America’s newest nuclear bomb built seven months early

The United States is speeding a new nuclear bomb into production seven months ahead of schedule

The B-61-13 is a variable-yield gravity bomb that can deliver up to 360 kilotons of explosive power

roughly 18 times the strength of the bomb dropped on Hiroshima. Unlike missile-launched warheads, this is a gravity bomb, meaning it's dropped from an aircraft

Designed by Sandia National Laboratories, the bomb would be carried by stealth aircraft like the B-2 Spirit and eventually the B-21 Raider

Sandia credited what it called an aggressive development plan that cut production time by

more than 25 percent. The lab said the project relied on close coordination with the U.S. Air

Force, Los Alamos National Laboratory, and the National Nuclear Security Administration. The Pentagon first announced the B in October of 2023 saying it would replace some older B61 bombs and offer greater flexibility against hardened or wide military targets The weapon incorporates modern safety security and accuracy features developed for the B

The Department of Defense said the new bomb would not increase the total number of weapons

in the U.S. nuclear stockpile. Production comes just weeks after the NNSA completed the final unit

of the B61-12 program, which extended the service life of earlier models by at least 20 years

That program officially wrapped up in December. The NNSA says the early momentum from that project

helped accelerate the timeline for the B61-13, which was originally set to begin full production

in 2026. The 2022 Nuclear Posture Review outlined the need to modernize American nuclear capabilities

calling for flexible deterrence amid rising global competition. For more unbiased updates, download the Straight Arrow News app or go to san.com