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U.S. DEPLOYED NUCLEAR/THERMONUCLEAR WEAPONS

| |DESIGNATION* |DIMENSIONS |WEIGHT |YIELD |TYPE/FUSING |NOTES, NUMBER PRODUCED |

|1 |LITTLE BOY |28" X 120" |8900 LBS. |15 KT |BOMB |HIROSHIMA: GUN TYPE HEU. USED 135 LBS. OF U235. DETONATED BY RADAR ALTIMITERS. (“MK 1” WAS NEVER ACTUALLY USED |

| |(MK 1) | | | |AIRBURST |IN REFERENCE TO THIS WEAPON. FIVE ASSEMBLIES WERE MADE, BUT WERE NEVER PUT IN WEAPON |

| | | | | | |CASINGS OR OTHERWISE USED.) [5] ** |

|2 |FAT MAN |60.25 " X 128" |10,300 LBS. |21 KT |BOMB |NAGASAKI: IMPLOSION TYPE USING PLUTONIUM. [SEE MK 3 |

| | | | | |AIRBURST |BELOW] TAIL FIN DESIGN MADE IT AERODYNAMICALLY UNSTABLE UNTIL CORRECTIONS MADE. (THE NAGASAKI BOMB WAS THE ONLY |

| | | | | | |“MK 2” BUT THE TERM WAS NEVER USED IN ASSOCIATION WITH THE WEAPON.) [1] |

|3 |MK 3 |60.25" X 128" |10,300 LBS. |21 KT |BOMB |PRODUCTION FAT MAN (“MODEL 1561”) WITH THREE MODS; 0, 1, 2. IMPROVED TAIL FINS. [120] |

| | | | | |AIRBURST | |

|4 |MK 4 |60" X 128" |10,800; 10,900 LBS. |1, 3.5, 8, 14, 21, 22, 31 KT |BOMB |IMPLOSION TYPE. CORE CHANGE VARIED YIELD. |

| | | | | |AIRBURST |REDESIGNED MK III MOD 1. FIRST "IN FLIGHT INSERTION" |

| | | | | | |(IFI) WEAPON. FIRST “ASSEMBLY LINE" PRODUCED WEAPON. |

| | | | | | |USED TYPE C AND D CORES, COMPOSITE Pu-HEU. 3 MODS. SLIGHTLY HEAVIER THAN MK 3 DUE TO DIFFERENT CORES, IFI AND |

| | | | | | |DIFFERING EXPLOSIVE LENSES. |

| | | | | | |[550] |

|5 |T-4 |?? |?? |SIMILAR TO MK 4, PROBABLY FEWER|ADM |ATOMIC DEMOLITION MUNITION USING THE MK 4 NUCLEAR COMPONENTS. CONSIDERING THE AMOUNT OF WORK NEEDED TO PREPARE A |

| | | | |YIELDS |TIME DELAY FUSING |MK 4 AND ITS LIMITED SHELF-LIFE, THIS WAS PROBABLY A PRETTY FUTILE STOP-GAP. |

|6 |MK 5/B-5 |43.75" X 129 – 132" |3025 – 3175 LBS. |6, 16, 55, 60, 100, 120 KT |BOMB |VARIABLE YIELD. 92 LENS HIGH-EFFICIENCY IMPLOSION TYPE |

| | | | | |AIRBURST CONTACT |WEAPON USING TYPE D PIT AND COMPOSITE CORES. FIRST |

| | | | | | |WEAPON OF REDUCED SIZE AND WEIGHT. USED AS PRIMARY |

| | | | | | |IN FIRST THERMONUCLEAR WEAPONS. 4 MODS, FIRST WITH |

| | | | | | |AUTOMATIC IFI (MECHANICAL VICE HAND). ALUMINIUM CASING INSTEAD OF STEEL. [140] |

|7 |W-5 |39" OR 44" X 76" |2405 -2650 LBS; 2600 |10 – 45 KT AS REGULUS; SAME AS |WARHEAD |B-5 MODIFIED AS MATADOR AND REGULUS MISSILE |

| | | |LBS. |MK 5 FOR MATADOR |AIRBURST CONTACT |WARHEADS. FIRST MISSILE WARHEAD. [35 R; 65 M] |

|8 |MK 6 |61" X 128" |7600 – 8500 LBS. |8, 26, 80, 154, 160 KT |BOMB |IMPROVED HIGH-YIELD LIGHTWEIGHT VERSION OF THE MK 4 WITH 7 MODS. SOME MK-6 MOD Os WERE CONVERTED MK 4Ds. MK 6 MOD |

| | | | | |AIRBURST CONTACT |6 WERE CONVERTED MK 18s. 32 OR 69 LENS IMPLOSION SYSTEM DEPENDING ON MOD. BURST ALTITUDE COULD BE CHANGEd IN |

| | | | | | |FLIGHT. [1100] |

|9 |MK 7 |30.5" X 183" |1645 – 1700 LBS. |8, 19, 22, 30, 31, 61 KT |BOMB |"THOR", FIRST LIGHTWEIGHT TACTICAL BOMB. 10 MODS. 92 LENS IMPLOSION SYSTEM. FIRST BOMB WITH "PERMISSIVE ACTION |

