The W55 was a tactical nuclear weapon that was in service with the US Navy from 1964 to 1990,[4] and was carried by the UUM-44 SUBROC submarine-launched missile as a nuclear depth bomb.[5]
| W55 nuclear warhead | |
|---|---|
| Type | Nuclear weapon |
| Place of origin | United States |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory |
| Produced | January 1964 to March 1968 and May 1974 to April 1974 |
| No. built | 285 warheads produced in two production runs |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 465 lb (211 kg) |
| Length | 39.4 inches (100 cm) |
| Diameter | 13 in (33 cm) |
| Blast yield | Disputed, either 1 to 5 kilotonnes of TNT (4.2 to 20.9 TJ) or 25 kilotonnes of TNT (100 TJ) |
| References | [1][2][3] |
The last W55 warhead was dismantled in December 1996.[6]
References
edit- ^ Chuck Hansen (2007). Swords of Armageddon. Vol. V. p. 536-540. ISBN 978-0-9791915-5-8.
- ^ Chuck Hansen (2007). Swords of Armageddon. Vol. VII. p. 220-221. ISBN 978-0-9791915-7-2.
- ^ History of the Mark 55 Warhead (Report). Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM (USA). January 1968.
- ^ Carey Sublette. "List of All U.S. Nuclear Weapons". Nuclear Weapon Archive. Retrieved 2022-06-24.
- ^ "Armaments & Innovations - The Pocket Polaris". U.S. Naval Institute. 2015-08-10. Retrieved 2024-06-09.
- ^ Jim McConnell; Harry Waugh (1996-12-06). Pantex Plant Activity Report for Week Ending December 6, 1996 (PDF) (Report). Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board. Retrieved 2024-06-27.
