88-475: W61 may refer to: W61 (nuclear warhead) Compound of great icosahedron and great stellated dodecahedron Otoineppu Station , in Hokkaido, Japan Topics referred to by the same term [REDACTED] This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title W61 . If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to
176-448: A Department of Energy investigation into the laboratory. The investigation found that the "missing plutonium" was a result of miscalculation by LANL's statisticians and did not actually exist; but the investigation did lead to heavy criticism of the laboratory by the DOE for security flaws and weaknesses that the DOE claimed to have found. LANL is northern New Mexico's largest institution and
264-495: A top-secret site for designing nuclear weapons under the Manhattan Project during World War II . Chosen for its remote yet relatively accessible location, it served as the main hub for conducting and coordinating nuclear research, bringing together scientists from around the world, among them numerous Nobel Prize winners. The town of Los Alamos , directly north of the lab, grew extensively through this period. After
352-640: A 3300 volt 2.0 μF capacitor for the firing set. If neither the radar fuze or the contact crystals actuated, the weapon would detonate at 120 seconds from arming. The weapons were to initially use the MC4175 Trajectory Sensing Signal Generators which are identical to the TSSG found in the B61-7, but starting from 1991, the Mod 6 was to get a new MC4137 Trajectory Sensing Signal Generator. The MC4175 stored
440-542: A drum containing nuclear waste was ruptured due to a ' deflagration ' according to an inspector general report of the Dept. of Energy, which due to lab mistakes, also occurred in 2014 at the Carlsbad plant with significant disruptions and costs across the industry. In 2009, 69 computers which did not contain classified information were lost. The same year also saw a scare in which 1 kg (2.2 lb) of missing plutonium prompted
528-409: A file server, a batch server, a printer and graphics output server and numerous other general purpose and specialized systems. IBM Roadrunner , which was part of this network, was the first supercomputer to hit petaflop speeds. Until 1999, The Los Alamos National Laboratory hosted the arXiv e-print archive. The arXiv is currently operated and funded by Cornell University . The coreboot project
616-480: A full yield test of the weapon with other tests conducted between 1963 and 1968 at the Nevada Test Site. During testing, spin motors were added to the weapon to produce a spin of 5 revolutions per second. This was to improve stability and decoupling during high speed delivery. Three alternatives to the weapon were also explored for still-classified reasons. The first alternative was halted due to its similarity to
704-471: A ground burst to create a crater and destroy it through the shockwave. A 50-kiloton yield detonating on the ground produces a crater with a radius of 30–68 meters, depending on the density of the surface, effectively putting the bunker within the circular error probability . In 2014 critics said that a more accurate and less destructive nuclear weapon would make leaders less cautious about deploying it, while Schwartz said it would deter adversaries more because
792-783: A maximum load of 255 g (2,500 m/s ). The weapon was designed and built by the Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico . Production engineering began in 1965, with the first war-reserve B61-0 weapon accepted by the AEC in December 1966. However production was halted in May 1967 for design modifications to be made before resuming in January 1968. Shot Flintlock Halfbeak in June 1966 may have been
880-453: A photo nearly led to a criticality incident. The photo shoot, which was directed by the laboratory's management, was one of several factors relating to unsafe management practices that led to the departure of 12 of the lab's 14 safety staff. The criticality incident was one of several that led the Department of Energy to seek alternative bids to manage the laboratory after the 2018 expiration of
968-560: A second successful test in August 2017. Despite claims the Mod 12 has an earth penetrating capability, the weapon does not have the reinforced structure like that of the Mod 11, which is required to function as an earth penetrating weapon. The Mod 11 will be retained in service for the ground penetrating mission. The Mod 12 Life Extension Program continued in 2018 and on 29 June 2018 two successful non-nuclear system qualification flight tests at Tonopah Test Range were reported. In October 2018,
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#17328514008191056-444: A secure area within the laboratory, but were later found behind a photocopier. Los Alamos National Laboratory's mission is to "solve national security challenges through simultaneous excellence". The laboratory's strategic plan reflects U.S. priorities spanning nuclear security, intelligence, defense, emergency response, nonproliferation, counterterrorism, energy security , emerging threats, and environmental management. This strategy
