The final National Strategic Target List specified 1,050 Designated Ground Zeros {DGZs} for nuclear weapons, including 151 urban-industrial assets. Even the minimal version of the plan envisioned 650 DGZs being hit by over 1,400 weapons with a total yield of 2,100 megatons.
The final National Strategic Target List outlined 1,050 Designated Ground Zeros (DGZs) meant for nuclear strikes, which included 151 significant urban and industrial targets. This extensive target list underscores the strategic military considerations during the era of nuclear armament. The presence of urban and industrial sites as major targets indicates the impact of nuclear strategy on civilian infrastructure and population centers.
The plan, even in its most conservative form, anticipated that 650 of these DGZs would be struck by more than 1,400 nuclear weapons, yielding an unprecedented total of 2,100 megatons. Such figures illustrate the overwhelming destructive capability envisioned by military planners and reflect Cold War tensions, raising moral and ethical questions about the use of nuclear weapons and their devastating consequences on humanity.
