The difference between shooting down a conventionally armed missile and shooting down a nuclear armed missile is that the former will explode in the air or not at all, whereas the latter is quite likely to still be able to detonate when it hits the ground.

> whereas the latter is quite likely to still be able to detonate when it hits the ground

If they’re using a novel, supercritical core mechanism, maybe. Otherwise, unlikely. (You would get fallout instead.)

> whereas the latter is quite likely to still be able to detonate when it hits the ground

If they’re using a novel, supercritical core mechanism, maybe. Otherwise, unlikely.

Isn't that famously a Scott Fitzgerald quote?