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B61 Nuclear Gravity Bomb Stockpile Flight Test
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The B61 nuclear bomb is the primary thermonuclear gravity bomb in the United States Enduring Stockpile following the end of the Cold War. It is a low to intermediate-yield strategic and tactical nuclear weapon featuring a two-stage radiation implosion design.
The B61 is of the variable yield design with a yield of 0.3 to 340 kilotons in its various mods. 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. It has a streamlined casing capable of withstanding supersonic flight speeds, is 11 ft 8 in (3.56 m) long, with a diameter of about 13 inches (33 cm). Basic weight is about 700 pounds (320 kg), although the weights of individual weapons may vary depending on version and fuze/retardation configuration. As of 2020, it is undergoing a 12th modification.
Designer. Los Alamos National Laboratory
Designed. 1963
Manufacturer. Pantex Plant
Unit cost. $28 million (Mod 12)
Produced. 1968 (full production)
No. built. 3,155
Variants. 13
Specifications:
Mass. 715 pounds (324 kg)
Length. 141.6 inches (3.60 m)
Diameter. 13.3 inches (34 cm)
Blast yield. Believed to be either 0.3–340 kt or 0.3–400 kt in the weapon's various mods.
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