>>63946394
>Antimatter
Gotta figure out how to contain it before you can weaponize it. Much less get enough of it to make a weapon. Antimatter would be more useful in tons of applications over simply using it as a explosive.

>>63946414
>Remember that troops were placed just several hundred yards away from nuke tests in Nevada and without any loss of combat capability
Not immediately anyways, and combat would likely necessitate prolonged exposure to freshly irradiated aerosol and particles. It would be a post-war nightmare to sort out for any country that gives a damn.

Otherwise, I agree, the MADM was the greater conventional equivalent to the SADM, though the SADM would likely be a specialist sabotage weapon, for blowing shit up behind enemy lines. The MADM would be a critical part in a losing scenario against the Soviets in a cold war gone hot, as it would give breathing room to units who would otherwise be quickly routed through sheer numbers. Nuclear artillery would shine in such a role too. Giving precious time and distance for vulnerable retreating units.

Not to mention one MADM would be harder to find than a minefield, and one MADM could potentially sterilize a multi-mile radius, for better or worse.