1144-600: A similar role as the American Cheyenne Mountain Complex . The timing of the Kosvinsky completion date is regarded as one explanation for U.S. interest in a new nuclear bunker buster and the declaration of the deployment of the Mod 11 in 1997: Kosvinsky is protected by about 1,000 feet (300 m) of granite . The B61 unguided bomb should not be confused with the MGM-1 Matador cruise missile , which
1232-459: A target; the Mod 11 nuclear earth-penetrator is accurate to 110–170 meters from the desired detonation location, so it requires a 400-kiloton warhead. The Mod 12 is accurate to 30 meters from a target and only requires a 50-kiloton warhead. Schwartz believes that greater accuracy would both improve the weapon and create a different target set it can be useful against. An example is the higher-yield Mod 11's role of attacking underground bunkers that need
1320-586: A third accident occurred during an annual physical inventory in December 1958. Several buildings associated with the Manhattan Project at Los Alamos were declared a National Historic Landmark in 1965. At the end of the Cold War , both labs went through a process of intense scientific diversification in their research programs to adapt to the changing political conditions that no longer required as much research towards developing new nuclear weapons and has led
1408-404: A weapon. However, the authors of the report believed that due to advances in technology it was possible for a single weapon to fulfill both requirements. This was followed by a report from Sandia in mid-1962, that believed that a lightweight nuclear bomb with full fuzing option was possible and that such a program could be completed in a short time-span, possibly by 1965 or 1966. Development of
1496-456: Is a variable yield ("dial-a-yield" colloquially) dual use tactical and strategic bomb equipped with Full Fuzing Option (FUFO) designed for external carriage by high-speed aircraft. It has a streamlined casing capable of withstanding supersonic flight. The original B61-0 weapon was 141.6 inches (3.60 m) long, with a diameter of 13.3 inches (340 mm) and a basic weight of 715 pounds (324 kg) with most later weapons having approximately
1584-860: Is aligned with priorities set by the Department of Energy (DOE), the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), and national strategy guidance documents, such as the Nuclear Posture Review , the National Security Strategy , and the Blueprint for a Secure Energy Future. Los Alamos is the senior laboratory in the DOE system , and executes work in all areas of the DOE mission: national security, science, energy, and environmental management. The laboratory also performs work for
1672-448: Is equipped with the full range of fuzing and delivery options, including air and ground burst fuzing, and free-fall, retarded free-fall and laydown delivery. It has a streamlined casing capable of withstanding supersonic flight and is 11 ft 8 in (3.56 m) long, with a diameter of about 13 inches (33 cm). The basic weight of the B-61 is about 700 pounds (320 kg), although
1760-466: Is identical to the battery used on the B61-7 and is thermally operated, providing 120 seconds of power for the weapon, but initial power is supplied by the MC2238 Pulse Batteries which are activated by the weapon's pullout switches during separation from the aircraft. The weapon contained two neutron generators for initiation, used a 2400 volt 0.6 μF capacitor for neutron generator firing and
1848-529: Is one of the sixteen research and development laboratories of the United States Department of Energy (DOE), located a short distance northwest of Santa Fe, New Mexico , in the American southwest . Best known for its central role in helping develop the first atomic bomb , LANL is one of the world's largest and most advanced scientific institutions. Los Alamos was established in 1943 as Project Y ,
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#17328514008191936-461: The Army-Navy "E" Award for Excellence in production on October 16, 1945. After the war, Oppenheimer retired from the directorship, and it was taken over by Norris Bradbury , whose initial mission was to make the previously hand-assembled atomic bombs "G.I. proof" so that they could be mass-produced and used without the assistance of highly trained scientists. Other founding members of Los Alamos left
2024-641: The B-21 Raider , but it is not planned to be deployed on the F-35. The Federation of American Scientists have accused the weapon of being a "political bomb", introduced to finally retire the B83-1 nuclear bomb, whose retirement has been blocked by hardliners. A W61 Earth Penetrator Warhead (EPW) with a yield of 340 kilotonnes of TNT (1,400 TJ) was developed for the AGM-129 Advanced Cruise Missile and
