Davy Crockett (nuclear device)

M28/M29 Davy Crockett
A Davy Crockett at the Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, 1961
TypeNuclear recoilless gun
Place of originUnited States
Service history
Used byUnited States
WarsCold War
Production history
DesignerTed Taylor
Variants
  • M28
  • M29
Specifications
Mass
  • M28 108.5 pounds (49.2 kg), unloaded[1]
  • M29 316 pounds (143 kg), unloaded[1]
Crew5
Elevation5-800 mils (0.3–45 degrees)[1]
Effective firing range
  • M28 1.25 miles (2.01 km)
  • M29 2.5 miles (4.0 km)
Blast yield20 tonnes of TNT (84 GJ)[2]

The M-28 or M-29 Davy Crockett Weapon System was a tactical nuclear recoilless smoothbore gun for firing the M388 nuclear projectile, armed with the W54 nuclear warhead, that was deployed by the United States during the Cold War. It was the first project assigned to the United States Army Weapon Command in Rock Island, Illinois.[3] It remains one of the smallest nuclear weapon systems ever built, with a yield of 20 tonnes of TNT (84 GJ). It is named after American folk hero, soldier, and congressman Davy Crockett.

  1. ^ a b c The Davy Crockett Weapons System (1961), pp. 5–7
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference PeaceRules was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Project Management of the Davy Crockett Weapons System (PDF). U.S. Army Weapons Command. 1962. Archived (PDF) from the original on November 12, 2020. Retrieved February 12, 2019.