Most powerful U.S. nuclear bomb in stockpiles being dismantled

[David E. Powell]

B53: Huge Cold War bomb.

http://news.yahoo.com/uss-most-powerful-nuclear-bomb-being-dismantled-071325260.html;_ylt=AkDWRW0FjWdXfGh7AOEra9Or9HQA;_ylu=X3oDMTFuY2o3Y2RhBG1pdANIQ01PTCBvbiBBcnRpY2xlBHBrZwNpZC03MjM4NDQEcG9zAzEEc2VjA2hjbQR2ZXIDMTA-;_ylg=X3oDMTMwcmRodnFnBGludGwDdXMEbGFuZwNlbi11cwRwc3RhaWQDMjBkOTI4MWUtYjI2NS0zZTcyLWJmOGItOGFlMWMyMmY2NGZjBHBzdGNhdANlbnRlcnRhaW5tZW50BHB0A3N0b3J5cGFnZQ--;_ylv=3

<http://news.yahoo.com/uss-most-powerful-nuclear-bomb-being-
dismantled-071325260.html;_ylt=AkDWRW0FjWdXfGh7AOEra9Or9HQA;_ylu=X3oDMTFuY2o3Y2RhBG1pdANIQ01PTCBvbiBBcnRpY2xlBHBrZwNpZC03MjM4NDQEcG9zAzEEc2VjA2hjbQR2ZXIDMTA-;_ylg=X3oDMTMwcmRodnFnBGludGwDdXMEbGFuZwNlbi11cwRwc3RhaWQDMjBkOTI4MWUtYjI2NS0zZTcyLWJmOGItOGFlMWMyMmY2NGZjBHBzdGNhdANlbnRlcnRhaW5tZW50BHB0A3N0b3J5cGFnZQ--;_ylv=3>

[Eugene Griessel]

On Tue, 25 Oct 2011 07:23:37 -0700 (PDT), "David E. Powell"
<David_Po...@msn.com> wrote:

>B53: Huge Cold War bomb.

Yes, Dennis posted this hours ago.

Eugene L Griessel

Coward: One who in a perilous emergency thinks with his legs.

[vaughn]

"David E. Powell" <David_Po...@msn.com> wrote in message
news:bdd42a01-272d-4a74...@w1g2000yqm.googlegroups.com...

>B53: Huge Cold War bomb.

That old thing is probably decades past its "use by" date.

Vaughn

[Dan]

Retired in 1997 according to
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45031536/ns/us_news/t/most-powerful-us-nuclear-bomb-being-dismantled?GT1=43001

They had a life extension in the late 1980s:

http://nuclearweaponarchive.org/Usa/Weapons/B53.html

Dan, U.S. Air Force, retired

[Dennis]

Dan wrote:

>> That old thing is probably decades past its "use by" date.
>

> Retired in 1997 according to
> http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45031536/ns/us_news/t/most-powerful-us-nucl
> ear-bomb-being-dismantled?GT1=43001
>
> They had a life extension in the late 1980s:
>
> http://nuclearweaponarchive.org/Usa/Weapons/B53.html

The Tsar Bomba was 50 megaton AIRC, but I'm not sure even the Russians
thought it was operationally useful.

Dennis

[Dan]

The operational bomb was to be 100 mt. although the only test was 50
mt. since even the Soviets weren't crazy enough to test the big one.

It seems the entire idea was one of Khrushchev's first and biggest
projects. He did the same with the Soviet space programme.

[George]

Dennis <tsalagi...@hotmail.com> wrote:
>Dan wrote:
>
>>> That old thing is probably decades past its "use by" date.
>>
>> Retired in 1997 according to
>> http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45031536/ns/us_news/t/most-powerful-us-nucl
>> ear-bomb-being-dismantled?GT1=43001
>>
>> They had a life extension in the late 1980s:
>>
>> http://nuclearweaponarchive.org/Usa/Weapons/B53.html

According to this Wiki article, the B53 remained in service until
1997, when it was replaced when the B61-11 (bunker-buster) was
deployed.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B53_nuclear_bomb

The remaining B53s were kept in storage at the Pantex plant near
Amarillo, TX until safety and disassembly procedures could be
developed. According to this Amarillo Globe-News article, Pantex
has yet to develop the tools and procedures for safely
disassembling the primaries.
http://amarillo.com/news/local-news/2011-10-24/pantex-dismantles-last-big-dogs

>The Tsar Bomba was 50 megaton AIRC, but I'm not sure even the Russians
>thought it was operationally useful.

Very impractical, to say the least - 26 ft long, 6.9 ft. in
diameter, and weighed in at 60,000 lbs. The test aircraft had to
be specially modified to accommodate it.

At it's full design yield of 100 MT, it would have been the
dirtiest bomb ever detonated. That's the sort of thing that make
it's designers *seriously* rethink their career path.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tsar_Bomba

--
George Ruch
"Is there life in Clovis after Clovis Man?"

[Jonathan]

"David E. Powell" <David_Po...@msn.com> wrote in message
news:bdd42a01-272d-4a74...@w1g2000yqm.googlegroups.com...

