US building massive nuclear bomb 24 times stronger than one used in Japan

The US is building a massive nuclear bomb that will be 24 times more powerful than those dropped on Japan during the Second World War.

According to the US Department of Defense, the Pentagon is seeking Congressional approval for the programme, aimed at building a “modern variant of the B61 nuclear gravity bomb, which will be designated the B61-13.”

"Today's announcement is reflective of a changing security environment and growing threats from potential adversaries," Assistant Secretary of Defense for Space Policy John Plumb said in the release.

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"The United States has a responsibility to continue to assess and field the capabilities we need to credibly deter and, if necessary, respond to strategic attacks, and assure our allies," he added.

How powerful will be the B61-13?

The new bomb will have a maximum yield of 360 kilotons. To put this number into perspective, the bomb that was dropped on Hiroshima had a yield of 15 kilotons.

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The B61-13 would also be about 14 times larger than the bomb dropped on Nagasaki, which was 25 kilotons.

According to a fact sheet released by the Pentagon, the powerful new bomb will also "include the modern safety, security, and accuracy features of the B61-12."

Where will the bomb be used?

Modern aircraft and release notes would be able to deliver the new bomb, giving the US president new options to strike enemies and wide military targets harder.

If approved, the bomb would replace some of the current B61-7s currently in the US nuclear stockpile instead of increasing the size of the total stock.

"The B61-13 represents a reasonable step to manage the challenges of a highly dynamic security environment," Plumb said. "While it provides us with additional flexibility, production of the B61-13 will not increase the overall number of weapons in our nuclear stockpile," he added.

Rising tensions with China and Russia

The development comes amidst rising tensions with Russia and China over the issue of the nuclear test ban treaty, called ‘The Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty’.

Russia, earlier this month, withdrew the ratification of the treaty, clearing the way for the country to conduct a nuclear test.

Earlier this month, the US also conducted a high-explosive experiment at a nuclear test site in Nevada, further fueling the tensions between the two powers.

According to US officials, the test was meant to advance "our efforts to develop new technology in support of USnuclear nonproliferation goals."

(With inputs from agencies)

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