By Joe Saballa – The Defense Post
In response to escalating global threats, the US is accelerating production of its new nuclear bomb by more than 25 percent, shaving seven months off the original timeline.
Sandia National Laboratories, tasked with developing the country’s new B61-13 gravity bombs, said there was a reprioritization of qualification activities to cut down on overall production time.
“A subteam of the Enhanced Mission Delivery Initiative Stockpile Modernization working group … made a significant effort to understand what it would take to deliver a weapon system in less than five years — from DOD documentation through a letter of intent to the final rate production,” it noted.
The B61-13, originally forecast to enter production next year, is set to play a key role in strengthening US nuclear deterrence amid mounting global security challenges.
The US Department of Energy has underscored that the new nuclear weapon will provide the president with enhanced strike options, particularly against hardened and large-area military targets in the event of conflict.
‘High Destructive Power’
Launched in 2023, the B61-13 program was driven by mounting concerns that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine might lead to a larger, more dangerous regional conflict.
As a NATO member, the US is committed to defending its European allies under Article 5 of the NATO treaty, ensuring collective defense in the event of an armed attack.
The B61-13 boasts a maximum yield of 360 kilotons — about 24 times more powerful than the bomb dropped on Hiroshima in 1945.
It is also deployable by strategic aircraft such as the upcoming B-21 Raider stealth bomber and the retiring B-2 Spirit.
With its “highly-destructive” power, the gravity bomb can neutralize strategic threats with improved precision, providing the US and NATO with a powerful tactical advantage.
Earlier this year, the National Nuclear Security Administration completed the $9-billion life extension program for the B61-12 bomb, allowing the agency to focus on the more advanced B61-13.