The U.S. Department of Defense made a significant announcement on Friday, revealing its commitment to develop an advanced iteration of the B61 nuclear gravity bomb.
This new bomb, designated as the B61-13, is poised to possess a yield similar to that of the B61-7, effectively phasing out some of the older gravity bombs within the military's arsenal. Notably, the B61-7 boasts a higher yield than its predecessor, the B61-12, which recently joined the military's arsenal.
The decision to embark on this project aligns with the evolving security landscape, consistent with the 2022 Nuclear Posture Review. The review underscored the necessity to modernize the nation's nuclear forces to serve as a formidable deterrent against its primary nuclear-armed rivals, China and Russia.
The B61-13 is designed to incorporate the same modern safety, security, and accuracy features that have been integrated into the B61-12. This upgrade is expected to expand the commander's options for targeting "harder and large-area military targets." Simultaneously, it will pave the way for the retirement of older bombs like the B61-7 and B83-1.
It is anticipated that this new bomb will leverage warheads from the B61-7 units of the 1980s and 1990s, transplanted into casings and tail kits akin to those of the B61-12.
The introduction of the B61-13 could potentially serve as a compromise, aimed at resolving a longstanding disagreement between Democrats and Republicans concerning the fate of the four-decade-old B83-1 bomb.
Former President Barack Obama wanted to terminate the 1.2-megaton B83-1, which is the sole remaining megaton bomb in the nation's nuclear arsenal, capable of exploding with 80 times the force of the 1945 Hiroshima bomb. However, his successor, former President Donald Trump, reversed this decision.
President Joe Biden has since renewed efforts to retire the B83-1, but key Republican lawmakers argue that this bomb is essential for targeting deeply buried and hardened targets.
The maximum yield of the B61-7 and, consequently, the new variant, is 360 kilotons, as opposed to the B61-12's maximum yield of 50 kilotons.
The B61-13 development is sawn as a concession to the congressional hardliners, offering them a limited number of high-yield bombs while also introducing a more precise tail kit.
Republican senators on the Senate Armed Services Committee, expressed their support for the new B61 variant. However, they emphasized that the B61-13 is only a modest step in the right direction, calling for a more comprehensive transformation of the nation's deterrent posture to address the evolving threat posed by the arms race between China and Russia.
The Department of Defense clarified that the creation of the B61-13 will not result in an overall increase in the size of the military's stockpile. The U.S. plans to offset the production of B61-12s by reducing their number to match the quantity of B61-13s manufactured.
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