B43 nuclear bomb

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The B43 nuclear bomb

The B43 was a

bomber aircraft
.

The B43 was developed from 1956 by

ribbon parachute
.

The B43 was built in two variants, Mod 1 and Mod 2, each with five yield options. Depending on version, the B43 was 18 in (45 cm) in diameter, and length was between 12.5 ft (3.81 m) and 13.6 ft (4.15 m). The various versions weighed between 2,061–2,116 lb (935–960 kg). It could be delivered at altitudes as low as 300 ft (90 m), with

TNT to 1 megaton
of TNT.

The B43 used the

Tsetse primary
design for its fission stage, as did several mid- and late-1950s designs.

The B43 was one of four thermonuclear gravity bombs carried by Canadian CF-104 jets while serving in Germany between June 1964 and 1972.[1]

Delivery systems

F-104G
with a ZELL-Verfahren rocket booster and a B-43 nuclear bomb at Gatow, Germany.

Carrier aircraft included most

B-1B Lancer was also intended to carry the B43, though it remains unclear whether this particular aircraft was ever type-approved to carry the B43 prior to the B-1's reassignment to conventional strike roles. The B43 was also supplied for delivery by Royal Air Force Canberra and Valiant
aircraft assigned to NATO under the command of SACEUR.

Broken Arrow

Main article: 1965 Philippine Sea A-4 incident

The B43 was never used in combat, but it was involved in a

US DoD report revealed that one of these one-megaton bomb (which had recently been retired from service and replaced) had gone missing.[5] Japan then asked for details of the incident.[6]

Withdrawn

The B43 was phased out in the 1980s, and the last B43 weapons were retired in 1991 in favor of the newer B61 and B83 weapons.

See also

References

  1. ISBN 1-55002-299-7
    , Chapter 3
  2. ^ Maruyama Kuniaki 丸山邦明 (2005). "Gunji kichi mondai to Amami 軍事基地問題と奄美". In Kagoshima-ken chihō jichi kenkyūsho 鹿児島県地方自治研究所 (ed.). Amami sengo-shi 奄美戦後史 (in Japanese).
  3. ^ "LTJG Douglas M. Webster". Archived from the original on 2010-12-06. Retrieved 2010-03-28.
  4. ^ Broken Arrows at www.atomicarchive.com. Accessed Aug 24, 2007.
  5. ^ Washington, D.C.: Washington Post, Reuter, "U.S. Confirms '65 Loss of H-Bomb Near Japanese Islands", Tuesday, 9 May 1989, page A-27.
  6. ^ Washington, D.C.: Washington Post, "Japan Asks Details On Lost H-Bomb", Wednesday, 10 May 1989, page A-35.

External links

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