US adds new version of B61 nuclear gravity bomb

Production program for B61-12 version is underway.

US DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE/THE WAR ZONE

The decision is a direct result of the 2022 Nuclear Posture Review, which called for a new warhead version of the B61 bomb to provide "additional options for dealing with more challenging and larger-scale targets."

The development of the new warhead, dubbed the B61-13, comes as the US struggles to maintain military superiority in the face of China's growing assertiveness, the conflict in Ukraine and escalating tensions in the Middle East.

US Assistant Secretary of Defense John Plumb said the Pentagon's new move reflects growing threats from forces that could become US adversaries in the future.

"The United States has a responsibility to continue to analyze and field credible capabilities that, when necessary, we can use to respond to strategic attacks and reassure allies," Yonhap quoted assistant Plumb as saying.

The B61-13 bomb line will be deployed by modern aircraft and is expected to replace some B61-7 bombs. The B61-13 is said to have the same destructive power as the B61-7, and higher than the B61-12.

The B61-13 design builds on the B61-12 Life Extension Program, which began during the Obama administration. It was an effort to strengthen the capabilities of the older B61-3, -4, -7, and -10 variants while upgrading them with new technologies.

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The first production of B61-12 bombs started in November 2021 and will continue through 2025.

The Pentagon insists that the pursuit of B61-13 development efforts is not related to any specific events taking place in the world .

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