In 1961 a report was issued indicating Navy and Air Force interest in a lightweight bomb to replace existing weapons, but that both services had considerably different military requirements for such a weapon. B61 bomb casing MAPS Air Museum, North Canton, Ohio. Development A B61 bomb undergoing disassembly. According to the Federation of American Scientists in 2012, the roughly 400 B61-12s will cost $28 million apiece. As of 2020, it is undergoing a 12th modification. Basic weight is about 700 pounds (320 kg), although the weights of individual weapons may vary depending on version and fuze/retardation configuration. It has a streamlined casing capable of withstanding supersonic flight and is 11 ft 8 in (3.56 m) long, with a diameter of about 13 inches (33 cm). It is a Full Fuzing Option (FUFO) weapon, meaning it is equipped with the full range of fuzing and delivery options, including air and ground burst fuzing, and free-fall, retarded free-fall and laydown delivery. The B61 is of the variable yield ("dial-a-yield" in informal military jargon) design with a yield of 0.3 to 340 kilotons in its various mods. It is a low to intermediate-yield strategic and tactical nuclear weapon featuring a two-stage radiation implosion design. The B61 nuclear bomb is the primary thermonuclear gravity bomb in the United States Enduring Stockpile following the end of the Cold War. It accurately replicates the shape and size of a "live" B61 (together with its safety/arming mechanisms) but contains only inert materialsīelieved to be either 0.3–340 kt or 0.3–400 kt in the weapon's various mods. B61 training unit intended for ground crew.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |