The US Successfully Tested a Nuclear Gravity Bomb in Nevada

The US Successfully Tested a Nuclear Gravity Bomb in Nevada
Jack Phillips
Jack Phillips
Breaking News Reporter
|Updated:

The United States launched a third “development flight test” of the B61-12, a newly upgraded nuclear gravity bomb, the National Nuclear Security Administration said in a news release.

The B61 nuclear gravity bomb is among the primary thermonuclear weapons in the U.S. arsenal. The first B61 was developed in the 1960s, but the B61-12 is a new variant, which has a yield of about 50 kilotons. It’s tiny compared to the largest nuke that United States has, which has a yield of around 1,200 kilotons.

A F-15E fighter jet is seen dropping a test B61-12 nuclear gravity bomb in Nevada on Oct. 20, 2015. (nnsa.energy.gov)
A F-15E fighter jet is seen dropping a test B61-12 nuclear gravity bomb in Nevada on Oct. 20, 2015. nnsa.energy.gov
Jack Phillips
Jack Phillips
Breaking News Reporter
Jack Phillips is a breaking news reporter who covers a range of topics, including politics, U.S., and health news. A father of two, Jack grew up in California's Central Valley. Follow him on X: https://twitter.com/jackphillips5
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