Suitcase nuclear device

A suitcase nuclear device, or suitcase nuke, is a term used to describe various types of nuclear devices developed by the former Soviet Union. They, in their various incarnations, are exactly what the name implies: nuclear devices concealed inside suitcases. They are specifically designed to be mobile and difficult to detect.

The suitcase nukes of Day 6 incorporated a triggering mechanism that made use of FB subcircuit boards. According to Cheng Zhi, these boards were old enough to be easily decrypted with modern technology, and could provide a wealth of information on Russian defense systems.

Before Day 6

Before Day 6, former Soviet general Dmitri Gredenko came into possession of five obsolete suitcase nukes, which he intended to use against the United States as revenge for Russia's defeat in the Cold War. His goal was to do so covertly, placing the blame on Abu Fayed's terrorist cell so that he and Russia would avoid accusation and suspicion and allow the Arabs and the West to destroy one another. When Gredenko uncovered Phillip Bauer's role in the Sentox nerve gas conspiracy of Day 5, he blackmailed Bauer into providing Fayed the nukes through his company, BXJ Technologies. In turn, Bauer hired Darren McCarthy, an employee of Elegra Global, to dismantle the bombs and recycle their components into energy production. McCarthy sold all five nukes to Abu Fayed for three and a half million dollars. This way, BXJ would avoid serious criminal charges in case their role in the nuclear attacks was uncovered; if worst came to worst, the Bauers would be able to claim that they had simply been negligent in providing the bombs to McCarthy, rather than committing treason.

Day 6

On Day 6 9:00am-10:00am, it was revealed that five of these suitcase nukes were in the hands of Abu Fayed. Just prior to 10:00am, CTU raided a location at 351 Old Mill Road in Valencia. During the raid, terrorist and nuclear engineer Hasan Numair detonated the device. A rough estimate of the casualties is around 12,000.

Hasan Numair martyred himself by detonating the bomb only because of CTU's sudden raid. He was originally planned to work with all five of the devices, so Fayed needed a new engineer. McCarthy located Morris O'Brian, who was abducted and eventually handed over to Fayed. After enduring torture, Morris finally gave in and created a device which would allow Fayed to arm each bomb.

A second nuke was left in an apartment building for CTU to find and disarm, buying Fayed time to escape with the remaining three bombs.

It was later revealed that Gredenko had a delivery system for the bombs, and it was intended to be used with all five bombs, each sent to high priority targets, although none of these targets had been named. Gredenko, learning that a second bomb had been used, although later disarmed, had to reprogram his delivery system for three.

The delivery system was revealed to be a set of aerial drones, small planes which can be controlled remotely, and can carry the bombs in the suitcase nukes. Fayed and Gredenko rendezvoused in the Mojave desert and began to set up the drones, but their location was revealed to CTU before they finished, and only one drone was launched.

One of Gredenko's henchmen, Victor, was controlling the drone from a warehouse space near CTU Los Angeles. After CTU discovered his location, Jack and a team raided the location, and Jack took control of the drone. The bomb was programmed to detonate only when it reached its target area, which allowed Jack to redirect the drone to another area and land it without detonating. Jack landed the drone in an industrial park, but in the process, the casing of the bomb was damaged and a radiation leak occurred.

While CTU focused on stopping the launched drone, Gredenko and Fayed were able to escape with the other drones and the remaining bombs.