| | | | | |AIRBURST |LINK" (PAL) SAFETY INTERLOCK, TYPE A. [1700 - 1800] |

| | | | | |CONTACT | |

|10 |W-7 |30 – 30.5" X 54.8 – 56" |900 – 1100 LBS. |90 TONS; 2-40 KT |WARHEAD |BOAR AIR TO SURFACE ROCKET, CORPORAL AND HONEST |

| | | |983 LB (BETTY) | |AIRBURST, |JOHN BALLISTIC MISSILES, BETTY MK 90 DEPTH CHARGE AND |

| | | | | |CONTACT |ADM (WITH THE LOW 90 TON YIELD). CORPORAL MISSILE HAD VARIABLE YIELD, 2 – 40 KT. BETTY YIELD WAS 32 KT. 4 MODS. |

| | | | | |HYDROSTAT. |[225 B; 300 C; 300 HJ; 300 A; 225 MK 90] |

|11 |MK 8/B-8 |14.5" X 116 – 132" |3230 – 3280 LBS |25 – 30 KT |BOMB |"ELSIE" (FOR LC = "LIGHT CASE") PENETRATOR BOMB FIRST |

| | | | | |PYROTECH. DELAY |PENETRATOR BOMB DESIGNED FOR USE AGAINST HARDENED TARGETS. 2 MODS. COULD NOT BE DROPPED AT SUPERSONIC SPEEDS. |

| | | | | | |[40] |

|12 |MK 9/W-9 |11.02" X 54.8" |803/850 LBS. |15 KT |WARHEAD |280 MM SHELL FOR THE T-124 "ATOMIC ANNIE" CANNON. FIRST U.S. NUCLEAR SHELL. GUN-TYPE HEU MODIFIED FROM THE TX-8. |

| |T-4 | | | |MECH. FUZE; |ONE WAS LIVE-TESTED IN NEVADA. THE T-4 VERSION WAS AN ADM BUILT FROM RECYCLED MK 9s. [80] |

| | | | | |ADM | |

| | | | | |TIME DELAY | |

|13 |B -11/MK 11 |14" X 147" |3210 – 3500 LBS. |10 – 20 KT |BOMB |IMPROVED MK 8 GUN TYPE WEAPON. KNOWN AS THE MK 91 |

| |(“MK 91”) | | | |PYROTECH. |PENETRATOR BOMB. [40] |

| | | | | |DELAY | |

|14 |MK 12/B-12 |22" X 155" |1100 – 1200 LBS. |12 OR 14 KT |BOMB |DESIGNED FOR HIGH-SPEED CARRY BY SUPERSONIC ATTACK AIRCRAFT (NAVY REQUIREMENT). REPORTED TO BE FIRST WEAPON USING |

| | | | | |TIMER, CONTACT |BERYLLIUM TAMPER (REDUCING YIELD). NICKNAMED "BROK". 2 PROTOTYPES, 2 MODS. 92-POINT IMPLOSION SYSTEM. [250] |

|15 |MK 14/TX-14 |61.4" X 222 – 223.5" |28,954 – 31,000 LBS.|6.9 MT (CASTLE- UNION TEST) |BOMB |1ST DELIVERABLE H-BOMB. USED SOLID 95 % ENRICHED LITHIUM 6 (LI-6) IN FUSION COMPONENT. (SEE MK 17.) CRUDE AND |

| |(“ALARM CLOCK”) | | | |AIRBURST |DANGEROUS EARLY H-BOMB, LIMITING PRODUCTION. [5] |

|16 |MK 15/B-15 |35" X 136 – 140" |7600 LBS |3.8 MT (REDWING- CHEROKEE TEST)|BOMB |LIGHTWEIGHT H-BOMB DESIGNED FOR HEAVY AND MEDIUM |

| | | | | |AIRBURST, CONTACT, |BOMBERS. HAD PARACHUTE RETARDATION FOR LAYDOWN |

| | | | | |LAYDOWN |OPTION. [1200] |

|17 |TX 16 | 61.4" X 296.7" |39,000 – 42,000 LBS. |6-10 MT |BOMB |LIQUID FUEL (CYROGENIC) H-BOMB, ONLY DEPLOYED CYRO |

| | | | | |AIRBURST |WEAPON. 5 WERE BUILT AND ALMOST IMMEDIATELY WITH- |

| | | | | | |DRAWN FROM SERVICE AS NEW WEAPONS BECAME AVAIL- |

| | | | | | |ABLE. WEAPONIZED VERSION OF THE IVY-MIKE TEST DEVICE. |

| | | | | | |DELIVERY BY B-36 WOULD HAVE BEEN VERY COMPLEX AND DANGEROUS. [5] |

|18 |MK 17 |61.4" X 296.7" |41,400 – 42,000 LBS |10 - 15 MT |BOMB |LARGEST H-BOMB DEPLOYED BY US. HEAVIEST US NUCLEAR |

| | | | | |AIRBURST, CONTACT (MOD 2 |WEAPON, COULD ONLY BE CARRIED BY THE B-36. SECOND |

| | | | | |ONLY) |LARGEST YIELD OF ANY US WEAPON. 3 MODS. PARACHUTE |

| | | | | | |RETARDED OPTION. THE FIRST 5 WERE EC-17s (“EC” = EMERGENCY CAPABILITY. i.e., DEPLOYED PROTOTYPES. [5 EC +200 MK 17]|

