Posted on 04/08/2025 8:26:59 PM PDT by Red Badger
America's newest weapon of mass destruction is going into production seven months ahead of schedule as fears of a war with China continue to grow.
Scientists at Sandia National Laboratories in New Mexico are kickstarting development of the B61-13, a nuclear 'gravity bomb' that was originally slated to go into production for the US Air Force in 2026.
Gravity bombs are literally what they sound like, a bomb dropped from a military plane which lets gravity do all the work.
The timeline was moved up due to the 'critical challenge and urgent need' for a new nuclear deterrent - a threat that's hopefully big enough to discourage America's enemies from attacking first.
The B61-13 is 24 times more powerful than the atom bomb dropped on Hiroshima, Japan in 1945. That first atom bomb, called 'Little Boy,' had a yield of about 15 kilotons - the explosive equivalent of 15,000 tons of TNT.
The B61-13, on the other hand, is designed to have a yield of around 360 kilotons, or 360,000 tons of TNT.
This particular weapon was scheduled to become the full-time replacement for older nuclear bombs carried by US stealth bombers and dropped over targets without warning by 2028.
However, with growing economic and military tensions between the US and major powers like China and Russia, the dramatically updated timeline could put a terrifying new weapon on the battlefield by the end of this year.
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
I’ve always said this country needs more nukes and bigger ones.
Mmmmmm, tasty gamma waves.
Ummm....no biggie.... there are already bombs hugely more nasty than their atomic WW2 little brothers. Why the hype???
Being many times more powerful than the Hiroshima bomb is nothing new.
The original bombs were relatively small by modern standards.
Not sure how big a deal the new bombs are. Good to modernize the deterrent but don’t know if this is a key weapon.
The yield on these isn't that big in comparison to older cold war weapons. The now deactivated Titan II had a warhead with a 9 megaton yield.
The good thing about modern nukes is that they leave very little radiation behind compared to older ones, or the Hiroshima one.
[The B61-13, on the other hand, is designed to have a yield of around 360 kilotons, or 360,000 tons of TNT.]
360 kilotons
Oooh, crowd pleasers! (name the movie without searching)
Though that line was talking about a B-83
Don’t tell anyone but my concealed carry is a B61-12
I used to carry a B-83 but I had to wear an extra shirt to conceal it
The UK story was written by sixth graders for 6th graders.
Pray that we never have to use one.
Wyoming, Montana and North Dakota would be the land-based ICBMs
The B-61s (along with B-83s) are likely mostly at Whiteman in Missouri
DailyFail — well, it’s a steady job.....
Bigger BIGGEST !
Back when I was Boy (wheezing) we had *real* megatonnage.
50-megaton nuclear weapon, like the Tsar Bomba, would produce a fireball with a radius of approximately 8 kilometers (5 miles).
Here’s a more detailed breakdown: Tsar Bomba:
The most powerful nuclear weapon ever detonated, the Tsar Bomba, had a yield of 50 megatons.
Fireball Radius: The fireball of a 50-megaton nuclear explosion would have a radius of about 8 kilometers (5 miles).
Mushroom Cloud: The mushroom cloud would reach a height of about 67 kilometers (42 miles), above the stratosphere and well inside the mesosphere.
Visibility: The fireball would be visible from almost 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) away.
Back when I was Boy (wheezing) we had *real* megatonnage.
50-megaton nuclear weapon, like the Tsar Bomba, would produce a fireball with a radius of approximately 8 kilometers (5 miles).
Here’s a more detailed breakdown: Tsar Bomba:
The most powerful nuclear weapon ever detonated, the Tsar Bomba, had a yield of 50 megatons.
Fireball Radius: The fireball of a 50-megaton nuclear explosion would have a radius of about 8 kilometers (5 miles).
Mushroom Cloud: The mushroom cloud would reach a height of about 67 kilometers (42 miles), above the stratosphere and well inside the mesosphere.
Visibility: The fireball would be visible from almost 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) away.
To the guy in the photo:
Those earmuffs aren’t gonna help!
Breaking news from the DM! Modern hydrogen bombs have more yield than 1945 atom bombs! The DM is quickly turning into a dumbed down National Enquirer.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.