List of nuclear weapons

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is a list of nuclear weapons ordered by state and then type within the states.

Nuclear weapons
One of the first nuclear bombs.

History of nuclear weapons
Nuclear warfare
Nuclear arms race
Weapon design / testing
Effects of nuclear explosions
Delivery systems
Nuclear espionage
Proliferation / Arsenals
States

US · Russia · UK · France
China · India · Pakistan
Israel · North Korea
South Africa
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Contents

Main article: Nuclear weapons and the United States

Note: US nuclear weapons of all types (bombs, warheads, shells, and others) are numbered in the same sequence starting with the Mark 1 and (as of March 2006) ending with the W-91 missile warhead (which was cancelled prior to introduction into service). All designs which were formally intended to be weapons at some point received a number designation. Pure test units which were experiments (and not intended to be weapons) are not numbered in this sequence.

In some cases, such as B53 nuclear bomb and W-53 warhead, and the W54 and Davy Crockett Mk-54, the same core nuclear system was used in multiple applications. This is indicated by the same sequence number for all versions of that nuclear weapon system.

In other cases, variants are assigned their own number, such as the B61 nuclear bomb which was the parent design for the W80, W81, and W84.

This list includes weapons which were developed to the point of being assigned a model number (and in many cases, prototypes were test fired), but which were then cancelled prior to introduction into military service. Those models as listed as cancelled, along with the year or date of cancellation of their program.

  • Bombs — designated with Mark ("Mk") numbers until 1968, and with "B" numbers after that. "Test Experimental" bombs designated with "TX".
    • Mark 1 – "Little Boy" gun-type weapon (used against Hiroshima). (13-16 Kt, 1945-1950)
    • Mark 2 – "Thin Man" plutonium gun-type weapon (cancelled July 1944).
    • Mark 3 – "Fat Man" implosion weapon (used against Nagasaki). (21 Kt, 1945-1950)
    • Mark 4 – Post-war "Fat Man" redesign. First assembly-line nuclear bomb. (1-13 Kt, 1949-1953)
    • Mark 5 – Significantly smaller high efficiency nuclear bomb. (1-120 Kt, 1952-1963)
    • Mark 6 – Improved version of Mk-4. (8-160 Kt, 1951-1962)
    • Mark 7 – Multi-purpose tactical bomb. (8-61 Kt, 1952-1967)
    • Mark 8 – Gun-assembly, HEU weapon designed for penetrating hardened targets. (25-30 Kt, 1951-1957)
    • Mark 10 – Improved version of Mk-8 (12-15 Kt, cancelled May 1952).
    • Mark 11 – Re-designed Mk-8. Gun-type (8-30 Kt).
    • Mark 12 – Light-weight bomb to be carried by fighter planes (12-14 Kt).
    • Mark 13 – Improved version of Mk-6 (cancelled August 1954).
    • TX/Mark 14 – First deployable solid-fuel thermonuclear bomb (Castle Union device). Only 5 produced. (5 Mt)
    • Mark 15 – First "lightweight" thermonuclear weapon. (1.7-3.8 Mt, 1955-1965)
    • TX/Mark 16 – First weaponized thermonuclear weapon (Ivy Mike device). Only cryogenic weapon ever deployed. Only 5 produced. (6-8 Mt)
    • Mark 17 – High-yield thermonuclear. Heaviest U.S. weapon, second highest yield of any U.S. weapon. Very similar to Mk-24. (10-15 Mt)
    • Mark 18 – Very high yield fission weapon (Ivy King device).
    • Mark 20 – Improved Mark 13 (cancelled 1954)
    • Mark 21 – Re-designed Shrimp device variant of Castle Bravo test
    • Mark 22 – Failed thermonuclear design (Castle Koon device, cancelled April 1954).
    • Mark 24 – High-yield thermonuclear, very similar to Mk-17 but had a different secondary.
    • Mark 26 – Similar design to Mk 21 (cancelled 1956).
    • Mark 27 – Navy nuclear bomb (1958-1965)
    • B28 nuclear bomb (Mark 28) (1958-1991)
    • B39 nuclear bomb (Mark 39) (1957-1966)
    • B41 nuclear bomb (Mark 41) (1960-1976)
    • B43 nuclear bomb (Mark 43) (1961-1991)
    • B46 nuclear bomb or (Mark 46); experimental, design evolved into B53 nuclear bomb and W-53 warhead (cancelled 1958)
    • B53 nuclear bomb (1962-1997; still in enduring stockpile)
    • B57 nuclear bomb (1963-1993)
    • B61 nuclear bomb (1966-current service)
    • B77 nuclear bomb (cancelled 1977)
    • B83 nuclear bomb (1983-current service)
    • B90 nuclear bomb (cancelled 1991)
  • Nuclear artillery shells
    • 16-inch (406 mm)
      • W23 (1956-1962) Gun-type
    • 280mm:
      • W9 (1952-1957) Gun-type
      • W19 (1953-1956) Gun-type, W9 derivative
    • 8-inch (203 mm)
      • W33 (1956-1980s) Gun-type
      • W75 (cancelled 1973)
      • W79 (1981-1992)
    • 155mm
      • W48 (1963-1992)
      • W74 (cancelled 1973)
      • W82 (cancelled 1983 (W-82-0 Enhanced Radiation) and 1990 (W-82-1 fission only))