|19 |MK 18/B-18 |60" X 128" |8600 LBS. |500 KT (IVY-KING TEST) |BOMB |"SUPER ORALLOY" BOMB, THUS THE NICKNAME "SOB." |

| | | | | |AIRBURST, CONTACT |LARGEST PURE FISSION WEAPON. BASED ON THE MK 6 AND 13 |

| | | | | | |DESIGNS. MANY LATER CONVERTED TO LOWER-YIELD MK 6 |

| | | | | | |MOD 6. THE YIELD IS ABOUT THE MAXIMUM POSSIBLE FOR A FISSION DEVICE. [90] |

|20 |MK 19/W-19 |11.02" X 54" |600 LBS |15 – 20 KT |WARHEAD |IMPROVED MK 9 ARTILLERY SHELL (T-315) FOR THE 280 MM |

| | | | | |MECH. TIME- |ATOMIC CANNON. GUN-TYPE HEU [80] |

| | | | | |DELAY FUSE; | |

| | | | | |AIRBURST | |

|21 |MK 21/B-21 |56.2 OR 58.5" X 150" |15000 – 17700 LBS. |4 – 5 MT |BOMB |REDESIGNED MK 17 WITH RETARDING PARACHUTE OPTION, OFTEN REFERRED TO IN THE LABS AS THE "SHRIMP TN DEVICE." USED |

| | | | | |AIRBURST, CONTACT, LAYDOWN |95% ENRICHED LI-6 FUEL. ALL THREE MODS WERE "DIRTY" BOMBS (ENHANCED RADIATION EFFECTS). MOD 1 CONTACT FUSED. MOD |

| | | | | | |2 HAD BOOSTED PRIMARY. LATER MODIFIED AS THE MK 36 Y1. [275] |

|22 |MK 33/W-33 |16" X 64" |1500, 1900 LBS. |15 – 20 KT |WARHEAD MECH. TIME DELAY |16" NAVAL SHELL FOR IOWA CLASS BATTLESHIPS. WEAPON |

| | | | | |FUSE, |USED THE INTERNAL COMPONENTS OF THE W-19 11" SHELL |

| | | | | |AIRBURST |ADAPTED FOR THE 16" CASING. GUN-TYPE HEU DEVICE. [50] |

|23 |EC-24 |61" X 225" |39,600 LBS |13.5 MT (CASTLE-YANKEE TEST) |BOMB |DEPLOYED PROTOTYPE "EMERGENCY CAPABILITY" BOMB |

| | | | | |AIRBURST |USING ENRICHED LI-6. FREE-FALL ONLY. [10] |

|24 |MK 24/B-24 |61.4" X 296" |41,400 – 42,000 LBS. |10 – 15 MT |BOMB |SIMILAR TO MK 17 WITH A DIFFERENT SECONDARY. |

| | | | | |AIRBURST |PARACHUTE RETARDED. [105] |

|25 |W 25 |17.4" X 26.6" |218 -221 LBS. |1.5 – 1.7 KT |WARHEAD |DEVELOPED FOR THE MB-1GENIE AAM. WARHEAD WAS AN UNBOOSTED COMPOSITE IMPLOSION DEVICE, THE FIRST "SEALED PIT" |

| | | | | |TIME DELAY |WEAPON. 2 MODS. HAD "ENVIRONMENTAL SENSOR DEVICE" SAFETIES BUILT IN. [3150] |

|26 |MK 27/B-27 |30.2” X 125 -142” |3150 – 3300 LBS. |2 MT |BOMB |NAVY BOMB ORIGINALLY FOR A-5 VIGILANTE WITH SPECIAL |

| | | | | |AIRBURST, |FUEL TANK ADD-ON FITTINGS FOR THE VIGILANTE'S TUBULAR |

| | | | | |CONTACT |BOMB BAY. 3 MODS. [700] |

|27 |W-27 |30.25 – 31” X 75” |2800 LBS. |2 MT |WARHEAD |WARHEAD FOR REGULUS 1 (SSM-N-8) CRUISE MISSILE. [20] |

| | | | | |AIRBURST, | |

| | | | | |CONTACT | |

|28 |MK 28/B-28 |20 -22” X 96 – 170” |1700 – 2320 LBS. |Y1 1.1 - 1.45 MT |BOMB |MOST NUMEROUS BOMB PRODUCED, SECOND LARGEST |

| | | | |Y2 350 KT |FREE-FALL OR RETARDED |PRODUCTION RUN OVERALL. FIVE DELIVERY VARIANTS – EXTERNAL CARRY (EX), INTERNAL (IN), RETARDED EXTERNAL (RE), |

| | | | |Y3 70 KT |AIRBURST, CONTACT LAYDOWN |FULL-FUSING INTERNAL (FI) AND RETARDED INTERNAL (RI). USED W34 AS PRIMARY. Y4 MOD USED THE FISSION |

