THE U.S. GOVERNMENT studied the feasibility of tactical nuclear weapons (TNWs) use during the Vietnam War and concluded that it "would offer the U.S. no military advantage commensurate with its political cost," according to a recently declassified 1966 report that was released March 9.

JASON, a group of scientists that provides guidance to the U.S. government on military and arms control issues, conducted the study to assess the military and political consequences of unilateral U.S. TNW use in Southeast Asia, as well as the possible use of nuclear weapons against U.S. forces in the Vietnam conflict.

"Tactical Nuclear Weapons in South Asia" explored a variety of circumstances in which the weapons could be used against enemy forces, weighing the number of targets, the movement of enemy troops, and the impact of possible enemy support from China or the Soviet Union. It also assessed U.S. force vulnerability in the event of an enemy strike, concluding that U.S. military deployments would be severely compromised due to force density, troop location, and a lack of measures to protect bases. …