America's modernization of its nuclear weapons is running ahead of schedule. The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) said the B61-13 nuclear bomb, a weapon 24 times more potent than the one dropped on Hiroshima, is entering full production seven months earlier than expected. Work on the weapon—a new type of B61 gravity bomb—started in 2023 under the Biden administration, and the DOD said at the time that "the fielding of the B61-13 is not in response to any specific current event."
An NNSA spokesperson confirmed the accelerated timeline, saying it was enabled by "leveraging manufacturing processes from the related B61-12 program, whose final unit was completed in 2024." Fox News reports the B61-13's yield is akin to that of the 360-kiloton B61-7 (meaning it's equivalent to 360,000 tons of TNT). Los Alamos reported last year that the new weapon would replace some B61-7s, meaning the overall count of America's nuclear weapons would not increase. Interesting Engineering reports the US and Russia both possess about 5,000 nuclear warheads.
The bomb dropped on Hiroshima was a 15-kiloton bomb, while the one dropped on Nagasaki was more powerful, at 25 kilotons. As for the specifics of this one, Interesting Engineering notes the "gravity bomb" aspect just means it would be dropped from a plane versus flying on its own propulsion, though its tail kit will allow it to direct itself to its target once released. The Aviationist adds that the tail kit will also enable it to penetrate "soft soil," meaning it could hit underground targets. The bomb is a variable warhead, meaning it can be programmed to have a yield of between 10 and 360 kilotons. That allows it to be used in a wider range of scenarios by limiting collateral damage. (For much more on the subject, this is a great read.) (This content was created with the help of AI. Read our AI policy.)
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