| | | | |Y4 (ABOUT 10 – 15 KT?) | |COMPONENT ONLY. PRODUCED IN 20 MODS AND VARIANTS. |

| | | | |Y5 SAME AS Y1 | |PAL TYPE A ON Y1; Y2 (B); Y3, Y5 (D). [4500] |

|29 |W-28 |20” X 60” |1500 -1725 LBS. |Y1 1.1 MT |WARHEAD |VARIANT OF B 28 FOR HOUND DOG (AGM-28) AND MACE (MGM-13) MISSILES. 5 MODS USING PAL A AND B. [900 HD; 100 M] |

| | | | |Y2 350 KT |AIRBURST, | |

| | | | |Y3 70 KT |CONTACT | |

|30 |W -30 |22” X 48 “ |438, 450, 490 |Y1 .3 - .5 KT |WARHEAD, |TALOS SAM/SSM WARHEAD AND XW -30-X1 TACTICAL ATOMIC DEMOLITION MUNITION (TADM) TALOS WARHEAD HAD 1 YIELD (Y1), 3 |

| | | |LBS. |Y2 5 KT, 19 KT |TACTICAL ADM |MODS, TADM 2 YIELDS (Y2). TALOS HAD A LIMITED SURFACE-TO-SURFACE CAPABILITY. [300] |

| | | | | |AIRBURST, | |

| | | | | |CONTACT, | |

| | | | | |TIME DELAY | |

|31 |W-31 |28 – 29”, 30” X 39” |900 – 945 LBS. |1, 2, 12, 20, 40 KT |WARHEAD AND ADM |ATOMIC DEMOLITION MUNITION (ADM), NIKE HERCULES, |

| | | | | |AIRBURST, |HONEST JOHN MISSILES. BOOSTED FISSION WARHEAD |

| | | | | |CONTACT, |[2550 NH, HJ; 300 ADM] |

| | | | | |TIMER | |

|32 |W-33 |8” X 37” |240 – 243 LBS. |5 – 10 KT (Y1, Y3, Y4) UP TO |WARHEAD |USED IN THE T-317 ATOMIC SHELL FOR THE M-422 8" HOWITZER. GUN – TYPE HEU USING TITANIUM TO REDUCE WEIGHT. 4 |

| | | | |40KT (Y2) |AIRBURST, |YIELDS POSSIBLE USING DIFFERNING HEU INTERNAL ASSEMBLIES. HIG-YIELD VERSION PROBABLY BOOSTED (Y4). 2 MODS. [2000]|

| | | | | |MECH. TIME DELAY | |

|33 |MK 34/W-34 |17” X 32” |311, 312, 320 LBS. |10 – 15 KT |WARHEAD, |MK 101 LULU DEPTH CHARGE; MK 105 HOTPOINT BOMB |

| | | | | |BOMB |(FIRST PARACHUTE RETARDED LAYDOWN WEAPON); MK |

| | | | | |HYDROSTAT., |45 ASTOR TORPEDO. THE W 34 WAS THE PRIMARY IN MANY |

| | | | | |LAYDOWN OR CONTACT |THERMO-NUCLEAR WEAPONS. PROBABLY THE MOST ELEGANT AND UTILITARIAN FISSION WEAPON EVER MADE; USED AS PRIMARY IN |

| | | | | | |SEVERAL H-BOMBS, BOTH AMERICAN AND BRITISH. BOOSTED FISSION IMPLOSION DEVICE. [600 A; 2000 L; 600 H] |

|34 |MK 36/B-36 |56.2, 58, 59 “ X 150” |17,500, 17,700 LBS. |Y1 19MT |BOMB |UPGRADE OF B 21 USING SAME CASING. Y1 WAS A “DIRTY” |

| | | | |Y2 6 MT |FREE FALL OR RETARDED |BOMB, Y2 CLEAN. EACH HAD 2 MODS. ALL OLDER MK 21s WERE |

| | | | | |AIRBURST, CONTACT |CONVERTED TO MK 36 CONFIGURATION IN 1957. [940] |

|35 |W-38 |32” X 82.5” |3080 LBS. |3.75 - 4.5 MT |WARHEAD |ATLAS E, ATLAS F, TITAN 1 ICBMs. [110 A; 70 T] |

| | | | | |AIRBURST, CONTACT | |

|36 |MK 39/B-39 |35”, 44” X 136 – 140 “ |6650 – 6750 LBS. |3 – 4 MT (Y1 AND Y2) |BOMB |BASED ON B-15 W/PARACHUTE RETARD. WEIGHT REDUCTION |

| | | | | |AIRBURST, |VIA USE OF GAS B00STED PRIMARY. IMPROVED SAFETY WITH |

| | | | | |CONTACT, LOW-LEVEL RETARDED |THERMAL BATTERIES. 3 MODS. [700] |

| | | | | |LAYDOWN | |

|37 |W-39 |34.5 -35” X 105.7” |6230 – 6400 LBS |3 – 4 MT (2 YIELDS, Y1 & Y2 |WARHEAD |B 39 WARHEAD MODIFIED FOR SNARK (SM-62) CRUISE MIISSILE, REDSTONE MRBM AND FOR THE B-58 HUSTLER WEAPONS POD. |

