W93

For the polyhedron, see Great truncated cuboctahedron.
W93
TypeNuclear weapon
Service history
In servicePlanned from 2034
Used byUnited States Navy
Production history
DesignerLos Alamos National Laboratory
DesignedPlanned from 2023
Specifications
Detonation
mechanism
Contact, airburst

The W93 is an American nuclear warhead planned to replace the W76 and W88 warheads on United States Navy submarines from 2034. The warhead will be carried on the new Columbia-class submarines[1] and will use a new aeroshell, the Mark 7 reentry body (RB).[2] The warhead will be designed by Los Alamos National Laboratory.[3]

The Mark 7 RB will also be used to house the United Kingdom's new warhead, designed in parallel to the W93 and sharing some non-nuclear components.[4]

  1. ^ Kramer, David (2020). "Take your pick: A new warhead or a "new program of record"". Physics Today. 73 (4): 26–28. Bibcode:2020PhT....73d..26K. doi:10.1063/PT.3.4451. S2CID 216372082.
  2. ^ The W93 Warhead (PDF) (Report). Archived (PDF) from the original on 10 May 2021. Retrieved 9 April 2022.
  3. ^ W93/MK7 Acquisition Program (PDF). National Nuclear Security Administration. Jan 2022. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2022-02-09. Retrieved 2022-11-02.
  4. ^ Harries, Matthew (22 October 2020). "Will America Help Britain Build a New Nuclear Warhead?". War on the Rocks. Archived from the original on 9 April 2022. Retrieved 9 April 2022.