In short, and very simply - it means the nuke is smaller and more focused. From my time in combat zones - we always thought of tactical as the level at which a

In short, and very simply - it means the nuke is smaller and more focused. From my time in combat zones - we always thought of tactical as the level at which a battalion or lower might operate. Strategic would be entire regiments or larger, potentially involving entire countries. A nuke that clears the path for a battalion (political implications of using a nuclear weapon aside) is tactical. A nuke that eliminates a capital or engulfs many battalions in flames is strategic. I would imagine, though, that a "tactical-sized", or smaller, nuke could have strategic implications if you detonated it somewhere of great import (eliminating the leadership while all in one building, for example). This would be a strategic use of a nuke. But in actuality - it is very complicated. Something like a nuclear weapon is a multifaceted action and cannot be distilled to a single word.