The US Department of Defence has announced it has plans in place to build a powerful new nuclear bomb.
The Pentagon is seeking congressional approval and funding for the development of a new variant of the B61 nuclear gravity bomb, to be known as the B61-13, as per a statement from the Department of Defence (DoD).
Assistant Secretary of Defence for Space Policy John Plumb said in the release: “Today’s announcement is reflective of a changing security environment and growing threats from potential adversaries.
“The United States 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.”
A fact sheet provided with the announcement reveals that the B61-13 is expected to have a yield similar to the B61-7, which has a maximum yield of 360 kilotonnes.
This is significantly larger than the bomb dropped on Hiroshima, Japan, during World War 2, which had a yield of approximately 15 kilotons, and the bomb dropped on Nagasaki, which had a yield of 25 kilotons, making the B61-13 about 14 times larger.
According to the fact sheet, the new bomb will also incorporate modern safety, security, and accuracy features similar to those of the B61-12.
The B61-13 is expected to be deliverable by modern aircraft, offering the president options to target hard and large-area military assets.
Subject to approval, the new bomb will replace some of the current B61-7s within the US nuclear stockpile without increasing the overall size of its, the release says.
“The B61-13 represents a reasonable step to manage the challenges of a highly dynamic security environment,” Plumb said.
“While it provides us with additional flexibility, production of the B61-13 will not increase the overall number of weapons in our nuclear stockpile.”
The announcement follows a recent high-explosive experiment conducted by the USA at a nuclear test site in Nevada.
The experiment was aimed at advancing technology to support US nuclear nonproliferation goals, according to Corey Hinderstein, deputy administrator for defence nuclear nonproliferation at the National Nuclear Security Administration.
These experiments are intended to enhance the detection of underground nuclear explosive tests and contribute to reducing global nuclear threats.
The development occurs amid expectations that Russia is considering withdrawing from the 1966 Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, designed to prohibit nuclear explosions worldwide.
This treaty was never ratified by several countries, including China, India, Pakistan, North Korea, Israel, Iran, and Egypt.
