NATO’s new “steerable”

nuclear bomb

The United States plans to deploy 180 precision-guided thermonuclear bombs to five European countries from 2020. The B61-12 has a “dial-a-yield” feature and is able to strike within 30 metres of its target

Preflight arming

controls, security,

fusing switches

Physics package (warhead)

Primary device: High explosives

trigger nuclear fission bomb

Secondary device:

X-rays from fission

bomb implode

uranium-238

to detonate

deuterium-

tritium core

of hydrogen

bomb

Steerable

tail fins:

Glide bomb

to target

Spin rocket rotor:

Spin stabilised during

free fall

Nose: GPS satellite

and laser guidance,

radar airburst fuse

and impact

fuses

Jul 1, 2015: First

test flight of B61-12

at Tonopah,

Nevada

Length: 3.6m

Diameter: 340mm

Weight: 350kg

Bomb can be

delivered by six

aircraft: B-2A,

B-52H, F-15, F-16,

Tornado and F-35

AMAC: Aircraft Monitoring and

Control system sets bomb options,

including “CAT F” PAL – Permissive

Action Link with 12-digit cryptographic

security lock

Dial-a-yield: Controls magnitude of

nuclear reaction from 0.3 kilotons to

5, 10 or 50Kt. AMAC also controls

detonation, either by air burst

or ground burst

Italy

Netherlands

Turkey

Aviano, Ghedi Torre

Volkel

Incirlik

70

20

50

Where bombs will be based

Belgium

Germany

Kleine Brogel

Buechel

20

20

Source: Federation of American Scientists, IHS Jane’s

Picture: NNSA

© GRAPHIC NEWS

NATO’s new “steerable”

nuclear bomb

The United States plans to deploy 180 precision-guided thermonuclear bombs to five European countries from 2020. The B61-12 has a “dial-a-yield” feature and is able to strike within 30 metres of its target

1

Steerable tail fins

Glide bomb to target

1

2

Spin rocket rotor

Spin stabilised during free fall

3

Physics package

( warhead)

Primary device

High explosives

trigger nuclear

fission bomb

3

2

Secondary

device

X-rays from

fission bomb

implode

uranium-238

to detonate

deuterium-

tritium

core of

hydrogen

bomb

4

4

Nose sub-assembly

GPS satellite and

laser guidance,

radar airburst fuse

and impact fuses

Length:

Diameter:

Weight:

3.6m

340mm

350kg

Jul 1, 2015

First test flight

of inert B61-12

at Tonopah,

Nevada

Aircraft Monitoring and Control system

AMAC sets bomb options, including “CAT F” PAL –

Permissive Action Link with 12-digit cryptographic

security lock

Dial-a-yield

Controls magnitude of nuclear reaction from

0.3 kilotons to 5, 10 or 50Kt. AMAC also controls

detonation, either by air burst or ground burst

Where bombs will be based

Belgium

Germany

Italy

Netherlands

Turkey

Kleine Brogel

Buechel

Aviano, Ghedi Torre

Volkel

Incirlik

20

20

70

20

50

Source: Federation of American Scientists, IHS Jane’s

Picture: NNSA

© GRAPHIC NEWS

NATO’s new “steerable”

nuclear bomb

The United States plans to deploy 180 precision-guided thermonuclear bombs to five European countries from 2020. The B61-12 has a “dial-a-yield” feature and is able to strike within 30 metres of its target

1

Primary device

Secondary

device

2

3

4

Length:

Diameter:

Weight:

3.6m

340mm

350kg

1

Steerable tail fins

Glide bomb to target

2

Spin rocket rotor

Spin stabilised during free fall

3

Physics package

(warhead)

Primary device uses high

explosives to trigger nuclear

fission bomb

Secondary device uses X-rays

from fission bomb to implode

uranium-238 and detonate

deuterium-tritium core of

hydrogen bomb

4

Nose sub-assembly

GPS satellite and laser

guidance, radar airburst fuse

and impact fuses

Jul 1, 2015

First test flight of inert B61-12

at Tonopah, Nevada

Aircraft Monitoring and

Control system

AMAC sets bomb options,

including “CAT F” PAL –

Permissive Action Link – 12-digit

cryptographic security lock

Dial-a-yield

Controls magnitude of nuclear

reaction from 0.3 kilotons to

5, 10 or 50Kt. AMAC also

controls detonation, either

by air burst or ground burst

Where bombs will be based

Belgium

Kleine Brogel air base

20

Germany

Buechel

20

Italy

Aviano, Ghedi Torre

70

Netherlands

Volkel

20

Turkey

Incirlik

50

Source: Federation of American

Scientists, IHS Jane’s

Picture: NNSA

© GRAPHIC NEWS