In an ongoing effort to modernize the nuclear arsenal, new radar systems for the B61-12 tactical nuclear bomb were successfully tested twice on Aug. 14-15, the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) said yesterday.
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| B61 and its components. Photo: NNSA. |
Engineers from Sandia National Laboratories dropped the new radar systems from a helicopter at the Tonopah Test Range in Nevada. The tests were the first experiment with the radar systems outside of a laboratory environment. The previous radar used “decades-old” vacuum tubes, NNSA said.
The tests are part of the B61 Life Extension Program (LEP), which is aimed at improving safety and reliability of the bomb. The LEP moved from planning stages to development and testing in 2012.
The B61 is one of the oldest in the American arsenal, according to Don Cook, NNSA Deputy Administrator for Defense Programs. The bomb was first designed in the 1960s.
NNSA called the B61 an “essential element of the U.S. strategic nuclear deterrent.”
“It ensures the continued vitality of the air-delivered leg of the U.S. nuclear triad,” the statement said.