2112-491: The Department of Defense (DoD), Intelligence Community (IC), and Department of Homeland Security (DHS), among others. The laboratory's multidisciplinary scientific capabilities and activities are organized into six Capability Pillars: Los Alamos operates three main user facilities: As of 2017, the Los Alamos National Laboratory is using data and algorithms to possibly protect public health by tracking
2200-963: The F-22 Raptor 's weapons bays and will also be carried by the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II . B61 tactical variants are deployed with NATO allies in Europe as part of the NATO Nuclear Weapons Sharing Program . About 150 bombs are stored at six bases: Kleine Brogel in Belgium, Büchel Air Base in Germany, Aviano and Ghedi Air Base in Italy, Volkel Air Base in the Netherlands and Incirlik in Turkey. In 2012, NATO agreed to improve
2288-737: The Human Immunodeficiency Virus were being tested by lab scientist Bette Korber and her team. "These vaccines might finally deal a lethal blow to the AIDS virus ", says Chang-Shung Tung, leader of the Lab's Theoretical Biology and Biophysics group. The laboratory has attracted negative publicity from a number of events. In 1999, Los Alamos scientist Wen Ho Lee was accused of 59 counts of mishandling classified information by downloading nuclear secrets—"weapons codes" used for computer simulations of nuclear weapons tests—to data tapes and removing them from
2376-724: The MGM-134 Midgetman small ICBM. The weapon entered Phase 1 initial development in January 1985 and phase 4 production engineering in September 1992 before being cancelled in December of that year. In the Advanced Cruise Missile role, the weapon was to replace aging B53 bombs, but after the W61 cancellation the role was filled by the B61-11 bomb. A declassified technical report on the automation of pit handling at Pantex indicates that
2464-718: The National Science Foundation , LANL operates one of the three National High Magnetic Field Laboratories in conjunction with and located at two other sites Florida State University in Tallahassee, Florida , and University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida . Los Alamos National Laboratory is a partner in the Joint Genome Institute (JGI) located in Walnut Creek, California . JGI was founded in 1997 to unite
2552-592: The University of Texas System partnered with Lockheed-Martin . In December 2005, the Department of Energy announced that LANS had won the next seven-year contract to manage and operate the laboratory. On June 1, 2006, the University of California ended its sixty years of direct involvement in operating Los Alamos National Laboratory, and management control of the laboratory was taken over by Los Alamos National Security, LLC with effect October 1, 2007. Approximately 95% of
2640-509: The flow cytometry technology. In the 1950s, researcher Mack Fulwyler developed a technique for sorting erythrocytes that combined the Coulter Principle of Coulter counter technologies, which measures the presence of cells and their size, with ink jet technology, which produces a laminar flow of liquid that breaks up into separate, fine drops. In 1969, Los Alamos reported the first fluorescence detector apparatus, which accurately measured
2728-507: The percussion cap on an MC4246A thermal battery , powering it up. Electrical power from the thermal battery is sufficient to "fry" the internal circuitry of the bomb, destroying critical mechanisms without causing detonation. This makes the bomb incapable of being used. Any B61 which has had the command disable facility activated must be returned to Pantex for repair. The B61 can be set for airburst or groundburst detonation, and by free fall , retarded free fall or laydown delivery through
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2816-634: The $ 10 billion cost to refurbish the warheads. The Mod 12 uses an internal guidance system and can glide to its target. On 1 July 2015, the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) conducted the first of three flight tests of the Mod 12 tail kit assembly. According to the Federation of American Scientists in 2012, the roughly 400 B61-12s will cost $ 28 million apiece. [REDACTED] Media related to B61 nuclear bomb at Wikimedia Commons Los Alamos National Laboratory Los Alamos National Laboratory (often shortened as Los Alamos and LANL )
2904-475: The 400 weapons is now expected to cost over $ 10 billion. The Mod 12 tail assembly contract was awarded to Boeing on November 27, 2012 for $ 178 million. Boeing will use their experience with the Joint Direct Attack Munition to yield JDAM-equivalent accuracy in a nuclear bomb. This contract is only the first part of the billion-dollar expense of producing and applying the tail kits, over and above
