| W50 nuclear warhead | |
|---|---|
&sq=Facebook&lang=en&file=File:W50_silhouette.svg) Silhouette of the W50 warhead. | |
| Type | Nuclear weapon |
| Place of origin | United States |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Los Alamos National Laboratory |
| Designed | 1958-1962 |
| Produced | March 1963 to December 1965 |
| No. built | 280 |
| Variants | 3 |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 412 lb (187 kg) |
| Length | 44 inches (110 cm) |
| Diameter | 14 in (36 cm) (excluding mounting flange) |
| Blast yield | 60 or 200 or 400 kilotonnes of TNT (250 or 840 or 1,670 TJ) |
The W50 (also known as the Mark 50) was an American thermonuclear warhead deployed on the MGM-31 Pershing theater ballistic missile. Initially developed for the LIM-49 Nike Zeus anti-ballistic missile, this application was cancelled before deployment. The W50 was developed by Los Alamos National Laboratory.[1] The W50 was manufactured from 1963 through 1965, with a total of 280 being produced. They were retired from service starting in 1973 with the last units retired in 1991.
There were two major variants produced: the Mod 0 for Nike Zeus and the Mod 1 for Pershing. Three yield options were available: the Y1 with 60 kilotonnes of TNT (250 TJ), Y2 with 200 kilotonnes of TNT (840 TJ), and Y3 with 400 kilotonnes of TNT (1,700 TJ). All variants were 15.4 inches (0.39 m) in diameter at the attachment flange and 44 inches (1.1 m) long, weighing 410 pounds (190 kg).
- ^ "Safety and Reliability of the U.S. Nuclear Deterrent" (PDF). U.S. Government Publishing Office. p. 137. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2017-03-09. Retrieved 2015-06-08.