US tests nuclear B61-12 gravity bomb over Nevada
- 7 years ago
WASHINGTON — Earlier this month the U.S. government conducted flight tests of the B61-12 nuclear gravity bomb over Nevada.
More are required before it enters service in 2020.
According to a factsheet from the National Nuclear Security Administration, the B61 bomb is almost 50 years old and the U.S. holds four variants of it within its nuclear weapons stockpile
The NNSA says the B61-12 will be an upgrade that comes with greater accuracy via a steerable new tail kit. It will also extend the life of previous models by 20 years.
When complete, the B61-12 is expected to be 3.65 meters long and weigh around 374 kg.
It'll also have an adjustable explosive yield of 0.3, 5, 10 and 50 kilotons
More are required before it enters service in 2020.
According to a factsheet from the National Nuclear Security Administration, the B61 bomb is almost 50 years old and the U.S. holds four variants of it within its nuclear weapons stockpile
The NNSA says the B61-12 will be an upgrade that comes with greater accuracy via a steerable new tail kit. It will also extend the life of previous models by 20 years.
When complete, the B61-12 is expected to be 3.65 meters long and weigh around 374 kg.
It'll also have an adjustable explosive yield of 0.3, 5, 10 and 50 kilotons