Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) unveiled the latest US nuclear weapons as full production begins seven months ahead of schedule. B61-13 Variable – Yield Gravity Bombs are part of a major program to modernize America’s nuclear deterrent.
Nuclear weapons may seem like a less comfortable Cold War relic, but when it comes to geopolitics, it’s still front and center.
Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, reducing the arsenals of the US and Russia has significantly reduced the number of warheads with alerts between the highest 8,000-9,000 and around 1,800 totals, including both strategic and tactical weapons. However, nuclear deterrence is much more complicated as illicit countries are striving to win an atomic bomb and China has made it from “exist” from “arsenal” with a small number of warheads stored in an estimated 24 weapons in alerts when moving to a more nuclear-centric strategy.
For this reason, the United States has set out to extend and modernize the lifespan of nuclear weapons to ensure that they can not only counter the threats of the 21st century, but they remain safe and reliable.
B61-13 (2023)
As part of this, the Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Agency (NNSA) was tasked with USD 92 million in 2023 to build a new nuclear gravity bomb called the B61-13. Sorry, “gravity” doesn’t refer to some cool weapons that work by distorting space-time continuums. This is a way to explain a bomb dropped from an airplane rather than riding a missile.
The B61-13 is essentially a variant of the previous B61-7, but it has the latest safety and security systems to prevent anyone from messing around with the mechanism or turning it off without permission.
Furthermore, the B61-13 is a variable warhead, allowing it to program a yield of 10-360 kilotons. This allows you to use the weapon against a normal target with minimal secondary damage, as well as larger or hardened ones that require a stiffer punch. The B61-13 can also replace the new B61-12 warhead and the old B61-7 currently in production. This means an increase in deterrent ability without the need to increase the number of weapons.
Upon entering the service, the B61-13 is equipped with a tail kit and a tail kit that can pilot the target from the ridiculous iron bombs, making it more accurate and the aircraft avoids unpleasant aviation defenses.
The B61-13 program will be first carried by a B-2A Lancer bomber and a B-21 Raider Advanced Stealth Bomber, as it is seven months ahead of schedule as initial production times have been reduced by 25%.
Source: SNL
