US creates new B61-13 nuclear bomb a year ahead of schedule
Washington officially announced the assembly of the first modernised B61-13 nuclear bomb, which was completed a year ahead of schedule.
Here's What We Know
The B61-13 is based on the previous version of the B61-12, but has a higher maximum yield. The new bomb will be used to destroy fortified underground military facilities, such as command posts. The main carrier will be the latest B-21 Raider strategic bomber.
The first pre-production B-21 bomber. Illustration: Wikipedia
According to the US government, the maximum yield of the B61-13 will be the same as the B61-7 - from 340 to 360 kilotons, while the B61-12 has a maximum of 50 kilotons. All variants of this bomb have a "power tuning" function to detonate with different explosive yields.
The new version retains the state-of-the-art safety, accuracy and protection characteristics of the B61-12. In short, the B61 nuclear gravity bomb has been in service with the United States since 1968 and is currently deployed at air bases in the United States and NATO countries.
Source: The War Zone