| | | | | |AIRBURST, |IDENTICAL TO THE MK-39 EXCEPT FOR FUSING SYSTEM. REDSTONE USED THE Y1 AND Y2 MOD 1; SNARK USED THE Y2 MOD 1. [30] |

| | | | | |CONTACT | |

|38 |W-40 |17.9” X 31.64” |350, 385 LBS |10 KT |WARHEAD |BOMARC SAM, (CIM-10A,B), LACROSSE, SSM-A-12. USED THE W-34 BOOSTED WARHEAD WITH DIFFERENT FUSING. [350 B; 400 L] |

| | | | | |AIRBURST, CONTACT | |

|39 |MK 41/B-41 |50” X ?” |10,500 – 10,670 LBS. |25 MT (Y1, Y2) |BOMB |LARGEST YIELD U.S. THERMONUCLEAR DEPLOYED. ONLY 3- STAGE WEAPON DEPLOYED. Y1 WAS “DIRTY” Y2 CLEAN. [500] |

| | | | | |FREE FALL OR RETARDED | |

| | | | | |AIRBURST, CONTACT, LAYDOWN | |

|40 |MK 43/B-43 |18” X 150 – 164” |2060 – 2125 LBS. |70 KT – 1 MT (Y2,3,4), 500 KT |BOMB |DESIGNED AS A LAYDOWN BOMB FOR HIGH-SPEED LOW-LEVEL DELIVERY. 5 YIELDS. 70 KT Y4 YIELD USED PRIMARY ONLY (FISSION).|

| | | | |(Y5); 1 MT (Y1) |FREEFALL OR RETARDED |EQUIPPED WITH PAL B. [1000] |

| | | | | |AIRBURST, CONTACT, | |

| | | | | |LAYDOWN | |

|41 |W-44 |13.75” X 25.3” |170 |10 KT |WARHEAD |MK 17 ASROC (RUR-5A) DEPTH CHARGE WARHEAD. PLUTONIUM IMPLOSION SYSTEM SIMILAR TO PRIMARY IN MK 43. [575] |

| | | | | |HYDROSTAT. | |

|42 |W-45 |11.75” X 27” |150 LBS. |0.5, 1, 5, 8, 10, |WARHEAD & DEMOLITION |MEDIUM ATOMIC DEMOLITION MUNITION (MADM), TERRIER SAM, BULLPUP B ASM, LITTLE JOHN SSM. Y1 YIELD (1 KT) LITTLE |

| | | | |15 KT |MUNITION |JOHN, TERRIER, MADM. Y2 YIELD LITTLE JOHN, MADM. Y3 (UNBOOSTED – 500T) GAM 83B BULLPUP, MADM. Y4 (BOOSTED) ALL |

| | | | | |AIRBURST, SURFACE, TIME |FOUR. MADM WAS VARIABLE, 1 – 15 KT. [MADM 350; B 100; LJ 500] |

| | | | | |DELAY, REMOTE COMMAND | |

|43 |MK 47/W-47 |18” X 46.6” |717-733 LBS. |YI 600 KT, Y2 1.2 MT |WARHEAD |POLARIS A-1 SLBM THERMONUCLEAR. FIRST COMPACT, LIGHT HIGH-YIELD WARHEAD DESIGN. PLAGUED BY RELIABILITY PROBLEMS |

| |(EC-47) | |DEP. ON YIELD | |AIRBURST, |NOT FULLY SOLVED UNTIL LATE 1967.; ONLY MISSILE TESTED WITH A LIVE WARHEAD. [EC-47 VERSION – 300; W-47 1060, WITH |

| | | | | |CONTACT |300 IN SERVICE AT A TIME.] |

|44 |W-48 |6.1” X 33.3 “ |118-128 LBS. |72 TONS |WARHEAD |M454 6.1” (155 MM) AFAP (SHELL). SMALL DIAMETER LINEAR IMPLOSION PLUTONIUM WEAPON. 2 MODS. [135 MOD O; 925 MOD 1]|

| | | | | |MECH. TIME DELAY, | |

| | | | | |PROXIMITY AIR BURST, | |

| | | | | |CONTACT | |

|45 |MK 49 |20” X 54,3 – 57.9” |1640 – 1680 LBS. |1.44 MT |WARHEAD |RE-PACKAGED W 28 WITH NEW ARMING/FUSING SYSTEM AND PAL A FOR ATLAS D (MOD 0,1), TITAN AND JUPITER (MOD 0, 1, 3, 5)|

| | | | | |AIRBURST, CONTACT |THOR (MOD 0,1,3) ICBM/IRBMs. [TOTAL PRODUCED NOT KNOWN] |

|46 |W 50 |15.4” X 44” |410 LBS |Y1 60 KT; Y2 200 KT; Y2 400 KT |WARHEAD |THERMONUCLEAR WARHEAD FOR PERSHING 1A SSM. MOD 1 EQUIPPED WITH PAL A. 2 MODS. [280] |

| | | | | |AIRBURST, | |

| | | | | |CONTACT | |

|47 |MK 52/W-52 |24” X 56.7” |950 LBS. |200 KT |WARHEAD |SERGEANT SSM WARHEAD. 3 MODS. MOD 2 WITH PAL A. TEST IN 1963 SHOWED MOD 1 AND 2 WERE USELESS. MOD 3 ACHIEVED |

