Fact File: U.S. Nuclear Weapons and World War III

[Matt Wiser]

Here's a repost of the nuclear weapons fact file for the U.S.; a few typos have been cleaned up, but otherwise unchanged from the previous incarnation of the board:



U.S. Nuclear Weapons After World War III



Although the U.S. Made its conventional forces its top priority in its postwar force structure, both strategic and tactical nuclear modernization were not neglected. Although only strategic weapons were used in the retaliatory strikes on the USSR on Day One and after the failed Spetsnatz attack on Raven Rock, tactical weapons were always on standby. Postwar, older weapons were gradually retired, and though funds for reconstruction and conventional forces were the top spending priorities in the 1990s, nuclear weapons research and development continued. As a result, several new weapon designs were produced in the 2000s and low-rate production continues.

This work will examine the U.S. Nuclear Weapons stockpile in the postwar era, with notes on when some of those weapons were actually used.


Strategic Warheads:

B-28: Oldest bomb in U.S. Strategic Arsenal during the war. Multipurpose Strategic/Tactical bomb. Multiple fin/nose configurations and five yields: Y1 1.1 MT, Y2 350 KT, Y3 70 KT, Y4 “around 10” KT, Y5 1.45 MT. Free Fall airburst, contact, or retarded delay. Not used during the war. Retired late 1990s.

B-43: Multipurpose Tactical/Strategic gravity bomb. Five yields: Y1 1 MT, Y2 Unknown, Y3 70 KT, Y4 Fission only, believed to be primary (10 KT), Y5 500 KT. Free Fall airburst, contact, or retarded delay. Not used during the war, and retired early 2000s.

B-53: High-yield strategic gravity bomb: carried only by B-52s. Yield 9-10 MT. Fuzing for Free Fall air or surface burst, or laydown delivery. Retired as B-61 Mod 11 became available. None were used during the war, during the fall of the Rump USSR, or against Libya.

W-53: Titan II ICBM warhead. Yield 9-10 MT, with fuzing for either airburst or contact. In process of being retired when war began. Two silo fields still had active missiles: McConnell and Little Rock. Warheads removed and missiles destroyed in silos to prevent capture. All warheads dismantled after the war.

W-56: Minuteman II ICBM warhead. Yield 1.2 MT, with fuzing for either air or surface burst. No Minuteman II launches during the war, and retired with Minuteman II as MGM-134 entered service.

B-61: Multipurpose Tactical/Strategic gravity bomb. Two strategic versions known: Mod 7 with yields from 10 KT to 340 KT, and Mod 11 (Earth-penetrator) with single yield (340 KT) Free Fall airburst, contact, retarded delay. Two used during the war in retaliatory strikes for Raven Rock attack. At least two used against North Korea, and several against Libya. In service, but gradually being replaced by B-95.

W-61: Earth-penetrator warhead for MGM-134. Yield 350 KT. Unknown number produced, but in service.

W-68: Poseidon SLBM warhead. Yield 40-50 KT with air or contact burst. During the war, this warhead was half of the U.S. Navy's strategic nuclear deterrent. None fired during the war, and retired as Trident-II SLBMs entered service.

W-69: SRAM (AGM-69) missile warhead. Yield 170-200 KT with air or contact burst. None fired during the war, and replaced by AGM-131.

W-76: Trident I SLBM warhead. Yield up to 100 KT, with fuzing for either airburst or contact. W-76-1 has improved fuzing to enable strikes on hard targets. Not used during the war or against Rump USSR, North Korea, or Libya.

W-78: Minuteman III warhead with Mark-12A reentry vehicle. Yield 335-350 KT, fuzing for either airburst or contact. Gradually retired as MGM-134s entered SAC service. No Minutemen fired during the war.

W-80-0: SLCM warhead. Yield 5 KT to 170-200 KT. Fuzing for air or contact burst. Several may have been used against North Korea during fall of Rump USSR, and at least two used against Libya. Currently in service. TLAM-N reported also in RN service with a UK-designed warhead.

W-80-1: ALCM (AGM-86) and ACM (AGM-129) warheads. Yield 5 KT to 150 KT with fuzing for airburst or contact. Several used in retaliatory strike on USSR after initial invasion, directed at DA (Long-Range Aviation) HQ bunker and RSVN (Strategic Rocket Forces) HQ bunker. ACMs used against Rump USSR to neutralize several Rump Soviet ICBM launch control centers, and against Libyan targets.

B-83: Strategic gravity bomb to replace B-28 and B-43. Yield “Low KT” to 1.2 MT. Either free-fall or retarded (Laydown) delivery with either airburst, contact, or delayed contact burst. Primary SAC gravity bomb, and used against both Rump USSR (several) and North Korea.

W-83: Warhead version of B-83 with same “Physics Package”. Used on MGM-134, with yield 500 KT to 1 MT. None used during either fall of Rump USSR or Libya operations.

W-87: Peacekeeper (MX) and Midgetman (MGM-134) warhead. Normal yield 300 KT but can be upgraded to 475-500 KT. Fuzing either timer or proximity airburst, or contact. Both Peacekeeper and Midgetman remain in service. None used against Rump USSR, North Korea, or Libya.

