Operation Vixen

See also: List of nuclear weapons tests of the United Kingdom
Vixen
Information
CountryUnited Kingdom
Test siteMaralinga Range, South Australia
Period1959-1963
Number of tests13
Test typedry surface
Max. yield0
Test series chronology
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The Vixen series of nuclear tests were all safety experiments, in which a bomb mechanism with a live core was subjected to abnormal conditions, such as fire, shock, and electrical malfunctions to determine whether nuclear criticality would occur. The result is no nuclear criticality, but the high explosives that triggered the fission bomb may explode, destroying the bomb and spreading the core material over a localized area.

United Kingdom's Vixen series tests and detonations
Name [note 1] Date time (UT) Local time zone[note 2][1] Location[note 3] Elevation + height [note 4] Delivery, [note 5]
Purpose [note 6] 		Device[note 7] Yield[note 8] Fallout[note 9] References Notes
A
(31 separate events) 		1959 through 1961 aCST (9.5 hrs) Maralinga Range, South Australia: Wewak 29°57′22″S 131°42′58″E / 29.956°S 131.716°E / -29.956; 131.716 (A) 180 m (590 ft) + 1 m (3 ft 3 in) dry surface,
safety experiment 		unknown yield [2][3][4][5] 31 trials investigating criticality of a burning warhead, disbursed 4.2 kg (9.3 lb) beryllium, 68 kg (150 lb) U-238, .58 kg (1.3 lb) plutonium, 99 Ci (3,700 GBq) of Po-210 and 1.96 curies (73 GBq) of Ac-227.
B1 7 September 1960 23:20:?? aCST (9.5 hrs) Maralinga Range, South Australia: Taranaki D 29°53′32″S 131°35′30″E / 29.8922°S 131.5917°E / -29.8922; 131.5917 (B1) 180 m (590 ft) + 2.5 m (8 ft 2 in) dry surface,
safety experiment 		no yield [2][4][5][6] The Vixen B series investigated safety of bombs when the explosives are fired by other than the expected normal ignition sequence. Total disbursement across all 12 tests was 22.2 kg (49 lb) plutonium,.
B2 24 September 1960 22:40:?? aCST (9.5 hrs) Maralinga Range, South Australia: Taranaki C 29°53′33″S 131°35′35″E / 29.8925°S 131.593°E / -29.8925; 131.593 (B2) 180 m (590 ft) + 2.5 m (8 ft 2 in) dry surface,
safety experiment 		no yield [2][4][5][6][7] 22.4 kg (49 lb) U-235, 24.9 kg (55 lb) U-238, 17.6 kg (39 lb) beryllium. 90% of the debbursements from the tests was buried in pits (later opened in Operation Brumby), and 10% disbursed to the environment.
B3 3 October 1960 07:50:?? aCST (9.5 hrs) Maralinga Range, South Australia: Taranaki E 29°53′33″S 131°35′25″E / 29.8925°S 131.5903°E / -29.8925; 131.5903 (B3) 180 m (590 ft) + 2.5 m (8 ft 2 in) dry surface,
safety experiment 		no yield [2][4][5][6]
B1 - Lima 1 13 April 1961 11:44:?? aCST (9.5 hrs) Maralinga Range, South Australia: Taranaki H 29°53′33″S 131°35′30″E / 29.8926°S 131.5917°E / -29.8926; 131.5917 (B1 - Lima 1) 180 m (590 ft) + 2.5 m (8 ft 2 in) dry surface,
safety experiment 		no yield [2][4][5][6]
B1 - Lima 2 23 April 1961 05:00:?? aCST (9.5 hrs) Maralinga Range, South Australia: Taranaki G 29°53′34″S 131°35′34″E / 29.8929°S 131.5927°E / -29.8929; 131.5927 (B1 - Lima 2) 180 m (590 ft) + 2.5 m (8 ft 2 in) dry surface,
safety experiment 		no yield [2][4][5][6][7]
B1 - Lima 3 8 May 1961 12:00:?? aCST (9.5 hrs) Maralinga Range, South Australia: Taranaki B 29°53′36″S 131°35′38″E / 29.8934°S 131.5939°E / -29.8934; 131.5939 (B1 - Lima 3) 180 m (590 ft) + 2.5 m (8 ft 2 in) dry surface,
safety experiment 		no yield [2][4][5][6][7]
B1 - Lima 4 18 May 1961 07:30:?? aCST (9.5 hrs) Maralinga Range, South Australia: Taranaki J 29°53′34″S 131°35′26″E / 29.8928°S 131.5906°E / -29.8928; 131.5906 (B1 - Lima 4) 180 m (590 ft) + 2.5 m (8 ft 2 in) dry surface,
safety experiment 		no yield [2][4][5][6][8]
B1 - Lima 5 25 May 1961 05:30:?? aCST (9.5 hrs) Maralinga Range, South Australia: Taranaki F 29°53′36″S 131°35′21″E / 29.8933°S 131.5893°E / -29.8933; 131.5893 (B1 - Lima 5) 180 m (590 ft) + 2.5 m (8 ft 2 in) dry surface,
safety experiment 		no yield [2][4][5][6]
B3 - Lima 1 26 March 1963 00:20:?? aCST (9.5 hrs) Maralinga Range, South Australia: Taranaki PD 29°53′35″S 131°35′30″E / 29.893°S 131.5917°E / -29.893; 131.5917 (B3 - Lima 1) 180 m (590 ft) + 2.5 m (8 ft 2 in) dry surface,
safety experiment 		no yield [2][4][5][6]
B3 - Lima 2 2 April 1963 06:15:?? aCST (9.5 hrs) Maralinga Range, South Australia: Taranaki PE 29°53′36″S 131°35′27″E / 29.8932°S 131.5908°E / -29.8932; 131.5908 (B3 - Lima 2) 180 m (590 ft) + 2.5 m (8 ft 2 in) dry surface,
safety experiment 		no yield [2][4][5][6]
B3 - Lima 3 9 April 1963 05:10:?? aCST (9.5 hrs) Maralinga Range, South Australia: Taranaki PC 29°53′36″S 131°35′33″E / 29.8932°S 131.5925°E / -29.8932; 131.5925 (B3 - Lima 3) 180 m (590 ft) + 2.5 m (8 ft 2 in) dry surface,
safety experiment 		no yield [2][4][5][6]
B3 - Lima 4 14 April 1963 03:54:?? aCST (9.5 hrs) Maralinga Range, South Australia: Taranaki M 29°53′37″S 131°35′23″E / 29.8935°S 131.5897°E / -29.8935; 131.5897 (B3 - Lima 4) 180 m (590 ft) + 2.5 m (8 ft 2 in) dry surface,
safety experiment 		no yield [2][4][5][6]


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