| Mark 7 | |
|---|---|
 Mark 7 nuclear bomb at USAF Museum | |
| Type | Nuclear bomb |
| Service history | |
| Used by | United States |
| Production history | |
| Produced | July 1952 to February 1963 |
| No. built | 3,050 to 3,150 weapons produced in all variants. |
| Variants | 10 |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 1,600 pounds (730 kg) |
| Length | 15 feet 2 inches (4.62 m) |
| Diameter | 30 inches (76 cm) |
| Blast yield | 8, 19, 22, 30, 31, and 61 kt by using different weapon pits. |
Mark 7 "Thor" (or Mk-7[1]) was the first tactical fission bomb adopted by US armed forces.[citation needed] It was also the first weapon to be delivered using the toss method with the help of the low-altitude bombing system (LABS). The weapon was tested in Operation Buster-Jangle. The Mark 7 was fitted with retractable stabilizer fins so it could be carried under fighter-bomber aircraft. The Mark 7 warhead (W7) also formed the basis of the 30.5 inches (775 mm) BOAR rocket, the Mark 90 Betty nuclear depth charge, MGR-1 Honest John rocket, MGM-5 Corporal ballistic missile, and Nike Ajax surface-to-air missile. It was also supplied for delivery by Royal Air Force Canberra aircraft assigned to NATO in Germany under the command of SACEUR. This was done under the auspices of Project E, an agreement between the United States and the UK on the RAF carriage of US nuclear weapons. In UK use it was designated 1,650 lb. H.E. M.C.[2] The Mark 7 was in service from 1952 to 1967(8) with 1,700–1,800 having been built.[3]