| | | | | |AIRBURST, CONTACT |FUNCTIONAL YIELD. [300] |

|48 |MK 53/B-53 |50” X 148 – 150” |8900 LBS. |9 MT |BOMB |HIGH-YIELD ORALLOY (NO PLUTONIUM, ALL HEU) Y1 WAS “DIRTY” Y2 CLEAN. [350 – 50 WERE RETAINED IN STOCKPILE UNTIL |

| | | | | |FREE FALL OR RETARDED |2011.] |

| | | | | |AIRBURST, CONTACT, LAYDOWN | |

|49 |W 53 |37" x 103" |6200 LBS. |9 MT |WARHEAD |MODIFIED B-53 FOR TITAN II ICBM [APPROX. 65] |

| | | | | |AIRBURST, CONTACT | |

|50 |MK 54/ |10.75" X 17.6" |50 -55 LBS |.01 - .02 KT |WARHEAD |DAVEY CROCKETT M-388 RECOILESS RIFLE AND SPECIAL ATOMIC DEMOLITION MUNITION (SADM). VERY LIGHT COMPACT SPHERICAL |

| |MK 54 SADM |16" X 24" |SADM 150 |SADM VARIABLE FROM 10 TONS TO 1|TIME DELAY |PLUTONIUM IMPLOSION DEVIC, PROBABLY THE SMALLES ATOMIC WEAPON EVERY DEVELOPED. DAVY CROCKETT HAD TWO YIELDS, SADM |

| | | |LBS(PACKAGE) |KT | |VARIABLE YIELD. SADM HAD MECHANICAL COMBINATION LOCK PAL. [DC 400; SADM 300] |

| | | |59 LBS. WARHEAD ONLY | | | |

|51 |W54 |10.75" X 15.7" |50 – 51 LBS. |.25 KT |WARHEAD |FALCON AAM (GAR-11/AIM-26A) ADAPTATION OF THE MK 54 WARHEAD. [2000] |

| | | | | |CONTACT, PROXIMITY FUSE | |

|52 |W 55 |13" X 39.4" |470 LBS |1 – 5 KT (ALSO LISTED AS |WARHEAD |SUBROC UUM-44A. THERMONUCLEAR WARHEAD. BASED ON 202 KT HARDTACK 1-OLIVE TEST DEVICE. [285] |

| | | | |"MID-KILOTON RANGE") |HYDROSTAT. | |

|53 |W 56 |17.4" X 47.3" |600, 680 LBS. |1.2 MT |WARHEAD |MINUTEMAN 1B, MINUTEMAN II ICBM. 4 MODS. EARLY VERSIONS REQUIRED MODS TO FIX RELIABILITY PROBLEM. BLAST AND |

| | | | | |AIRBURST, CONTACT |RADIATION HARDENING FEATURES ADDED LATER. [1000 – 455 WERE MOD 4] |

|54 |MK 57/B-57 |14.75" X 118" |490 -510 LBS. |5-20 KT |BOMB |LIGHTWEIGHT TACTICAL BOMB AND DEPTH CHARGE. BOOSTED IMPLOSION FISSION DEVICE WITH EARLY MODULAR DESIGN. 6 MODS |

| | | | | |RETARDED AIRBURST, |PRODUCED. HAD PAL B. [3100] |

| | | | | |RETARDED LAYDOWN, | |

| | | | | |HYDROSTAT. | |

|55 |W 58 |15.6 X 40.3" |257 LBS. |200 KT |WARHEAD |MIRV WARHEAD FOR POLARIS A-3 ICBM (3 PER MISSILE). FIRST MIRV SYSTEM IN SERVICE [1400] |

| | | | | |AIRBURST, | |

| | | | | |CONTACT | |

|56 |W 59 |16.3" X 47.8" |550 -553 LBS. |1 MT |WARHEAD |MINUTEMAN 1A ICBM (MK 5 RV) [150] |

| | | | | |AIRBURST, | |

| | | | | |CONTACT | |

|57 |MK 61/B-61 |13.3" X 141.6" |695 – 716 LBS. |VARIABLE 0.3 – 340 KT: MOD 3 |BOMB |LIGHTWEIGHT THERMONUCLEAR; INCLUDES PENETRATOR MOD. PARACHUTE RETARDED. MODULAR CONSTRUCTION, BASIC DESIGN ADAPTED|

| | | | |0.3 – 170 KT; MOD 4 0.3 – 45 |CONTACT, |FOR MANY OTHER WEAPONS SYSTEMS. 11 MODS, 4 STILL IN SERVICE. PAL B,D AND F. USES INSENSITIVE HIGH EXPLOSIVES (IHE)|

| | | | |KT; MOD 7/11 10 – 340 KT; MOD |AIRBURST, |IN PRIMARY. OLDEST WEAPON DESIGN IN SERVICE AND LONGEST PRODUCTION RUN OF ANY NUCLEAR WEAPON. [3150 – 1350 STILL |

