Buzz
The nuclear bomb stands as the most catastrophic weapon in human history. With a single strike, entire cities can be annihilated. Yet, the inventors behind these deadly devices were not content with their early creations.
Since the devastation of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, engineers and scientists have refined and enhanced their designs. The results are equally compelling and chilling. These 10 nuclear devices were crafted by various military forces, and with any fortune, they will never be put to use.
10. W54 Portable Nuclear Rocket Launcher
When nuclear arms were first conceived, they were large, cumbersome devices with relatively low explosive yields. Over time, these weapons became far more compact, while their destructive power escalated. The smallest nuclear weapon ever created and deployed by any military force is the W54.
Developed by the United States in the 1950s, the W54 was a tactical, low-yield nuclear device capable of delivering an explosion ranging from 10 tons to 1 kiloton. It was intended for use with the M-28 and M-29 Davy Crockett short-range rockets, which had a range of 2–4 kilometers (1–2.5 miles).
The W54 was reconfigured into a man-portable Special Atomic Demolition Munition. Its purpose was to be deployed in the event of a Soviet invasion of Europe. Designed to be carried and fired over short distances, it was intended to serve as a portable artillery weapon.
The W54 underwent modifications to become nuclear-tipped, air-to-air missiles. The W72 model was essentially a reworked W54, adapted for use with the AGM-62 Walleye-guided bomb, delivering a nuclear yield of 600 tons. However, it is believed that no models of the W72 were ever completed.
The W54 underwent extensive testing prior to the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty in 1963. Between 1957 and 1979, the United States produced approximately 400 W54 bombs.
9. Mark-18 Ivy King
Some believe that nuclear weapons should be precise, low-yield devices, while others advocate for a more extreme, high-impact approach. The Mark-18 Ivy King is a prime example of the latter, being the largest pure-fission nuclear bomb ever tested by the United States.
In response to the Soviet Union’s advancements in high-yield nuclear weapons during the 1950s, the Truman administration initiated Operation Ivy, leading to the creation of the aptly named Ivy King. Tested on November 16, 1952, the bomb achieved a remarkable yield of 500 kilotons.
This colossal bomb weighed 3,900 kilograms (8,600 lb) and featured a 92-point implosion system. It contained a vast amount of highly enriched uranium, equivalent to four critical masses. This design placed the bomb on the brink of criticality safety, so aluminum and boron chains were used to fill the central chamber, preventing any accidental collapse.
The chains were designed to absorb neutrons, which were essential for triggering the desired nuclear reaction. To arm the bomb, these chains were then removed. In total, the US manufactured 90 Mark 18 bombs between March 1953 and 1956.
8. W82 Nuclear Artillery Shell
There are two primary categories of nuclear weapon deployment: tactical and strategic. The bombs dropped over Japan were strategic, not merely aimed at destroying two cities, but as a display of overwhelming force intended to compel Japan’s surrender.
Tactical nuclear weapons were designed for use in specific combat situations, alongside conventional weapons. A prime example of this is the W82, a low-yield tactical nuclear warhead meant to be used in a 155 mm artillery system.
The W82 was a versatile weapon, capable of delivering a blast yield of up to two kilotons. It featured interchangeable components, allowing the shell to function as either an “enhanced radiation” or a “standard” fission device.
Like many nuclear weapons developed by the United States, the W82 was designed to serve as a “cohesive forward defense” of NATO territories in the event of a Soviet invasion. The shell could be launched with a rocket assist, reaching a range of 30 kilometers (18.6 miles).
The US had planned to manufacture 2,500 rounds of W82 ordnance. However, only about 1,000 were developed before the program was halted in 1991, following the end of the Cold War.
7. W44 Nuclear Depth Charge
Submarines have long been one of the most formidable assets in naval warfare, posing a constant and immediate threat to surface ships. To counteract this, navies around the globe have developed specialized torpedoes and depth charges aimed at locating and neutralizing submarines.
During the Cold War, the United States made it a point to equip every type of ordinance with a nuclear option, leading to the development of a nuclear-capable weapon for the RUR-5 ASROC (Anti-Submarine ROCket) in 1961. This system launched a Mark 44/46 torpedo armed with a W44 nuclear warhead.
These torpedoes were exclusively fired from surface ships, packing an immense amount of explosive power. The W44 delivered a devastating 10-kiloton yield, making it particularly lethal if deployed in close proximity to a submarine.
The ASROC would target a submarine’s position by launching a rocket carrying an acoustic-homing torpedo. Once the torpedo entered the water, the attached depth charge separated and rapidly descended to a preset depth, where it would explode.
Introduced in 1961, the W44 was tested only once or twice, though 575 units were produced. The Nuclear Test Ban Treaty of 1963 effectively halted underwater nuclear testing.
6. B61 Mod 11/12 Nuclear Bunker Buster
For the most part, keeping yourself safe from a nuclear weapon requires staying deep underground. This protects you from the blast and ensuing radiation, but that presents a problem for the people trying to take out the target. To mitigate bunkers, the United States developed the Mod 11 for the B61 thermonuclear gravity bomb.
The device works by combining ground shock with earth penetration of around 3 meters (10 ft). This combination works to force the bulk of the explosive energy further into the Earth, resulting in the target’s destruction.
Bunker buster bombs carrying the B61 Mod 11 can carry one of three nuclear yields: 0.3, 340, or 400 kilotons. Beginning in 2019, the US started developing the GPS-guided Mod 12, which will produce yields of 0.3, 1.5, 10, or 50 kilotons. It is believed that the weapon was designed to penetrate up to 304 meters (1,000 ft) of solid granite to counter the continuity of government facility at Kosvinsky Kamen in Russia.
