Why did Captain Price nuke America in COD Modern Warfare 2?

In COD Modern Warfare 2 (2009), Captain Price nukes America to slow down the Russian invasion of the United States. In the 'Contingency' campaign mission, Task Force 141, consisting of Captain Price, Ghost, Soap, and Roach, goes to the Rybachiy naval base near Petropavlovsk to secure a Russian submarine in the hopes of gaining an advantage in the war. Near the end of the mission, players will see Price launching a missile from the submarine.

This development shocks the Task Force 141 members and the players themselves. Although it comes as a surprise for fans and Task Force 141, Cpt. Price's intentions are actually good.

In this article, we will take a closer look at why Captain Price decides to nuke America in Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2.

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Uncovering the reason for Captain Price launching nuke at America in Modern Warfare 2

Captain Price launches a nuke at America in Modern Warfare 2 campaign mission 'Contingency' (Image via Activision)

Captain Price launched the nuke at America in Modern Warfare 2 to help the U.S. forces fight the Russians. He intended the missile to reach the U.S. East Coast and detonate to create an Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP) that renders all vehicles and electronic equipment unusable.

This resulted in the electronics and vehicles of both America and Russia fighting on the East Coast to shut down. However, this posed more of a problem for the Russians as they were fighting in unknown enemy territory. With the vehicles and electronics down, this allowed the American forces to fight in their own land, which they were familiar with, and ultimately defeat the Russians.

Captain Price had this intention right from the beginning of the mission, but the rest of the MW2 Task Force 141 didn't know about it. As Cpt. Price reached the submarine in the 'Contingency' mission, he decided to shoot off the missile into space right above the East Coast.

Unfortunately, this destroyed the International Space Station, causing a few deaths but saving millions at the end of Modern Warfare 2's campaign.

EMP blast in Modern Warfare 2 as seen from the International Space Station (Image via Activision)

He coordinated it in such a way that the missile detonated right on top of Washington D.C., causing the EMP blast and disabling all the electronics for both sides of the war in America.

The aftermath of Price's actions could be seen in the mission 'Second Sun.' In this mission, Sgt. Foley and his men are pinned down by the Russians. As they lose all hope, the EMP suddenly goes off, and all power in the region shuts down, resulting in Russians being confused and their helicopters dropping out of the air.

This gives the Americans a fighting chance against the Russians in their homeland, leading them to drive their opponents out of Washington D.C.

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