2992-482: The B61 have been designed, known as Mod 0 through Mod 12. Of these, nine have entered production. Each shares the same physics package , with different yield options. The newest variant is the Mod 11, deployed in 1997, which is a ground-penetrating bunker busting weapon. The Russian Continuity of Government facility at Kosvinsky Kamen , finished in early 1996, was designed to resist US earth-penetrating warheads and serves
3080-722: The B61 is hoped to lead to the retirement of the B83, resulting in the elimination of the last megaton-yield U.S. bomb and leave the B61-series as the only U.S. gravity nuclear bomb. In 2013, the Pentagon and NNSA stated that if B61 refurbishment did not begin by 2019, components in the existing weapons could begin to fail. In 2013 Tom Collina of the Arms Control Association said that the new development could complicate arms control efforts with Russia. In 2014, Congress slashed funding for
3168-662: The B61-2 and B61-5 share a common pit design, as do the B61-3, B61-10 and W85. The B61-0 and B61-4 do not share a pit with any other weapon. As the B61-7 was a retrofit of the B61-1 and the B61-11 was a retrofit of the B61-7, they presumably share a common pit. In May 2010 the National Nuclear Security Administration asked Congress for $ 40 million to redesign the bomb to enable the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II to carry
3256-569: The B61-3 as an "improved Mod 2 w/IHE" and the B61-4 as "same as Mod 3 ex. Hi-Y". The B61 Mod 3 and 4 bombs do not contain beryllium . A 1978 report on reducing or substituting beryllium in nuclear weapons noted that the B61-5 contained beryllium and that if the use of beryllium were to be restricted, the B61-5 could probably be replaced by the B61 Mod 3. The B61 Mod 6 and Mod 8 bombs were developed for use by
3344-613: The LANL director no longer reports to the UC Regents or UC Office of the President. On June 8, 2018, the NNSA announced that Triad National Security, LLC, a joint venture between Battelle Memorial Institute , the University of California, and Texas A&M University, would assume operation and management of LANL beginning November 1, 2018. In August 2011, the close placement of eight plutonium rods for
3432-579: The LANS contract. The lab was penalized with a $ 57 million reduction in its 2014 budget over the February 14, 2014, accident at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant for which it was partly responsible. In August 2017, the improper storage of plutonium metal could have triggered a criticality accident , and subsequently staff failed to declare the failure as required by procedure. With support of
3520-666: The MC2935 come from either of the two MC4175s or the MC4137 Trajectory Sensing Signal Generators. A third stronglink existed inside the first exclusion region of the weapon and was involved in weapon arming. Details of the system are still classified. As of 2013 the Pentagon saw the B83 nuclear bomb as a "relic of the Cold War," believing that deploying a megaton-yield gravity bomb, the highest level nuclear weapon left in
3608-541: The MC2969 in the open position until a specific unlock signal was received. The second stronglink was the MC2935 Trajectory Stronglink Switch of which there were two, one for each channel of the weapon's firing set. Like the MC2969, it mechanically locked if it received the wrong input signals, but unlike the MC2969 it could only be manually unlocked, which could only take place at the factory. Signals for
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3696-505: The MC4139 and continuously applied power the MC4137 does not know how to arm the safelink. The weapon was to feature a number of weapon stronglinks. Stronglinks are part of the weapon's safety systems and are designed to be robust enough that they can survive abnormal environments long enough for the weapon's weaklinks to fail. This requires weak and stronglinks to be colocated so they are exposed to
3784-514: The Manhattan Project, Los Alamos hosted thousands of employees, including many Nobel Prize -winning scientists. The location was a total secret. Its only mailing address was a post office box, number 1663, in Santa Fe , New Mexico. Eventually two other post office boxes were used, 180 and 1539, also in Santa Fe. Though its contract with the University of California was initially intended to be temporary,
3872-509: The Mod 11 went into service in 1997 replacing the older megaton -yield B53 bomb . About 50 Mod 11 bombs have been produced, their warheads converted from Mod 7 bombs. At present, the primary carrier for the Mod 11 is the B-2 Spirit . As of 2023, the B61 has 13 variants, referred to as Mod 0 through Mod 12. A Sandia document on the dates of the development phases of the US nuclear stockpile describes
3960-525: The Mod 12 guided tail-kit assembly received Milestone C approval to enter the production phase; the TKA went through the traditional test program in under 11 months, achieving a 100% success rate for all 31 bomb drops. The B61-12 nuclear bomb completed its successful flight tests with the US Air Force's F-15E in June 2020. It was dropped from above 25,000ft and was in the air for approximately 55 seconds before hitting
