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The B83 is a variable-yield thermonuclear gravity bomb developed by the United States in the late 1970s that entered service in 1983. With a maximum yield of 1.2 megatonnes of TNT (5.0 PJ), it has been the most powerful nuclear weapon in the United States nuclear arsenal since October 25, 2011 after retirement of the B53.[1] It was designed by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.[2]

B83
B83 with unclassified components at front
Type	Unguided bomb
Service history
In service	1983–present
Used by	United States
Production history
Designer	Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
No. built	650
Specifications
Mass	1,100 kilograms (2,400 lb)
Length	3.7 meters (12 ft)
Diameter	46 centimeters (18 in)
Blast yield	1.2 megatonnes of TNT (5.0 PJ)

History

The B83 was based partly on the earlier B77 program, which was terminated because of cost overruns. The B77 was designed with an active altitude control and lifting parachute system for supersonic low-altitude delivery from the B-1A bomber. B77 nuclear component test firings were attributed to the Operation Anvil series in 1975 and 1976, specifically the "Cheese" test shots in Anvil:[2]

• Anvil Kasseri – 28 October 1975, 1,200 kilotonnes of TNT (5,000 TJ) (B77/B83 full yield)
• Anvil Muenster – 3 January 1976, 800 kilotonnes of TNT (3,300 TJ)
• Anvil Fontina – 12 February 1976, 900 kilotonnes of TNT (3,800 TJ)
• Anvil Colby – 14 May 1976, 800 kilotonnes of TNT (3,300 TJ)[2]

The B83 nuclear components have been attributed as the same as the earlier B77.

The B83 replaced several earlier weapons, including the B28, B43, and to some extent the ultra-high-yield B53. It was the first U.S. nuclear weapon designed from the start to avoid accidental detonation, with the use of "insensitive explosives" in the trigger lens system. Its layout is similar to that of the smaller B61, with the warhead mounted in the forward part of the weapon to make the bomb nose-heavy. It was intended for high-speed carriage (up to Mach 2.0) and delivery at high or low altitude. For the latter role, it is equipped with a parachute retardation system, with a 14-meter (46 ft) Kevlar ribbon parachute capable of rapid deceleration. It can be employed in free-fall, retarded, contact, and laydown modes, for air-burst or ground-burst detonation. Security features include next-generation permissive action link (PAL) and a command disablement system (CDS), rendering the weapon tactically useless without a nuclear yield.[2]

The B83 was test fired in the Grenadier Tierra nuclear weapon test on 15 December 1984, at a reduced yield of 80 kilotonnes due to the Threshold Test Ban Treaty.[2]

With the dismantling of the last B53 bomb in 2011, the B83 became the highest yield nuclear weapon in the U.S. arsenal.[3] In 2022, Biden administration declared that they plan to retire B83.[4]

Design

The bomb is 3.7 meters (12 ft) long, with a diameter of 460 millimeters (18 in). The actual nuclear explosive package, judging from published drawings, occupies some 0.91 to 1.22 m (3 to 4 ft) in the forward part of the bomb case. The bomb weighs approximately 1,100 kilograms (2,400 lb). The location of the lifting lugs shows that the greater part of the total mass is contained in the nuclear explosive. It has a variable yield: the destructive power is adjustable from somewhere in the low kiloton range up to a maximum of 1.2 megatonnes of TNT (5.0 PJ). The weapon is protected by a Category "D" Permissive Action Link (PAL) that prevents the enabling or detonation of the weapon without proper authorization.[5][6]

About 650 B83s were built, and the weapon remains in service as part of the United States "Enduring Stockpile".[2]

Aircraft capable of carrying the B83

The following aircraft are certified for carrying the B83 bomb:

• B-52 Stratofortress[7] (formerly)
• B-1B Lancer (formerly)
• B-2 Spirit[8]

Nuclear capability has been removed from the B-1B,[9] and the B-52 no longer carries gravity nuclear bombs.[8]

Novel uses

The B83 is one of the weapons considered for use in the "Nuclear Bunker Buster" project, which for a time was known as the Robust Nuclear Earth Penetrator, or RNEP. While most efforts have focused on the smaller B61-11 nuclear bomb, Los Alamos National Laboratory was also analyzing the use of the B83 in this role.

The physics package contained within the B83 has been studied for use in asteroid impact avoidance strategies against any seriously threatening near earth asteroids. Six such warheads, configured for the maximum 1.2 megatonnes of TNT (5.0 PJ), would be deployed by maneuvering space vehicles to "knock" an asteroid off course, should it pose a risk to the Earth.[10]

See also

• B61 nuclear bomb
• List of nuclear weapons

References

External links

• B83 Information Site
• B83 page at nuclearweaponarchive.org

На других языках

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[de] B83 (Kernwaffe)

Die B83 ist eine Wasserstoffbombe, die als frei fallende Fliegerbombe mit einer variabel wählbaren Sprengkraft konstruiert wurde. Sie wurde 1983 in Dienst gestellt und ist die derzeit stärkste Nuklearwaffe im Arsenal der Vereinigten Staaten.

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- [en] B83 nuclear bomb

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[it] B83

La B83 è una bomba all'idrogeno di produzione statunitense, entrata in servizio a partire dal 1983 e ancora in uso. La B83 è una bomba aeronautica a caduta libera, non guidata, e la sua detonazione rilascia un'energia pari a 1,2 megatoni di equivalente in TNT, fatto che la rende la più potente bomba a caduta libera in dotazione alla United States Air Force[2].

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