5. MK-54 Special Atomic Demolition Munition
While the W54 was designed for rocket deployment, the MK-54 Special Atomic Demolition Munition (SADM) was intended to be carried by soldiers directly into combat. The SADM was specifically developed to counter a Soviet invasion of Europe.
Weighing just 23 kilograms (51 lb), the device was compact enough to fit inside a duffel bag. The warhead's yield ranged from 10 tons to one kiloton. It was equipped with a time-delay mechanism, allowing soldiers to place the device and retreat to safety before detonation.
A total of 300 MK-54s were produced, and airborne troops were trained in their use. The ideal scenario involved paratroopers jumping from aircraft over enemy or occupied areas. They would then head to a target, such as a power plant or bridge, and remove it from the battlefield.
The bomb remains highly controversial, even more so than other nuclear weapons. This is due to the belief that any mission undertaken by a paratrooper would effectively be a suicide mission. It was considered impossible to outrun both the timer and the blast radius. According to Mark Bentley, a soldier trained in atomic bomb deployment, 'We all knew it was a one-way mission, a suicide mission.'
4. RA-115 Suitcase Nuke
In response to the development of the MK-54 by the United States, the Soviet Union was determined not to be outdone. This led to the creation of the RA-115, a so-called ‘suitcase nuke’ weighing between 22 and 27 kilograms (50–60 lb). These bombs were meant to be placed in a target area for extended periods before being detonated.
The RA-115 bombs were equipped with a small power supply and a backup battery. This would alert a GRU post at a Russian embassy or consulate in case of a power loss. Numerous RA-115s were strategically deployed across the globe.
A significant portion of the knowledge surrounding the RA-115 weapon system comes from Stanislav Lunev, the highest-ranking GRU defector. He, alongside former Russian National Security Adviser Aleksandr Lebed, revealed that the USSR manufactured 250 of these weapons, with over 100 of them unaccounted for.
The idea that these bombs were designed to be placed inside the United States to eliminate targets and politicians in the event of a hot Cold War is deeply unsettling. The Russian Security Council has dismissed these claims as misleading, but the level of secrecy surrounding the weapons leaves the true facts uncertain.
3. RDS-220 Tsar Bomba
The RDS-220 Tsar Bomba stands as one of the most iconic nuclear weapons in history. Tested in October 1961, it remains the largest man-made explosive ever detonated.
This device was primarily conceived as a demonstration rather than a functional weapon. It measured 8 meters (26 ft) in length and weighed an astounding 27,000 kilograms (60,000 lb). Only a single model was ever constructed and detonated.
There are varying reports on the bomb’s atomic yield, with some suggesting that it could have reached 100 megatons had a uranium-238 fusion tamper been used. However, the RDS-220 Tsar Bomba is thought to have produced an estimated 50 megaton yield, based on measurements taken by Soviet scientists at the time. This was over 3,300 times the size of the Hiroshima explosion.
To accommodate the enormous size of the weapon, the aircraft tasked with deploying it had to undergo significant modifications. The exterior of the plane was coated in a special white reflective paint, and the crew was given only a 50 percent survival chance. Regardless, they proceeded with the mission, resulting in a mushroom cloud that soared 67 kilometers (42 mi) into the sky.
2. 9M730 Burevestnik Nuclear-Powered, Nuclear-Armed Cruise Missile
In March 2018, Russian President Vladimir Putin revealed six new strategic weapons, among which the 9M730 Burevestnik stood out as the most remarkable. This missile is both nuclear-powered and nuclear-armed, making it an extraordinary addition to Russia's arsenal.
The development of the 9M730 Burevestnik began shortly after the United States deployed the THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defense) system, designed to intercept nuclear ICBMs. The Burevestnik was specifically engineered to counter the THAAD system.
Russian authorities claim that this weapon has limitless range and is impervious to all current and advanced air and missile defense systems. It is theoretically believed that THAAD would be ineffective against it.
Due to the weapon's relatively recent development, there is no publicly available or verified information regarding its potential yield. However, it is suspected that the system's creation led to the Nyonoksa radiation incident in August 2019, which claimed the lives of five scientists after testing an 'isotope power source for a liquid-fueled rocket engine.'
Aleksei Karpov, Russia’s representative to international organizations in Vienna, remarked that the accident was a response to 'tit-for-tat actions following the U.S. exit from the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty.'
1. Blue Peacock A Nuclear Land Mine
The United Kingdom designed a nuclear land mine intended to assist NATO in defending against a potential Soviet invasion of Northern Germany in Europe. Initially called Brown Bunny, it was later renamed Blue Bunny and ultimately became known as Blue Peacock.
The mines were designed to yield 10 kilotons, and they could be triggered either by an eight-day timer or manually through a wire. A policy paper stated that 'a well-positioned atomic mine would not only devastate large areas of infrastructure but would also prevent enemy forces from occupying the region for a significant period due to contamination.'
Although the Blue Peacock program was developed, it was never put into use. The risk of fallout and the contamination of land that NATO forces wanted to reclaim was deemed too great.
An intriguing issue with the system was preventing the electronics from freezing. One proposed solution involved enclosing live chickens with food and water inside the casing. The heat from the chickens' bodies was thought to keep the weapon from freezing.
The suggestion was so bizarre that many assumed it was a prank when the project was declassified in 2004. However, it was not a joke.
