W70 was a two-stage, thermonuclear warhead that was developed for the MGM-52 Lance missile by the United States. Designed by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, the Mod 1 and Mod 2 version of the weapon entered service in 1973, while the enhanced radiation ("neutron bomb") Mod 3 weapon entered service in 1981.[1] The last W70 warhead was dismantled in February 1996.[2]
| W70 nuclear warhead | |
|---|---|
| Type | Nuclear weapon |
| Place of origin | United States |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory |
| Produced | W71-1,-2 June 1973 to July 1977 W70-3 August 1981 to February 1983 |
| No. built | W70-1,-2 900 produced W70-3 380 produced. |
| Variants | 3 |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 270 lb (120 kg) |
| Length | 41 inches (100 cm) |
| Diameter | 18 in (46 cm) |
| Blast yield | W70-1,-2 0.5 to 50 kilotonnes of TNT (2.1 to 209.2 TJ) W70-3 1 kilotonne of TNT (4.2 TJ) |
Design
Declassified British documents describe the Mod 1 and Mod 2 versions of the weapon have three yields between 0.5 and 50 kilotonnes of TNT (2.1 and 209.2 TJ),[3] while the Mod 3 enhanced radiation version was estimated to have a yield of 1 kilotonne of TNT (4.2 TJ)[4] The Mod 1 reportedly had more yield options than the Mod 2 warheads. The Mod 3 was reportedly 40% fission and 60% fusion, with two yield options. The weapon weighed 270 lb (120 kg), and was 41 inches (100 cm) long and 18 in (46 cm) in diameter.[5]
Mod 1 and 2 weapons were produced from June 1973 to July 1977, while Mod 3 weapons were produced from August 1983 to February 1984. 900 Mod 1 and 2 warheads and 380 Mod 3 warheads were manufactured. The last warheads were retired in September 1992.[5]
The weapon was the successor to the previous proposed Lance warhead, the W63.[5] The weapon used a category D Permissive Action Link and had command disable, but lacked insensitive high explosives and enhanced nuclear detonation safety.[1]
The inventor of the neutron bomb, Samuel Cohen, has criticized the description of the W70 as a "neutron bomb":
the W-70 ... is not even remotely a "neutron bomb." Instead of being the type of weapon that, in the popular mind, "kills people and spares buildings" it is one that both kills and physically destroys on a massive scale. The W-70 is not a discriminate weapon, like the neutron bomb—which, incidentally, should be considered a weapon that "kills enemy personnel while sparing the physical fabric of the attacked populace, and even the populace too."[6]
See also
Bibliography
Sandia Weapon Review: Nuclear Weapon Characteristics Handbook (PDF) (Report). Sandia National Labs. September 1990. SAND90-1238. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2022-01-12.
References
External links
- "Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) - W70". globalsecurity.org. Retrieved 2006-03-11.
- "Types of Nuclear Weapons". Carey Sublette. Retrieved 2006-04-07.
- "U.S. nuclear weapons stockpile (June 1990)". Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. June 1990. Retrieved 2009-07-30.