W78 - Wikipedia
The W78 is an American thermonuclear warhead with an estimated yield of 335–350 kilotonnes of TNT (1,400–1,460 TJ), deployed on the LGM-30G Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) and housed in the Mark 12A reentry vehicle.
LGM-30 Minuteman - Wikipedia
LGM-30 Minuteman. Minuteman III launch from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on 9 February 2023. The LGM-30 Minuteman is an American land-based intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) in service with the Air Force Global Strike Command. As of 2024, the LGM-30G (Version 3) [note 1] is the only land-based ICBM in service in the United ...
Warhead replacement program passes first key milestone
Oct 1, 2020 · The W87-1 Mod will replace the W78 thermonuclear warhead with a modified design of the W87 warhead. The W78 is nearing the end of its functional lifespan after 37 years in service, perched atop the Air Force’s Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs).
Minuteman Missile Nuclear Warheads
The W78 warhead was designed and manufactured by the Los Alamos National Laboratory, LANL. It is based on its W50 warhead design, with a diameter of 21.3 inches, height of 67.7 inches, and its weight is approximately 700 to 800 pounds. The W78 has a …
Nuclear weapons life cycle - Los Alamos National Laboratory
Jul 26, 2021 · Nuclear weapons are conceptualized, designed, developed, produced, maintained in the stockpile, and then retired and dismantled. This sequence is called the nuclear weapons life cycle and is detailed here.
The W-78 Warhead - Nuclear Weapon Archive
Sep 1, 2001 · The W-78 is the warhead used with the Mk 12A reentry vehicle which arms a portion of the Minuteman III ICBM force. Designed for use on MIRV (multiple independently targeted reentry vehicle) bus upper stage.
W87-1 The Modification that Invigorated an Enterprise
Lawrence Livermore will deliver the first newly manufactured nuclear warhead in three decades, which will replace the aging W78, meet military requirements, improve safety and security, and transform the Nuclear Security Enterprise through innovative collaborations.
Nuclear Weapons: - U.S. Government Accountability Office (U.S.
Nov 30, 2018 · The National Nuclear Security Administration is preparing to restart a program to replace the W78 nuclear warhead, which is used in Air Force intercontinental ballistic missiles. The goal is to produce the first W78 replacement warhead in fiscal year 2030.
United States nuclear weapons, 2021 - Taylor & Francis Online
Jan 26, 2021 · The modified W78 was known as Interoperable Warhead 1 (IW-1). But in 2018, the Air Force and National Nuclear Security Administration canceled the W78 upgrade and instead proposed a W78 Replacement Program using a W87-1 warhead.
W78 - Wikiwand / articles
The W78 is an American thermonuclear warhead with an estimated yield of 335–350 kilotonnes of TNT (1,400–1,460 TJ), deployed on the LGM-30G Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) and housed in the Mark 12A reentry vehicle.