| | | | |10 0.3 – 80 KT |LAYDOWN |IN SERVICE] |

|58 |W 62 |19.7" X 72" (WARHEAD) |253 LBS. WARHEAD |170 KT |WARHEAD |MINUTEMAN III/MK-12 RV WARHEAD. [1725 – 610 IN SERVICE] |

| | |RV BODY 21" X 72" |700-800 LBS WARHEAD +| |AIRBURST, | |

| | | |RV | |CONTACT | |

|59 |W 66 |18" X 35" |150 LBS. |20 KT |WARHEAD |SMALL THERMONUCLEAR DEVICE ENHANCED RADIATION ("NUETRON") WEAPON. TOTAL PRODUCED NOT KNOWN; 70 SPRINTS WERE |

| | | | | |FUSING NOT KNOWN, PROBABLY |DEPLOYED WITH WARHEADS, OVER 150 MISSILES MANUFACTURED BEFORE THIS SHORT-LIVED PROGRAM WAS CANCELLED. WARHEADS |

| | | | | |COMMAND AND DELAY TIMER |WERE RETAINED IN RESERVE TO AT LEAST AUGUST 1981. |

| | | | | |AIRBURST | |

|60 |W 68 | |367 LBS. |40 – 50 KT |WARHEAD |POSEIDON C-3 SLBM (MK-3 MIRV) 10 RVs PER MISSILE. LARGEST PRODUCTION RUN OF ANY NUCLEAR WEAPON. WARHEADS REQUIRED |

| | | | | |AIRBURST, |RENOVATION DUE TO AGING EXPLOSIVES – 3200 WERE REBUILT. [5250] |

| | | | | |CONTACT | |

|61 |W 69 |15" X 30" |275 LBS. |170 – 200 KT |WARHEAD |SHORT RANGE ATTACK MISSILE (SRAM) AGM-69 WARHEAD. WARHEAD DERIVED FROM THE MK 61 THERMONUCLEAR BOMB. APPARENTLY |

| | | | | |AIRBURST, |REMOVED FROM SERVICE TO DUE FIRE SAFETY CONCERNS. [1500] |

| | | | | |CONTACT | |

|62 |W 70 |18" X 41" |270 LBS |VARIABLE |WARHEAD |LANCE SSM THERMONUCLEAR WARHEAD. MOD 3 IS "ER" (ENHANCED RADIATION) TYPE. PAL D FITTED. [MODS 0 – 2 900; MOD 3 |

| | | | |MOD 0,1,2 – 1 – 100 KT; MOD 3 –|AIRBURST, |380] |

| | | | |1 KT |CONTACT | |

|63 |W 71 |42" X 101" |2850 |5 MT |WARHEAD |SPARTAN ABM WARHEAD. USED THERMAL X-RAYS FOR EXOATMOSPHERIC KILL. WARHEADS WERE RETAINED IN RESERVE TO 1994 |

| | | | | |'AIRBURST", |AFTER SPARTAN PROGRAM CANCELLED. FULL-SCALE TEST OF THIS WARHEAD, AMCHITKA ISLAND, NOVEMBER 1971. [30] |

| | | | | |COMMAND & DELAY TIMER | |

|64 |W 72 |15" X 79" |825 LBS. |.06 KT |WARHEAD |AIR FORCE VERSION OF WALLEYE MISSILE (AGM-62). GUIDED GLIDE BOMB WARHEAD. THE W 72 WAS AND ENHANCED-YIELD REBUILD |

| | | | | |CONTACT |OF THE W 54 WARHEAD FOR THE FALCON AAM. [300] |

|65 |W 76 |NOT RELEASED |212 LBS.(WARHEAD + |100 KT |WARHEAD |TRIDENT C-4, D-5 SLBM WARHEAD. MAXIMU 8 WARHEADS PER MISSILE, REDUCED BY VARIOUS TREATIES. [APPROX 3000] |

| | | |RV_ | |AIRBURST, CONTACT | |

|66 |W 78 |21.25" X 68" |385 LBS. |335 - 350 KT |WARHEAD |MINUTEMAN III MIRV. DERIVITIVE OF THE W 50 WITH LIGHTER PRIMARY. [920] |

| | | | | |AIRBURST, | |

| | | | | |CONTACT | |

|67 |W 79 |8" X 44" |200 LBS. |VARIABLE .01 TO 1.1 KT |WARHEAD |PLUTONIUM LINEAR IMPLOSION WEAPON USED IN XM-753 8" PROJECTILE. MOD 0 IS DUAL CAPABLE – PURE FISSION OR ER |

| | | | | |AIRBURST, |(ENHANCED RADIATION – NEUTRON). 3 YIELD OPTIONS, MOD 1 BEING THE FISSION ONLY LOW YIELD. EQUIPPED WITH PAL D. |

| | | | | |CONTACT |[550 – 325 WERE ER TYPE.] |

|68 |W 80-0 (SLCM) |11.8" X 31.4" |290 LBS. |VARIABLE 5 KT & 170 -200 KT |WARHEAD |TOMAHAWK, ALCM/SLCM WARHEAD USING SUPERGRADE PLUTONIUM. ANOTHER WARHEAD ADAPTED FROM THE MK 61. PAL D EQUIPPED. |

