Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) has shown off the United States' latest nuclear weapon as full production begins seven months ahead of schedule. The B61-13 variable-yield gravity bomb is part of a major program to modernize the American nuclear deterrent.
Nuclear weapons may seem like a relic of the Cold War that isn't very pleasant to think about, but the are still front and center when it comes to geopolitics.
Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, cuts to the American and Russian arsenals have drastically reduced the number of combined warheads on alert from a high of between 8,000 and 9,000 to only about 1,800 combined, which includes both strategic and tactical weapons. However, nuclear deterrence has become much more complex as rogue states have striven to acquire atom bombs and China has gone from having an "arsenal in being" with a handful of warheads kept in storage to an estimated 24 weapons on alert as it moves to a more nuclear-centered strategy.
Because of this, the US has embarked on a program to extend the life of and to modernize its nuclear arsenal to make sure it remains safe and reliable as well as being able to counter the threats of the 21st century.
As part of this, the Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) was tasked in 2023 at a cost of US$92 million with building a new nuclear gravity bomb called the B61-13. Sorry, but "gravity" doesn't refer to some cool weapon that works by warping the spacetime continuum. It's just a way of describing a bomb that is dropped from a plane instead of riding on a missile.
The B61-13 is basically a variant of the earlier B61-7, though with updated safety and security systems to prevent anyone from fiddling with the mechanism or setting it off without authorization.
In addition, the B61-13 is a variable warhead, which means it can be programmed for a yield of between 10 and 360 kilotons. This not only allows the weapon to be used against the usual targets with minimal collateral damage, but also larger or hardened ones that need a much harder punch. It also allows the B61-13 to replace the newer B61-12 warheads currently being manufactured as well as the older B61-7. That means an increase in deterrent capability without the need to increase the number of weapons.
When it enters service, the B61-13 will be equipped with a tail kit that will turn it from a dumb iron bomb into one that can pilot itself to the target, making it much more precise and letting the aircraft remain clear of unpleasant air defenses.
Since the B61-13 program is seven months ahead of schedule thanks to a 25% decrease in initial production time, it will be carried first by the B-2 Spirit bomber and then by the B-21 Raider advanced stealth bomber.
Source: SNL
