A POWERFUL nuclear weapon that’s 24 times stronger than the bomb that killed hundreds of thousands of people at Hiroshima is underway.
The United States has ramped up production of the bone-chilling B61-13 bomb seven months ahead of schedule in an “aggressive” move to keep up with global powers.
Last week, Sandia National Laboratories announced that the production of these latest weapons is being fast-tracked under “innovative program planning.”
The program is now allowing the project to be completed 25% faster than initially scheduled.
The B61-13 is the Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration’s answer to its 2023 task of building a new nuclear gravity bomb, Interesting Engineering reported.
The gravity bomb, which is dropped from a plane rather than being self-propelled, cost $92 million to develop.
However, this weapon will be equipped with a tail kit that can pilot it straight to a target, New Atlas reported.
Sandia National Laboratories’ new bomb builds off of the B61-7 bomb and can yield 10 to 360 kilotons, allowing it to be thrown at different targets without damaging other areas.
The B61-13’s high maximum yield makes it 24 times more powerful than the bomb dropped on Hiroshima during World War II.
The Hiroshima bomb yielded between 12 to 18 kilotons, whereas the Nagasaki bomb yielded 18 to 23 kilotons.
SNL’s B61-13 will be the latest of the US’s oldest nuclear weapons program, which began in 1968.
It is planned to first fly aboard the B-2 Spirit bomber and will later be carried on the B-21 stealth bomber.
NUCLEAR THREATS
President Donald Trump has openly admitted he’s no fan of nuclear weapons, but nevertheless, America is doubling down on production to deter threats from competitors China and Russia.
Trump previously called the weapons the “greatest existential threat” to humanity and has taken action over the past few weeks to work with other countries on their nuclear plans.
“We spend a lot of money of nuclear weapons – the level of destruction is beyond anything you can imagine,” Donald Trump said during an interview on Fox News in March.
“It’s just bad that you have to spend all this money on something that, if it’s used, it’s probably the end of the world.
“Nuclear weapons […] are big monsters that can blow your heads off for miles and miles and miles.”
On Monday, Trump said that direct talks are underway between the United States and Iran regarding Tehran’s nuclear program, CNN reported.
The president said “a very big meeting” will occur on Saturday and that it will be “at the top level.”
“I think everybody agrees that doing a deal would be preferable to doing the obvious,” Trump said.
Sources told the outlet that US and Iranian officials will directly discuss a nuclear deal, marking the first direct discussion between the two countries since 2015.
“It is as much an opportunity as it is a test. The ball is in America’s court,” Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said.
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei previously rejected Trump’s invitation to negotiate the nuclear deal directly.
Trump’s latest offer, which he sent in March, proposed that the two negotiate the nuclear deal with a two-month ultimatum to reach an agreement.
Source : https://www.the-sun.com/news/13967576/us-iran-new-nuclear-weapon-sandia-national-laboratories/
