'Most dangerous' B61-12: US' expensive precision-guided gravity nuclear bomb—All we know about it

The US engineers came up against the nation's ageing nuclear gravity bombs, B61-12 — a modernised and precision-guided version. Unlike earlier free-fall models, it includes a Boeing-designed tail kit that dramatically improves targeting accuracy. The B61-12, which is equipped with “Dial-a-yield” technology, allows the explosive power to be set before deployment. It ranges from 50,000 tons to just 300 tons of TNT equivalent.

Among the B61 family of air-launched nuclear gravity bombs, the B61-12 is the latest variant, which has been operating since 1968 with the US military. This new variant has bolstered the nuclear capabilities of the US Air Force. The best part of this bomb is that it can be air-launched by the aircraft platforms such as B-2A, F-15E, F-16C/D, F-16 MLU, PA-200, F-35, and B-21.

It is also a part of the B61-12 life extension programme (LEP), in a joint collaboration of the US Air Force and the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA). The B61-12 nuclear bomb completed its flight tests with the US Air Force’s F-15E in June 2020. During the test, it was dropped from a height above 25,000ft, resulting in the bomb remaining in the air for approximately 55 seconds before hitting the target, as per the report by Airforce-technology.com.

Is B61-12 most expensive nuclear bomb?

Despite these technological upgrades, the US government classifies the B61-12 as a refurbishment rather than a new weapon. In the past, Congress has resisted similar proposals, concerned that more precise and lower-yield nuclear bombs are more likely to be used in war. The Obama administration, in 2010, directed not to develop nuclear weapons with new capabilities, and officials say the B61-12 remains consistent with that policy, according to a report in Mother Jones.

The bomb is compatible with the F-35 stealth fighter, raising concerns among experts like Hans Kristensen from the Federation of American Scientists, who warns that such a capability could lower the perceived threshold for nuclear warfare. Kristensen emphasised that notes that if Russia fielded similar systems, it could escalate global fears about the possible use of nuclear.

Criticism of the B61-12 has also centred on its cost. Full-scale production, which began in 2020, is expected to total over $11 billion for around 400–480 bombs, making it the most expensive nuclear bomb ever developed, with costs more than double initial estimates.