W49
US thermonuclear warhead of the 1950s and 60s / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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For other uses, see W49 (disambiguation).
The W49 was an American thermonuclear warhead, used on the Thor, Atlas, Jupiter, and Titan I ballistic missile systems. W49 warheads were manufactured starting in 1958 and were in service until 1965, with a few warheads being retained until 1975.
Quick Facts Type, Service history ...
W49 warhead | |
---|---|
Type | Nuclear weapon |
Service history | |
In service | 1958 to 1965 |
Used by | United States |
Production history | |
Designer | Los Alamos National Laboratory |
Variants | 7 |
Specifications | |
Mass | 1,640 pounds (740 kg) |
Detonation mechanism | Contact, airburst |
Blast yield | Y1: 1.1 megatonnes of TNT (4.6 PJ) Y2: 1.45 megatonnes of TNT (6.1 PJ) |
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The weapon itself was a Mark 28 Y1 warhead modified for the missile role.