See also Enduring Stockpile.

A number of American weapons designs shared common components between several designs. These include publicly identified models listed below.

Common nuclear fission primaries
Model Used in these weapons
Python primary B28 W28 W40 W49
Boa primary W30 W52
Robin primary W38 W45 W47
Tsetse primary B43 W44 W50 B57 W59
Kinglet primary W55 W58
B61 Family B61 W69 W73 W80 W81 W84 W85 W86 (W89 ?) (B90 ?)

Main article: Russia and weapons of mass destruction

At the peak of its arsenal, Russia possessed around 16,000 nuclear weapons in its stockpile, rivaled only by the United States for the size of its arsenal.

Main article: Nuclear weapons and the United Kingdom

The United Kingdom is said to have an arsenal of 350 nuclear weapons stockpiled as of 2001.

Although the stockpile of "operationally available warheads" was reduced from 300 to less than 200 in 1998.[citation needed]

Main article: Canada and weapons of mass destruction

Canada has not maintained a stockpile of nuclear weapons since 1984.

Main article: France and weapons of mass destruction

France is said to have an arsenal of 350 nuclear weapons stockpiled as of 2002.

Main article: China and weapons of mass destruction

China is believed to possess around 400 nuclear weapons, but has released very little information about the contents of its arsenal.

Main article: India and weapons of mass destruction

India is said to possess between 60-120 nuclear weapons, although not many are thought to be ready for use. The specifications of its weapons are not public.

Main article: Iran and weapons of mass destruction

Persistent rumors throughout the 1990s that Iran had obtained ex-Soviet nuclear weapons have never been confirmed or conclusively refuted.

Iran is actively seeking nuclear capability, which they state is not for military use.

Many experts have concluded that Iran's contemporary late 1990s and 2000 formerly covert uranium enrichment program was part of a secret nuclear weapons program. Iran disputes this conclusion. As of April 2006, the International Atomic Energy Agency and United Nations Security Council are involved in addressing this question. Also unconfirmed reports from April 12, 2006 Iranian President, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, announced that Iran has enriched uranium. As of April 13, 2006 Iran now demands to be seen as a nuclear power.[citation needed] The UN has voted to sanction Iran if it doesn't shut down its uranium enriching facilities. Recently Iran has failed to meet the deadline.

Main article: Israel and weapons of mass destruction

Israel is widely believed to possess a substantial arsenal of nuclear weapons and missiles, estimated at 75-130 warheads, but refuses officially to confirm or deny whether it has a nuclear weapon program, leaving the details of any such weapons unclear. Mordechai Vanunu, a former nuclear technician for Israel, confirmed the existence of a nuclear weapons program in 1986.

Unconfirmed rumors have hinted at tactical nuclear artillery shells, light fission bombs and missile warheads, and perhaps thermonuclear missile warheads. [1]

Main article: Pakistan and weapons of mass destruction

Pakistan is believed to possess around 40 HEU based nuclear weapons, however the specifications of these are not available.

Main article: North Korea and weapons of mass destruction

North Korea claims to possess nuclear weapons, however, the specifications of its systems are not public. On 9 October 2006, North Korea carried out a nuclear test.

Main article: South Africa and weapons of mass destruction

South Africa built six or seven gun-type weapons. All constructed weapons were verified by IAEA and other international observers to have been dismantled, along with the complete weapons program, and their highly enriched uranium was reprocessed back into low enriched form unsuitable for weapons.

  1. ^ The Samson option: Israel's nuclear arsenal and American foreign policy, Hersh, Seymour M., New York, Random House, 1991, ISBN 0-394-57006-5

  • CNS Resources on South Africa's Nuclear Weapons Program indicates that "most international experts conclude that South Africa has completed its nuclear disarmament. South Africa is the first and to date only country to build nuclear weapons and then entirely dismantle its nuclear weapons program."
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