![]() W8 for SSM-N-8 Regulus cruise missile, Gun-type (cancelled 1955).W7 for MGR-1 Honest John artillery rocket (1954–1960), MGM-5 Corporal TBM (1955–1964), Nike Hercules SAM, and BOAR air-to-surface rocket (ASR) (1958–1960s).W5 for MGM-1 Matador cruise missile (1954–1963).W4 for SM-62 Snark cruise missile (cancelled 1951).W54/ Special Atomic Demolition Munition (1965–1989).W45/ Medium Atomic Demolition Munition (1964–1984).W30/ Tactical Atomic Demolition Munition (1961–1966).There were/are also nuclear warheads for the Army's 175 mm (6.9-inch) and 155 mm (6.1-inch) artillery.Robust Nuclear Earth Penetrator design program (2001–2005, cancelled).B46 nuclear bomb or (Mark 46) experimental, design evolved into B53 nuclear bomb and W-53 warhead (cancelled 1958).B41 nuclear bomb (Mark 41) (1960–1976) highest yield US nuclear weapon (25 Megatons).Mark 36 – Strategic nuclear bomb (1956–1961) 6–19 Megatons.Mark 26 – Similar design to Mk 21 (cancelled 1956).Mark 24 – High-yield thermonuclear, very similar to Mk-17 but had a different secondary.Mark 22 – Failed thermonuclear design ( Castle Koon device, cancelled April 1954).Mark 21 – Re-designed variant of Castle Bravo test.Mark 20 – Improved Mark 13 (cancelled 1954).Mark 18 – Very high yield fission weapon ( Ivy King device).TX/ Mark 16 – First weaponized thermonuclear weapon ( Ivy Mike device).Mark 15 – First "lightweight" thermonuclear weapon.TX/ Mark 14 – First deployable solid-fuel thermonuclear bomb ( Castle Union device).Mark 13 – Improved version of Mk-6 (cancelled August 1954).Mark 12 – Light-weight bomb to be carried by fighter aircraft (12–14 kilotons).Mark 10 – Improved version of Mk-8 (12–15 kilotons, cancelled May 1952).Mark 8 – Gun-assembly, HEU weapon designed for penetrating hardened targets.Mark 5 – Significantly smaller high efficiency nuclear bomb.Bomb designed with weapon characteristics as the foremost criteria. Mark 3 – " Fat Man" plutonium implosion weapon (used against Nagasaki), effectively the same as the "Gadget" device used in the Trinity nuclear test with minor design differences.Implosion Mark 2 – Another Manhattan Project plutonium implosion weapon, a hollow pit implosion design, was also sometimes referred to as Mark 2.Mark 2 – " Thin Man" plutonium gun design-cancelled in 1944.Mark 1 – " Little Boy" gun-type uranium weapon (used against Hiroshima)."Test Experimental" bombs designated with "TX". Bombs – designated with Mark ("Mk") numbers until 1968, and with "B" numbers after that.Those models are listed as canceled, along with the year or date of cancellation of their program. This list includes weapons which were developed to the point of being assigned a model number (and in many cases, prototypes were test fired), but which were then canceled prior to introduction into military service. There are also examples of out-of-sequence numbering and other prefixes used in special occasions. An example is the B61 nuclear bomb, which was the parent design for the W80, W81, and W84. In other cases, when the modifications are more significant, variants are assigned their own number. ![]() Such examples share the same sequence number. For instance, the W-53 warhead was also used as the basis for the B53 nuclear bomb. At this time the weapons began to receive designations based on their role bombs were given the prefix "B", while the same warhead used in other roles, like missiles, would normally be prefixed "W". As weapons became more sophisticated they also became much smaller and lighter, allowing them to be used in many roles. These were known by "Mark" designators, like the Mark 4 which was a development of the Fat Man weapon. Pure test units which were experiments (and not intended to be weapons) are not numbered in this sequence.Įarly weapons were very large and could only be used as free fall bombs. All designs which were formally intended to be weapons at some point received a number designation. Main article: United States and weapons of mass destructionĪmerican nuclear weapons of all types – bombs, warheads, shells, and others – are numbered in the same sequence starting with the Mark 1 and (as of March 2006 ) ending with the W91 (which was canceled prior to introduction into service).
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