| |W 80-1 (ALCM) | | | |AIRBURST, CONTACT |APPROXIMATELY 1400 STILL IN SERVICE [SLCM 367; ALCM 1750] |

|69 |MK 83/B-83 |18" X 145" |2400 LBS. |VARIABLE TO 1.2 MT |BOMB |IMPROVED LOW-LEVEL DELIVERY CAPABILITY. USES IHE W/ FIRE-RESISTANT PIT. PAL D EQUIPPED. THE CURRENT HIGH-YIELD |

| | | | | |FREE FALL OR RETARDED |STRATEGIC THERMONUCLEAR WEAPON IN SERVICE. [650] |

| | | | | |AIRBURST, | |

| | | | | |CONTACT, | |

| | | | | |LAYDOWN | |

|70 |W 84 |13" X 34" |388 LBS. |VARIABLE O.2 TO 150 KT |WARHEAD |WARHEAD FOR THE GRYPHON GLCM DERIVATIVE OF THE TOMAHAWK. THE MISSILES HAVE BEEN WITHDRAWN FROM SERVICE, BUT THE |

| | | | | |AIRBURST, CONTACT |WARHEADS REMAIN IN STOCKPILE. [300 – 350] |

|71 |W 87 |21,8" X 68.9" |500 – 600 LBS.; |300 KT, UPGRADEABLE TO 475 KT |WARHEAD |WARHEAD FOR THE PEACEKEEPER (MX) ICBM. MISSILE CAN CARRY 10 WARHEADS IN MK-21 RV. YIELD CAN BE UPGRADED BY ADDING |

| | | |440 LBS. | |TIMER OR PROXIMITY AIRBURST,|HEU RINGS TO SECONDARY PACKAGE. USES IHE IN PRIMARY WITH FIRE-RESISTANT PIT. WHEN MX RETIRES, WARHEADS WILL BE |

| | | | | |CONTACT |BACK-FITTED TO MINUTEMAN III. [525] |

|72 |W 88 |21.8" X 68.9" | CA. 800 LBS |475 KT |WARHEAD |TRIDENT II D-5 SLBM WARHEAD WITH MK-5 RV. NOT IHE EQUIPPED. SECONDARY HAS HEU JACKET. [400] |

| | | | | |TIMER W/ PLC | |

| | | | | |PROXIMITY, AIRBURST, | |

| | | | | |CONTACT | |

72 weapon systems, 64,160 warheads built (using the statistics in this table, which cannot possibly be exact).

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Some interesting historical facts concerning the effectiveness of the American nuclear weapons program in keeping the Cold War cold and eventually making a major contribution to the collapse of the Soviet's appallingly distasteful system that was, governmentally, anything except communism:

a. In 1954, the Soviet Union had about 150 nuclear weapons, and it would have taken them about a month to deploy and deliver them. The bomber missions would have been one way for the most part. The US Strategic Air Command had 1008 bombers that could deliver the first of 750 immediately available weapons in a few hours and probably return.

b. In 1961 the Soviet Union had about 44 ICBMs in place and 155 heavy bombers. The United States had 156 ICBMs and 144 MRBMs (Polaris) with 1300 strategic bombers available.

c. In 1962, at the height of the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Soviets had emplaced 20 nuclear warheads for their MRBMs in Cuba plus 9 tactical weapons in addition to their forces in the homeland (ICBMs/bombers). The United States had 2,952 warheads (ICBMs and bombs) plus the navy's 112 Polaris missiles deployed in one degree or another. The B-52s, B-47s and B-58s were cycled into the air with full bomb loads armed or ready to arm, the ICBMs were hot on their pads, and the Polaris submarines were at full alert. The Soviets, being able to count beyond 10, didn't like anything they looked at on their radar screens, and they blinked. Of course, the alleged trigger for this event – the placing of Jupiter IRBMs in Turkey -- was not a wise move on the part of the United States either, and was soon rectified.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Nuclear Weapon designations are sometimes a bit "fuzzy" as to whether they were "B" "W" or "MK" (Mark). The most commonly used are listed. The military services and the civilian weapons labs sometimes used differing designations for the same weapons system, apparently with no real consistency.

** Quantity produced (not be totally accurate, of course..)

REFERENCES:

The History of the U.S. Nuclear Arsenal. James Norris Gibson. Brompton Books, Greenwich, CT, 1989.

The U.S. Nuclear Arsenal: A History of Weapons and Delivery Systems Since 1945. Norman Polmar and Robert S. Norris. Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, MD, 2009.

Swords of Armageddon: The History of the U.S. Development of Nuclear Weapons. Chuck Hansen. CD-ROM. 1995. (See .)

U.S. Nuclear Weapons: The Secret History. Chuck Hansen. Crown Publishers, Inc., New York, 1988.

Nuclear Weapons Databook: U.S. Nuclear Forces and Capabilities. Thomas B. Cochran, William L. Arkin and Milton M. Hoenig. Natural Resources Defense Council publication, Ballinger Publishing Co. Inc., New York, 1984.

The Making of the Atomic Bomb. Richard Rhodes. Simon & Schuster, New York, 1986.

Dark Sun: The Making of the Atomic Bomb. Richard Rhodes, Simon & Schuster, New York, 1995.

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