Special Atomic Demolition Munition

The Special Atomic Demolition Munition (SADM) was a tactical nuclear device developed by the U.S. Navy and Marines during the 1960s. It was designed as a portable nuclear warhead, similar to the W-54, with an explosive yield that could vary from 0.1 to 1 kiloton. The SADM was intended for battlefield use, with a two-man crew parachuting to place the weapon on a target, such as a harbor, and then escaping before detonation.1

Tactical nuclear weapons are smaller than strategic nuclear weapons and are meant for use on the battlefield to destroy specific targets without causing widespread destruction or radioactive fallout. During the Cold War, both the United States and the Soviet Union produced many such weapons, including artillery shells and missiles, but none were ever used in combat.1