Mark 16 nuclear bomb

Mark 16 nuclear bomb

The Mark 16 nuclear bomb was a large thermonuclear bomb, based on the design of the Ivy Mike, the first hydrogen bomb test fired. The Mark 16 is more properly designated TX-16/EC-16 as it only existed in Experimental/Emergency Capability versions.

The TX-16 was notable because it was the only deployed thermonuclear bomb which used a cryogenic liquid deuterium fusion fuel, the same fuel used in the Ivy Mike test device. The TX-16 was in fact a "weaponized" version of the "Sausage" design tested in the Ivy Mike shot. This required both a considerable reduction in weight of the actual physics package and the replacement of the cryogenic system with a system for replenishing boiled-off deuterium from Dewar flasks installed in the carrier aircraft. The carrier aircraft was to be the B-36 as modified under Operation Barroom. Only one B-36 was so modified. The TX-16 shared a common forward and aft casing sections with the TX-14 and TX-17/24 and in the EC version was almost indistinguishable from the EC-14. The TX-16 was scheduled to be tested during the Castle series as the "Jughead" device until the overwhelming success of the "Shrimp" device tested as the "Bravo" shot.

Contents

Specifications

The TX-16 bomb was 61.4 inches in diameter, 296.7 inches long, and weighed 39,000 to 42,000 pounds. Design yield was 6-8 megatons. [1] [2]

Manufacture and service

Five units were manufactured in January 1954, and deployed in an interim "emergency capability" role with the designation EC-16.

By April 1954 they were all retired, as the alternative solid-fueled thermonuclear weapons had been tested successfully. These solid fuel thermonuclear bombs were far easier to handle, requiring no cryogenic temperature materials or cooling system. It was replaced with the five EC-14 weapons brought up to an acceptable standard as the TX-14 and production Mark 17 nuclear bombs in mid 1954. [1]

The planned test of the TX-16 bomb in the Castle Yankee test of Operation Castle was canceled due to the spectacular (and frightening) success of the "Shrimp" device in the Castle Bravo test.

Popular culture

The fact that the nuclear warhead "Jughead" was never used was integrated into the storyline of the Lost season 5 episode by the same name: "Jughead"

References

  1. ^ a b Allbombs.html at the Nuclear Weapon Archive, accessed 2 October 2006
  2. ^ Historical United States Nuclear Weapons at Globalsecurity.org (see also globalsecurity.org), accessed 2 October 2006
  • Hansen, Chuck, "Swords of Armageddon," Sunnyvale, CA, Chucklea Publications, 1995.
  • O'Keefe, Bernard J. "Nuclear Hostages," Boston, Houghton Mifflin Company, 1983, ISBN 0-395-34072-1.

See also


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем сделать НИР

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Mark 15 nuclear bomb — Mark 15 bomb The Mark 15 nuclear bomb, or Mk 15, was a 1950s American thermonuclear bomb, the first relatively lightweight (7,600 lb / 3450 kg) thermonuclear bomb created by the United States. The Mark 15 was first produced in 1955, in a… …   Wikipedia

  • Mark 12 nuclear bomb — The Mark 12 nuclear bomb was a US designed and manufactured lightweight nuclear bomb which was built starting in 1954 and saw service from then until 1962. For unknown reasons, the design was nicknamed Brok . The Mark 12 was notable for being a… …   Wikipedia

  • Mark 7 nuclear bomb — at USAF Museum Mark 7 Thor (or Mk 7 [1]) was the first tactical nuclear bomb adopted by US armed forces. It was also the first weapon to be delivered using the toss method with the help of the low altitude bombing system (LABS). The weapon …   Wikipedia

  • Mark 14 nuclear bomb — Mark 14 nuclear bomb. The Castle Union test of the Mark 14 de …   Wikipedia

  • Mark 13 nuclear bomb — The Mark 13 nuclear bomb and its variant, the W 13 nuclear warhead, were experimental nuclear weapons developed by the United States from 1951 to 1954. The Mark 13 design was based on the earlier Mark 6 nuclear bomb design, which was in turn… …   Wikipedia

  • Mark 18 nuclear bomb — The Mark 18 nuclear bomb, also known as the SOB or Super Oralloy Bomb, was an American nuclear bomb design which was the highest yield fission bomb produced by the US. The Mark 18 had a design yield of 500 kilotons. Noted nuclear weapon designer… …   Wikipedia

  • Mark 8 nuclear bomb — A Mark 8 nuclear bomb. Closeup of the nose of a Mark 8 …   Wikipedia

  • Mark 6 nuclear bomb — A Mark 6 nuclear bomb. The Mark 6 nuclear bomb was an American nuclear bomb based on the earlier Mark 4 nuclear bomb and its predecessor, the Mark 3 Fat Man nuclear bomb design. The Mark 6 was produced from 1951 1955 and saw service until 1962.… …   Wikipedia

  • Mark 4 nuclear bomb — A Mark 4 bomb casing. The Mark 4 nuclear bomb was an American nuclear bomb design produced starting in 1949 and in use until 1953. The Mark 4 was based on the earlier Mark 3 Fat Man design, used in the Trinity test and the bombing of Nagasaki.… …   Wikipedia

  • Mark 11 nuclear bomb — The Mark 11 nuclear bomb was an American nuclear bomb developed from the earlier Mark 8 nuclear bomb in the mid 1950s. Like the Mark 8, the Mark 11 was an earth penetrating weapon, also known as a Nuclear bunker buster bomb. The Mk 11 nuclear… …   Wikipedia

  • Mark 36 nuclear bomb — The Mark 36 nuclear bomb The Mark 36 was a heavy high yield United States nuclear bomb designed in the 1950s. It was a thermonuclear bomb, using a multi stage fusion secondary system to generate yields up to about 10 megatons. [1] …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
… Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”