Pentagon Proposes Powerful New Nuclear Gravity Bomb
The Pentagon has its sights set on an updated nuclear gravity bomb with a yield 24 times greater than the explosives dropped on Japan to end World War II. This comes as wars flare across the globe and Russia and China draw even closer together.
In the recent announcement, Assistant Defense Secretary for Space Policy John Plumb said the development of the new weapon is necessary for national security.
He declared the country “has a responsibility to continue to assess and field the capabilities we need to credibly deter and, if necessary, respond to strategic attacks, and assure our allies.”
Defense Department officials said the new nuclear device, the B61-13, would have a similar yield to the B61-7s it would replace. The weapon is expected to feature the same accuracy and safety while having a higher yield than the B61-12.
Plumb did not directly reference Russia or China. He indirectly said, “Today’s announcement is reflective of a changing security environment and growing threats from potential adversaries.”
He added that the program would replace older weapons, not add to the total number in the American arsenal.
The new gravity bombs would be dropped by aircraft including the B-21 Raider stealth bomber. This $692 million plane is currently in development.
The proposed weapon is unguided but features tail fins to make its targeting more accurate. Congress must approve the bomb program, and several Republican lawmakers have already signaled their support.
The Pentagon announcement came just days after China revealed a massive nuclear buildup. Beijing said it intends to double the communist country’s arsenal of nuclear warheads to over 1,000 by 2030.
Simulator program Nukemap showed a comparison of the weapons that ended World War II and the newly proposed bombs. The results were striking.
The Little Boy bomb dropped on Hiroshima in 1945 killed at least 70,000 people. If it were dropped on lower Manhattan in 2023, the death toll would be over 260,000.
Replace that pioneering weapon with the proposed B61-13 and drop it in the same location, and the number of deaths skyrocket to over 1.1 million.