4048-427: The Russian Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Alexander Grushko , who accused the US government of "reducing the nuclear threshold" with the weapon's increased accuracy. The F/A-18E/F Super Hornet is not listed as a future platform. Initially, the NNSA Stockpile Stewardship and Management Plan anticipated Phase 1 development for the B61 Mod 13 Life Extension Program (LEP) beginning in 2037 with first production of
4136-429: The Secretary-Treasurer Robert Underhill, who was in charge of wartime contracts and liabilities. The work of the laboratory culminated in several atomic devices, one of which was used in the first nuclear test near Alamogordo, New Mexico , codenamed " Trinity ", on July 16, 1945. The other two were weapons, " Little Boy " and " Fat Man ", which were used in the attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The Laboratory received
4224-503: The U.S. inventory, to Europe was "inconceivable" at this point. It can also only be carried by the B-2 bomber, and integrating it onto additional aircraft would be costly. The Mod 12 upgrade is being pursued as a forward-deployed tactical/strategic nuclear weapon to protect NATO and Asian allies since it can be used from dual-capable fighter aircraft, as well as planned to arm the F-35 and B-21 Raider , and its lower yield options make it more flexible with less collateral effects. Recapitalizing
4312-420: The U.S. would be more willing to use it in situations where necessary. The improved accuracy would make it more effective than the previous Mod 3/4 currently deployed to the continent. F-16 and Panavia Tornado aircraft cannot interface with the new bomb due to electronic differences, but NATO countries buying the F-35 would be able to utilize it. The first flight test for an inert Mod 12 was conducted in 2015, with
4400-473: The US Navy beginning in March 1987 and cancelled at the end of the Cold War. The weapons weighed 350 kilograms (770 lb), had a length of 3,597 millimetres (141.6 in) and a diameter of 338 millimetres (13.3 in), and were one-point safe, used insensitive high explosives (IHE) in their primary stages and utilized enhanced electrical safety (EES). The weapons were to be built by converting existing B61-0, −2 and −5 weapons into Mod 6 and 8 weapons and
4488-422: The United States Enduring Stockpile following the end of the Cold War . It is a low-to-intermediate yield strategic and tactical nuclear weapon featuring a two-stage radiation implosion design. The B61 is of the variable yield ("dial-a-yield" in informal military jargon) design with a yield of 0.3 to 340 kilotons in its various mods ("modifications"). It is a Full Fuzing Option (FUFO) weapon, meaning it
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#17328514008194576-493: The arming signal for the trajectory stronglink in its memory, so it featured a pair of rolamite acceleration switches designed to prevent the possibility of the signal being transferred to the stronglink before the rolamites were actuated by the spinning of the weapon in flight. The MC4137 instead is provided the unique signal from the MC4139 Programmer, which stores it in a volatile memory that erases after approximately seven seconds of lost power, meaning that without intent from
4664-421: The capabilities of this force with the increased accuracy of the Mod 12 upgrade and the delivery of the F-35 aircraft. This added a modest standoff capability to the B61. The F-35A was certified to carry the B61-12 in October 2023, marking the first time a fifth generation fighter has been nuclear capable, and the first new platform in the NATO inventory to achieve such status since the early 1990s. The B61
4752-430: The country indicated the need for a laboratory dedicated solely to that purpose. General Leslie Groves wanted a central laboratory at an isolated location for safety, and to keep the scientists away from the populace. It should be at least 200 miles from international boundaries and west of the Mississippi. Major John Dudley suggested Oak City, Utah , or Jemez Springs, New Mexico , but both were rejected. Jemez Springs
4840-566: The country's nuclear arsenal. Additional work included basic scientific research, particle accelerator development, health physics, and fusion power research as part of Project Sherwood . Many nuclear tests were undertaken in the Marshall Islands and at the Nevada Test Site . During the late-1950s, a number of scientists including Dr. J. Robert "Bob" Beyster left Los Alamos to work for General Atomics (GA) in San Diego . Three major nuclear-related accidents have occurred at LANL. Criticality accidents occurred in August 1945 and May 1946, and
