Kinglet was a boosted fission primary used in several American thermonuclear weapons.[1]
The W55 warhead for the UUM-44 SUBROC anti-submarine missile and the W58 warhead for Polaris A-3 were designed to use Kinglet, while the W47 warhead for Polaris A-1/A-2 were retrofitted with Kinglet to overcome the technical issues with the Robin primary the W47 was initially deployed with.[2][3] Allegedly, only the W47Y2[lower-alpha 1] was converted to the Mod 3 design using Kinglet.[4]
Design
The Kinglet device was approximately 11.2–11.57 inches (284–294 mm) in diameter, 11.5–12.2 inches (290–310 mm) in length and weighed approximately 58–63 pounds (26–29 kg).[5]
The device was of the two-point design. Two-point devices only require two detonators to fire the whole device, compared to earlier nuclear weapons that required tens of detonators.[6]
Characteristics of the warheads that used Kinglet are:[5][7][8]
| Warhead | Max Yield | Diameter | Length | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| W47Y2 Mod 3[4] | 1,200 kilotonnes of TNT (5,000 TJ) | 457 mm (18 in) | 1,194 mm (47 in) | 332 kg (733 lb) |
| W55 | 5 kilotonnes of TNT (21 TJ)[lower-alpha 2] | 343 mm (13.5 in) | 1,001 mm (39.4 in) | 213 kg (470 lb) |
| W58 | 200 kilotonnes of TNT (840 TJ) | 396 mm (15.6 in) | 1,016 mm (40 in) | 117 kg (257 lb) |
See also
Notes
- ↑ The Y2 nomenclature indicates the high-yield 1,200 kilotonnes of TNT (5,000 TJ) version of the warhead. The W47Y1 was 600 kilotonnes of TNT (2,500 TJ).
- ↑ Some sources give the yield as 5 kilotonnes of TNT (21 TJ), but also describe it as being a "mid-kiloton weapon"[9] and based on the same 200 kilotonnes of TNT (840 TJ) Hardtack Olive device that became the W58 warhead.
References
- ↑ Chuck Hansen (2007). Swords of Armageddon. Vol. I. p. 398. ISBN 978-0-9791915-1-0.
- ↑ Chuck Hansen (2007). Swords of Armageddon. Vol. V. p. 15. ISBN 978-0-9791915-5-8.
- ↑ Chuck Hansen (2007). Swords of Armageddon. Vol. VI. p. 436. ISBN 978-0-9791915-6-5.
- 1 2 Swords of Armageddon Vol VI, p. 437.
- 1 2 Swords of Armageddon Vol I, p. 398.
- ↑ Swords of Armageddon Vol I, p. 99, 398.
- ↑ Swords of Armageddon Vol V, p. 15, 540.
- ↑ Swords of Armageddon Vol VI, p. 437, 440, 455, 459.
- ↑ Sublette, Carey (12 June 2020). "Complete List of All U.S. Nuclear Weapons". Nuclear weapon archive. Archived from the original on 2009-02-27. Retrieved 2021-03-18.
Bibliography
- Beware the old story by Chuck Hansen, Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, March/April 2001 pp. 52-55 (vol. 57, no. 02)
- http://nuclearweaponarchive.org/Usa/Weapons?Allbombs.html
- The History of the UK. Strategic Deterrent: The Chevaline Programme. ISBN 1-85768-109-6 Published:2004 by the Royal Aeronautical Society, London.