W-88: Trident-II (D-5) SLBM warhead. Yield 475 KT, with fuzing for timer/proximity airburst, or contact. Several fired against North Korea during fall of Rump USSR.

W-89: AGM-131 (SRAM II) warhead. Yield 10-200 KT, with airburst or contact fuzing. Also planned as an option on Sea Lance ASW missile.

W-93: New SLBM warhead. Cancelled 1999. Planned to replace W-76.

B-95: New Strategic/tactical bomb to replace B-61 family. Strategic version designated B-95 Mod 3 with yields between 10 and 350 KT. Fuzing either freefall, laydown delay, or contact.


Tactical Warheads:

W-31: Nike Hercules SAM warhead and Honest John SSM warhead. None active with U.S. Forces during the war, and those stockpiled in Europe were returned prior to the war's outbreak. ROK forces still used Nike Hercules and Honest John, and stocks in Korea remained. Airburst, timer, or surface burst. Yields 1KT, 2KT, 20 KT, 40KT. All retired after war's end.

W-33: 8-inch Howitzer shell. Rounds held in Europe were intended to be withdrawn to the U.S., but some remained in the UK. Rounds stockpiled in Korea and on Guam remained. 4 yields: 1 KT, 5 KT 10 KT and 40 KT. Fuzing via airburst with mechanical time delay. All returned to the U.S postwar and retired with no replacement.

W-44: ASROC nuclear depth bomb. Yield 10 KT with hydrostatic fuzing. None used and all retired postwar.

W-45: Terrier SAM warhead. 1 KT yield with command detonation. None used by USN, and all retired postwar.

W-48: 155mm artillery shell. Yield less than .1 KT. Fuzing either contact, proximity or mechanical time delay airburst. Warheads in Europe returned, but some held in UK. Warheads in Pacific and Far East remained during the war, and returned after war's end. None used, and all retired.

W-50: Pershing Ia missile warhead. Three yields, Y1 60 KT, Y2 200 KT, and Y3 400 KT. Fuizng either air or contact burst. Warheads held for FRG returned to the U.S., along with U.S. Pershing warheads and all missiles. Retired postwar.

Mk 54 SADM: Based on W-54 Davy Crockett warhead. Yield 10 T to 1 KT. None used, and all withdrawn from service postwar.

W-55: SUBROC standoff ASW rocket warhead. Hydrostatic fuzing with a yield in the Mid Kiloton range. None launched during the war, and all retired as Sea Lance entered service.

B-57: Dual depth/strike bomb. In USN/AF service during the war, with yields from 5-20 KT. Hydrostatic fuze for depth bomb role, either air or surface fuzing as strike bomb. Also held in storage at two RAF bases for use by RAF Nimrod MPA force. None used during the war, and replaced by the B-90.

B-61 tactical bomb: Main tactical gravity bomb in service in both NATO and the U.S. Mods 0, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 7. Yields between .3 and 340 depending on the version. All have selectable yield with several yield options. Fuzing for free-fall air, surface, or retarded laydown delay. NATO bombs withdrawn from Europe, but USAFUK bombs remained in England. Mod 10 bombs are recycled Pershing II W-85 warheads. Mod 12 is equipped with JDAM tail unit for improved accuracy and standoff delivery.

W-70: Lance SSM warhead. Mods 0, 1, 2 had yields from 1-100 KT. Mod 3 yield 1 KT with ER option. Warheads stockpiled in Europe returned except for some held for UK. Warheads in Korea remained. None used, and all eventually retired.

W-79: 8-inch artillery shell. Mod 1 either fission or ER (Enhanced Radiation i.e. Neutron bomb). Yield Mod 1 100 T to 1.1 KT. Mod 2 fission only, yield .8 KT. Contact or proximity airburst. None deployed outside the U.S., and all retired.

W-84: GLCM missile warhead, based on W-80. Yield 5 KT up to 150 KT. Phased out after both Cuba Uprising and Baja War, and retirement of GLCM. Warheads in inactive storage pending disposal.

W-85: Pershing II missile warhead, based on B-61 Mod 3 and 4. Yield 5-80 KT with either contact or proximity airburst. None launched during the war, and all retired after Baja War.

B-90: Successor to B-57, with increased yield and additional yield options. Minimum yield 5 KT, max 200KT. Can be used as either depth or strike bomb with changes in fuzing. If strike bomb, free-fall, laydown, or contact burst. Held in storage at two RAF bases for both RAF Nimrod and Poseidon MPA and Dutch Navy Poseidon. Being phased out with no replacement intended.

W-91: SRAM-T (AGM-131B) missile warhead. Yield from 10-100 KT. Also used by NATO Tornado aircraft and RAF Tornados (with a UK-designed warhead). Air or contact burst. None used to date. Missiles remain in service.

W-92: Sea Lance ASW missile warhead. Limited number in service, yield up to 100 KT. Gradually being phased out. Hydrostatic fuzing. One may have been used during fall of Rump USSR. Missile has been sold to RN, presumably with UK-designed warhead.

W-94: ATCAMS missile warhead intended as successor to Lance SSM. Canceled.

B-95: Dual tactical/strategic bomb. Tactical versions Mod 0, 1, 2. Yields ranging from .3 KT to 350 KT. Mod 4 has 500 KT yield. Tactical versions still in service with USAF. Navy and Marine use has ended.