4928-642: The effectiveness of the United States' vaccine distribution infrastructure. Additional advancements include the ASPECT airplane that can detect bio threats from the sky. In 2008, development for a safer, more comfortable and accurate test for breast cancer was ongoing by scientists Lianjie Huang and Kenneth M. Hanson and collaborators. The new technique, called ultrasound-computed tomography (ultrasound CT), uses sound waves to accurately detect small tumors that traditional mammography cannot. The lab has made intense efforts for humanitarian causes through its scientific research in medicine. In 2010, three vaccines for
5016-402: The environment. It also contributed to thousands of dumpsites at 108 locations in 29 US states. Continuing efforts to make the laboratory more efficient led the Department of Energy to open its contract with the University of California to bids from other vendors in 2003. Though the university and the laboratory had difficult relations many times since their first World War II contract, this was
5104-420: The expertise and resources in genome mapping , DNA sequencing , technology development, and information sciences pioneered at the three genome centers at University of California's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), and LANL. The Integrated Computing Network (ICN) is a multi-security level network at the LANL integrating large host supercomputers,
5192-448: The federal government, LANL is privately managed and operated by Triad National Security, LLC . The laboratory was founded during World War II as a secret, centralized facility to coordinate the scientific research of the Manhattan Project , the Allied project to develop the first nuclear weapons . In September 1942, the difficulties encountered in conducting preliminary studies on nuclear weapons at universities scattered across
5280-406: The first time that the university ever had to compete for management of the laboratory. The University of California decided to create a private company with the Bechtel Corporation, Washington Group International , and the BWX Technologies to bid on the contract to operate the laboratory. The UC/Bechtel led corporation— Los Alamos National Security, LLC (LANS)—was pitted against a team formed by
5368-440: The former 10,000 plus UC employees at LANL were rehired by LANS to continue working at LANL. Other than UC appointing three members to the eleven member board of directors that oversees LANS, UC now has virtually no responsibility or direct involvement in LANL. UC policies and regulations that apply to UC campuses and its two national laboratories in California ( Lawrence Berkeley and Lawrence Livermore ) no longer apply to LANL, and
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#17328514008195456-522: The growth of infectious diseases . Digital epidemiologists at the lab's Information Systems and Modeling group are using clinical surveillance data, Google search queries, census data, Misplaced Pages , and even tweets to create a system that could predict epidemics. The team is using data from Brazil as its model; Brazil was notably threatened by the Zika virus as it prepared to host the Summer Olympics in 2016 . Within LANL's 43-square-mile property are approximately 2,000 dumpsites which have contaminated
5544-410: The intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=W61&oldid=1175604999 " Category : Disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages W61 (nuclear warhead) The B61 nuclear bomb is the primary thermonuclear gravity bomb in
5632-411: The lab to increase research for "non-war" science and technology. Los Alamos' nuclear work is currently thought to relate primarily to computer simulations and stockpile stewardship . The development of the Dual-Axis Radiographic Hydrodynamic Test Facility will allow complex simulations of nuclear tests to take place without full explosive yields. The laboratory contributed to the early development of
5720-448: The lab. After ten months in jail, Lee pleaded guilty to a single count and the other 58 were dismissed with an apology from U.S. District Judge James Parker for his incarceration. Lee had been suspected for having shared U.S. nuclear secrets with China , but investigators were never able to establish what Lee did with the downloaded data. In 2000, two computer hard drives containing classified data were announced to have gone missing from
5808-403: The laboratory and became outspoken opponents to the further development of nuclear weapons. The name officially changed to the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory ( LASL ) on January 1, 1947. By this time, Argonne had already been made the first National Laboratory the previous year. Los Alamos would not become a National Laboratory in name until 1981. In the years since the 1940s, Los Alamos
