The US plans to develop a new nuclear bomb.

A US B61-12 bomb (Photo: Reveal).

The Pentagon announced on October 27 that it is pursuing plans to develop a new variant of the B61 bomb, a weapon first produced in the 1960s, the height of the Cold War.

The B61 series of weapons are known as "tactical" bombs, unguided weapons designed to detonate at targets after being released from an aircraft.

The U.S. Department of Defense said the new variant, the B61-13, is necessary "to ensure U.S. deterrence and other objectives."

"The B61-13 will enhance the ability to deter adversaries and reassure allies and partners by providing the U.S. president with options to counter a range of difficult-to-target and broad-based military objectives," the announcement stated.

The Pentagon said the new variant will inherit the "safety, modernity, security features, and accuracy" characteristics of the B61-12 – the closest variant of the B61 produced by the U.S.

The B61-12 has been fitted with a guided tail section to improve the weapon's accuracy. Like other nuclear weapons produced by the U.S. since the end of the Cold War, the B61-13 is expected to be built with warheads repurposed from old bombs.

The Pentagon says the B61-13 will have an explosive yield "similar" to the B61-7 variant, a bomb with a maximum yield of 360 kilotons, according to the Federation of American Scientists .

"The B61-13 will not increase the total number of weapons in the U.S. stockpile," the Pentagon said, emphasizing that as the B61-13 is produced, the number of B61-12s manufactured will be reduced accordingly.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/the-gioi/my-tinh-phat-trien-bom-hat-nhan-moi-20231028174240273.htm