> B53: Huge Cold War bomb.dismantled-


"Big bada boom"

~ The Supreme Being

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iOhBdDi_2iM

s

[Dennis]

George wrote:

> According to this Wiki article, the B53 remained in service until
> 1997, when it was replaced when the B61-11 (bunker-buster) was
> deployed.
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B53_nuclear_bomb
>
> The remaining B53s were kept in storage at the Pantex plant near
> Amarillo, TX until safety and disassembly procedures could be
> developed. According to this Amarillo Globe-News article, Pantex
> has yet to develop the tools and procedures for safely
> disassembling the primaries.
> http://amarillo.com/news/local-news/2011-10-24/pantex-dismantles-last-b
> ig-dogs

So they *still* don't know how to disassemble the primaries (pits)? Wow!

>>The Tsar Bomba was 50 megaton AIRC, but I'm not sure even the Russians
>>thought it was operationally useful.
>
> Very impractical, to say the least - 26 ft long, 6.9 ft. in
> diameter, and weighed in at 60,000 lbs. The test aircraft had to
> be specially modified to accommodate it.
>
> At it's full design yield of 100 MT, it would have been the
> dirtiest bomb ever detonated. That's the sort of thing that make
> it's designers *seriously* rethink their career path.

Well, in the fUSSR you often didn't have a choice of career path - but in
such a case, you'd better make every effort!

> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tsar_Bomba

The James Bond novel 'On Her Majesty's Secret Service' has Japan's secret
agent Tiger Tanaka telling Commander Bond about Soviet plans to use such
a bomb on the UK. The intercepted Soviet message was a sample of
Japanese decryption technology called MAGIC. ;-)

Dennis

[George]

Dennis <tsalagi...@hotmail.com> wrote:
>George wrote:
>
>> According to this Wiki article, the B53 remained in service until
>> 1997, when it was replaced when the B61-11 (bunker-buster) was
>> deployed.
>> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B53_nuclear_bomb
>>

>> The remaining B53s were kept in storage at the Pantex [...]

>> According to this Amarillo Globe-News article, Pantex
>> has yet to develop the tools and procedures for safely
>> disassembling the primaries.
>> http://amarillo.com/news/local-news/2011-10-24/pantex-dismantles-last-b
>> ig-dogs
>
>So they *still* don't know how to disassemble the primaries (pits)? Wow!

A quote from the Pantex news release:
http://www.pantex.com/ucm/groups/exweb/@exweb/@pr/documents/web_content/147586.pdf

"Beyond the difficulties presented by its massive size, the B53
disassembly was complicated by its use of older technology
developed by engineers that have long since retired or passed
away. The dismantlement required the creation of many complex
pieces of tooling, as well as development of new procedures, to
allow for the safe disassembly of the B53."

Pantex also had experience with the W53 warhead from the Titan II
(same physics package used in the B53).

The primaries were apparently transferred to Y 12 (Oak Ridge),
which seems to have had similar problems similar problems.
http://www.y12.doe.gov/news/release.php?id=251

"Y-12 also successfully initiated dismantlement of the B53 and
B83 systems, both of which present challenges because of their
size and the materials used."

>>>The Tsar Bomba [...]

>>
>> At it's full design yield of 100 MT, it would have been the
>> dirtiest bomb ever detonated. That's the sort of thing that make
>> it's designers *seriously* rethink their career path.
>

>Well, in the USSR you often didn't have a choice of career path - but in

>such a case, you'd better make every effort!

It did wonders for Andrei Sakarov's career. Just don't let them
know you possess a conscience.

>The James Bond novel 'On Her Majesty's Secret Service' [...]

Isn't fiction fun? I'm currently reading _Fatherland_, by Robert
Harris. Interesting bit of alternative history.

[Dennis]

George wrote:

>>>>The Tsar Bomba [...]
>>>
>>> At it's full design yield of 100 MT, it would have been the
>>> dirtiest bomb ever detonated. That's the sort of thing that make
>>> it's designers *seriously* rethink their career path.
>>
>>Well, in the USSR you often didn't have a choice of career path - but
>>in such a case, you'd better make every effort!
>
> It did wonders for Andrei Sakarov's career. Just don't let them
> know you possess a conscience.

He apparently did. We're still arguing over Edward Teller.

>>The James Bond novel 'On Her Majesty's Secret Service' [...]
>
> Isn't fiction fun? I'm currently reading _Fatherland_, by Robert
> Harris. Interesting bit of alternative history.

Have to check it out.

Dennis

[dott.Piergiorgio]

Il 26/10/2011 05:15, George ha scritto:
> The primaries were apparently transferred to Y 12 (Oak Ridge),
> which seems to have had similar problems similar problems.
> http://www.y12.doe.gov/news/release.php?id=251
>
> "Y-12 also successfully initiated dismantlement of the B53 and
> B83 systems, both of which present challenges because of their
> size and the materials used."

is rather interesting that with a classified budget and an actual and
truly motivated high security costs and needs they manage to get the
work more than done without overspendending, even alleging cost savings.

But can be explained because they do the opposite work of procurement ;)

Best regards from Italy,
dott. Piergiorgio.

[krista ohara]

George:

"Fatherland" was a good book, they made it into a TV movie.

[George]

krista ohara <krista...@gmail.com> wrote:

>George:
>
>"Fatherland" was a good book, they made it into a TV movie.

I know. I saw it on HBO (back when I could afford it). I bought
the book because I wanted to get more details on alternate
history. And it's a good read.