5896-490: The largest employer with approximately 8,762 direct employees, 277 guard force, 505 contractors, 1,613 students, 1,143 unionized craft workers, and 452 post-doctoral researchers. Additionally, there are roughly 120 DOE employees stationed at the laboratory to provide federal oversight of LANL's work and operations. Approximately one-third of the laboratory's technical staff members are physicists , one-quarter are engineers , one-sixth are chemists and materials scientists , and
5984-406: The number and size of ovarian cells and blood cells. As of 2017, other research performed at the lab included developing cheaper, cleaner biofuels and advancing scientific understanding around renewable energy. Non-nuclear national security and defense development is also a priority at the lab. This includes preventing outbreaks of deadly diseases by improving detection tools and the monitoring
6072-461: The original TX-61 design, and the Department of Defense was unfavorable to the second option which halted its exploration. The TX-61 design was ordered to "proceed along the lines" of the third alternative in May 1964, though it is unclear what that means. Total production of all versions was approximately 3,155, of which approximately 540 remain in active service, 415 in inactive service and 520 are awaiting dismantlement as of 2012 . 13 versions of
6160-447: The pilot. The weapon can be released at speeds up to Mach 2 and altitudes as low as 50 feet (15 m). In one of the weapon's laydown modes, it detonates 31 seconds after weapon release. The Mod 11 is a hardened penetration bomb with a reinforced casing and a delayed-action fuze ; this allows the weapon to penetrate several metres into the ground before detonating, damaging fortified structures further underground. Developed from 1994,
6248-409: The project and called for alternates to be studied. In January 2014, former Air Force Chief of Staff Norton A. Schwartz stated that the Mod 12 nuclear bomb upgrade would have enhanced accuracy and a lower yield with less fallout compared to previous versions of the weapon. Accuracy has not been a guarantee for air-dropped nuclear weapons, so consequently large warheads were needed to effectively impact
6336-444: The relationship was maintained long after the war. Until the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki , Japan , University of California president Robert Sproul did not know what the purpose of the laboratory was and thought it might be producing a " death ray ". The only member of the UC administration who knew its true purpose—indeed, the only one who knew its exact physical location—was
6424-468: The safety/arming and firing mechanisms. The other socket is the PAL connector, which has 23 pins marked with alphabetic letter codes. The B61 "command disable" mechanism functions as follows: after entering the correct three-digit numeric code it is then possible to turn a dial to "DI" and pull back a T-shaped handle which comes away in the user's hand. This action releases a spring-loaded firing pin which fires
6512-464: The same dimensions and weight, except for the Mod 11 version which has a weight of approximately 1,200 pounds (540 kg). The B61 is armed by ground-based personnel via an access panel located on the side of the bomb, which opens to reveal nine dials, two sockets, and a T-handle which manually triggers the "command disable" function. One of the sockets is for a MC4142 "strike enable" plug which must be inserted in order to complete critical circuits in
6600-475: The same environmental conditions in an accident. The first stronglink was the MC2969 Intent Stronglink Switch which was also used on the B61-3, −4 and −7, W78, W80 and B83 weapons. The MC2969 consisted of a 14-pin ceramic-insulated bank of switches that would close upon the receipt of the proper intent unique signal (IUQS) to its electromechanical decoder. Receipt of the wrong signal would lock
6688-467: The short time-scales, it was decided to make maximum use of off-the-shelf components such as those developed for the B57 nuclear bomb . Environmental conditions specified included an indefinite temperature range of −60 °F (−51 °C) to 160 °F (71 °C), shocks of up to 40g, and in flight temperatures of up to 275 °F (135 °C) for up to 40 minutes. Parachute deployment was specified to produce
6776-548: The target. The first B61-12 bomb was produced in November 2021. The weapon replaces the B61 mod 3, mod 4 and mod 7 bombs while the B61-11 will be retained in the stockpile. It is expected that the LEP will extend the B61's life by at least 20 years. Politico reported in October 2022 that the US military planned to accelerate the deployment of the Mod 12 in Europe. This drew criticism from
6864-447: The use of a parachute to slow down the weapon during release from the delivery aircraft. Only the Mod 0 to 10 versions of the B61 are equipped with a parachute retarder (currently a 24-ft (7.3 m) diameter nylon / Kevlar chute). This offers the aircraft a chance to escape the blast in its retarded delivery modes, or allows the weapon to survive impact with the ground in laydown delivery mode. Contact preclusion can also be selected by
