A new American nuclear weapon, a “gravity bomb,” 24 times more powerful than the one dropped on Hiroshima, is being rushed into production as global tensions escalate.
At Sandia National Laboratories in New Mexico, America’s newest weapon of mass destruction is entering production seven months ahead of schedule as fears of a potential war with China continue to grow, the scientists who are building it said. Codenamed B61-13, it is a nuclear “gravity bomb” that was originally scheduled to enter production for the U.S. Air Force in 2026.
Nuclear Deterrence
This powerful new weapon, according to international media, is set to play a crucial role in US efforts to modernize its nuclear deterrent amid rising global tensions.
The US Air Force “responding to a critical challenge and urgent need, used innovative planning that led to the delivery seven months early (…)” of the new superweapon, the statement said.
It will equip B-21 Stealth bombers
A “gravity bomb” has no guidance system and is simply dropped from an airplane, relying solely on its bulk to reach its target. The B61-13 is designed to have a payload of 360 kilotons – equivalent to 361,000 tons of TNT – according to Interesting Engineering. In contrast, “Little Boy,” the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima, Japan in 1945, had a yield of 15 kilotons, equivalent to 15,000 tons of TNT.
The weapon is designed to replace the older US nuclear weapons carried by the new US B-21 Stealth bombers.
The first B61 “gravity bomb” was created in 1968, making it the oldest nuclear weapon in the US arsenal. Plans for the B61-13 bomb began in 2023, following fears that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine could spark a pan-European conflict.
