60 tank chassis. This system was called a “Reseda” launcher.  They were designed to fire 360mm tactical nuclear shells a distance of about three miles. But this was a rather primitive weapon and was soon abandoned.
       In the 1960s, the Soviets decided that they needed something more sophisticated in tactical nuclear weapons, so they ordered the design of a new generation of tactical nuclear launchers. “Taran” was the name given to a planned nuclear tank unit.
      During this time the Soviets developed what was called a “missile tank”. The IT-1 tank had an anti-tank guided missile launcher which served as its primary weapon instead of the usual main gun. This concept was incorporated into the Taran project to create a missile tank that was equipped to fire big tactical nukes. The Taran could also fire anti-tank guided missiles. It was mounted on the chassis of a T-64 tank. The turret was completely redesigned and contained a rocket-gun.
      The tactical nuclear projectile had a caliber of 300mm and weighted three hundred and thirty pounds. The actual warhead itself weighted about a hundred and forty pounds. The yield of the warhead was three tenths of a kiloton. Each Taran carried three of these projectiles. The technical specification for the Taran said that it had a range of about four miles but could actual fire up to seven miles. When fired in direct mode by line of sight, the projectiles should have landed within a hundred yards of the target. When fired in the indirect mode which required the projectiles to be locked onto a target, the accuracy dropped to within two hundred and fifty yards.
       By the 1970, the Soviets lost interest in the Taran. The idea that a nuclear confrontation could be restricted to the actual battlefield was replaced by the fear that any use of tactical nukes could easily escalate to all out global nuclear war. It was determined that the accuracy of the Taran was not good enough considering the small yield of the actual warhead. It would have only worked if the enemy forces were concentrated in a small area.
       The Soviet 195 tank prototype had the ability to fire 152mm artillery shells from its main gun. This means that the Object 195 should have been able to fire the 3BV3 tactical nuclear shell from its main gun. The yield of the 3BV3 is one kiloton.
       One of the current main Russian tanks, called the Armata, was probably developed partly from the Object 195 tank prototype. It has the ability to be retrofitted with a 152mm gun in the future. Although some in the Russian military question the usefulness of a nuclear tank, someday the Russian army may have their own nuclear version of the Armata.

Ambient office  = 88 nanosieverts per hour

Ambient outside = 83 nanosieverts per hour

Soil exposed to rain water = 80 nanosieverts per hour

Pinapple  from Central Market = 158 nanosieverts per hour

Tap water = 100 nanosieverts per hour

Filter water = 93 nanosieverts per hour

Ambient office  = 89 nanosieverts per hour

Ambient outside = 78 nanosieverts per hour

Soil exposed to rain water = 79 nanosieverts per hour

Hawaiian Avocado from Central Market = 83 nanosieverts per hour

Tap water = 111 nanosieverts per hour

Filter water = 97 nanosieverts per hour

Ambient office  = 104 nanosieverts per hour

Ambient outside = 193 nanosieverts per hour

Soil exposed to rain water = 92 nanosieverts per hour

Yam from Central Market = 88 nanosieverts per hour

Tap water = 95 nanosieverts per hour

Filter water = 84 nanosieverts per hour

Dover sole – Caught in USA = 89 nanosieverts per hour

        For years, Japan has made the export on nuclear technology a major part of their industrial expansion. The Fukushima nuclear disaster in 2011 dampened public enthusiasm and investor interest for nuclear power but the national politicians kept emphasizing how important nuclear equipment export were going to be for the future. While they are restarting some of the reactors which were shut down after Fukushima, there are serious problems with a couple of major reactor construction projects in other countries.
       The Japanese government often joins Japanese corporations to form consortiums to take on big international projects such as nuclear power reactor construction in other countries. Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) is one of the main Japanese companies that constructs nuclear reactors. Hitachi is another nuclear reactor exporter.
       The Prime Minister of Japan discussed a nuclear reactor project for Turkey with the Turkish Prime Minister in 2013. At a press conference in Ankara, the Japanese Prime minister said, “We will share our experiences and lessons from the (2011) disaster at the nuclear plant (run by the Tokyo Electric Power Co. in Fukushima) with the rest of the world, and will strive to contribute to enhancing the safety of nuclear power generation.”
      As time passed, the MHI estimation for the cost of the project has more than doubled. This means that Turkey would have to agree to purchase the electricity from the four nuclear reactors planned for Japan to build in the Turkish city of Sinop at a higher price than originally expected.
      Last December, the President on Mitsubishi Heavy Industry Ltd. said “The Turkish government is in the midst of evaluating the project. I believe it will respond to us in some way or other.” If the Turkish government refuses to accept the increase in price for the reactors and the electricity that they produce, Japan and MHI will probably cancel the project.
          Japan is planning on suggesting to Ankara that Japan would “provide comprehensive energy cooperation” with respect to coal-fired power plants and liquifid natural gas facilities to replace the current agreement concerning nuclear power. Fearing a backlash from Ankara if the nuclear project is cancelled, Japan is looking for a way to get out of the nuclear deal in a way that will not trigger a diplopatic backlash between the two countries.
       A Hitachi project to build nuclear power reactors in the U.K. on the Isle of Anglesey is also encountering problems. The estimated cost of the project has risen by fifty percent and British citizens are afraid that this will be reflected in the price of electricity if the project goes forward.
      The current U.K. government supports the Anglesey project, but it is under heavy pressure from the turmoil caused by Brexit and, if it falls, the new government may not be as supportive. Companies in Japan that participate in nuclear project abroad may withdraw from the project because of the increased risk and the lack of profits in the project. Without guarantees from the U.K. government, it is likely that Japan will pull out of the deal.
       With two major international nuclear construction projects in serious trouble, it appears that despite government plans, it might be best for Japan to give up the idea of being a major exporter of nuclear technology.

Ambient office  = 97 nanosieverts per hour

Ambient outside = 83 nanosieverts per hour

Soil exposed to rain water = 83 nanosieverts per hour

Broccoli from Central Market = 87 nanosieverts per hour

Tap water = 109 nanosieverts per hour

Filter water = 101 nanosieverts per hour