6952-815: The war ended in 1945, Project Y's existence was made public, and it became known universally as Los Alamos. In 1952, the Atomic Energy Commission formed a second design lab under the direction of the University of California, Berkeley , which became the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL). The two labs competed on a wide variety of bomb designs, but with the end of the Cold War , have focused increasingly on civilian missions. Today, Los Alamos conducts multidisciplinary research in fields such as national security , space exploration , nuclear fusion , renewable energy , medicine , nanotechnology , and supercomputing . While owned by
7040-551: The weapon in 2050, but in 2023 plans were announced to produce a new gravity bomb similar to that of the B61-12, but having a high yield similar to that of the B61-7, named the B61 Mod 13. This discards plans for the Mod 13 to be a future Mod 12 LEP. It is planned that for each B61-13 produced, one fewer B61-12 is to be produced, therefore not increasing the planned number of new B61 bombs; defense officials indicated only "a few dozen" B61-13s may be produced. The new bomb will be carried by
7128-554: The weapon internally by 2017. This version is designated Mod 12. The four hundred Mod 12 bombs will be used by both tactical aircraft (such as the F-35) and strategic aircraft (such as the B-2) and the Tail Subassembly (TSA) will give them Joint Direct Attack Munition levels of accuracy, allowing the fifty kiloton warhead to have strategic effects from all carrying aircraft. However, refitting
7216-513: The weapon that would become the B61 was authorized in December 1962. The justification for the program was that the new weapon would modernize the nuclear arsenal, improve the capability of aircraft and simplify the nuclear weapons inventory by replacing lower-yield versions of the B28 and B43 nuclear bombs . The desired production date was June 1965. The weapon was designated the TX-61 in January 1963. Due to
7304-608: The weapons were to use B61-7 weapon parts where possible. By mass, the largest deviations from the B61-7 were the Acorn assembly, MC4137 TSSG (trajectory sensing signal generator) and the JTA (described as "ballast for WR"). The weapon's computer was the MC4139 Programmer, two of which are used on independent channels, and is identical to the programmer used on the B61-7. The MC3656 Main Battery
7392-517: The weights of individual weapons may vary depending on version and fuze /retardation configuration. As of 2020, the weapon was undergoing a 12th modification. According to the Federation of American Scientists in 2012, the roughly 400 B61-12s will each cost "more than its weight in gold" - $ 28 million apiece. In 1961 a report was issued indicating Navy and Air Force interest in a lightweight bomb to replace existing weapons, but that both services had considerably different military requirements for such
7480-764: Was initially developed at LANL. In the recent years, the Laboratory has developed a major research program in systems biology modeling , known at LANL under the name q-bio. Several serials are published by LANL: LANL also published Los Alamos Science from 1980 to 2005, as well as the Nuclear Weapons Journal , which was replaced by National Security Science after two issues in 2009. In 2005, Congress held new hearings on lingering security issues at Los Alamos National Weapons Laboratory in New Mexico; documented problems continued to be ignored. In November 2008,
7568-487: Was only a short distance from the current site. Project Y director J. Robert Oppenheimer had spent much time in his youth in the New Mexico area and suggested the Los Alamos Ranch School on the mesa . Dudley had rejected the school as not meeting Groves' criteria, but as soon as Groves saw it he said in effect "This is the place". Oppenheimer became the laboratory's first director; from 19 October 1942. During
7656-583: Was originally developed under the bomber designation B-61. The B61 has been deployed by a variety of US military aircraft. US aircraft cleared for its use have included the B-1 Lancer , B-2 Spirit , B-52 Stratofortress , F/A-18 Hornet , A-6 Intruder , A-4 Skyhawk , F-111 , F-15E Strike Eagle and F-16 Fighting Falcon and the F-35A . As part of NATO Nuclear Weapons Sharing, German and Italian Panavia Tornado aircraft can also carry B61s. The B61 can fit inside
7744-419: Was responsible for the development of the hydrogen bomb , and many other variants of nuclear weapons. In 1952, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory was founded to act as Los Alamos' "competitor", with the hope that two laboratories for the design of nuclear weapons would spur innovation. Los Alamos and Livermore served as the primary classified laboratories in the U.S. national laboratory system, designing all
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