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Last B53 Nuclear Bomb Dismantled at Pantex

Oct. 24, 2011

Media Contact: Greg Cunningham
(806) 477-5140

Challenging program finished well ahead of schedule

B&W Pantex this month will complete the dismantlement of the final B53 nuclear bomb – an enduring Cold War symbol and one of the longest lived and highest yield nuclear weapons ever fielded by the U.S.

The B53 was first put into service in 1962, a year when Cold War tensions were at their highest during the Cuban Missile Crisis. It served a critical role in the nation's nuclear deterrence through the end of the Cold War, retiring from the stockpile in 1997. The final B53 will be dismantled this month at the Pantex Plant near Amarillo, Texas, the nation's only facility for building, disassembling and maintaining nuclear weapons.

“The world is a safer place with this dismantlement,” said Thomas D'Agostino, Under Secretary of Energy for Nuclear Security and Administrator, National Nuclear Security Administration. “The B53 was a weapon developed in another time for a different world. Today, we're moving beyond the Cold War nuclear weapons complex that built it toward a 21st-century Nuclear Security Enterprise.

“President Obama has said he wants to 'reduce the role of nuclear weapons in our national security strategy and urge others to do the same,' and the elimination of the B53 is a significant step in implementing his nuclear security agenda.”

Called “The Last of the Big Dogs” by disassembly workers, the megaton-class B53 weighed around 10,000 pounds and was about the size of a minivan. It was built at the now-closed plant in Burlington, Iowa, and was designed to be air dropped from a B-52 Stratofortress strategic bomber. The weapon contained about 300 pounds of high explosive surrounding a uranium pit.

At the time it was retired, the B53 was the oldest, the largest and the most destructive weapon in the U.S. nuclear arsenal.

Many B53s were disassembled in the 1980s, but a significant number remained in the U.S. arsenal until they were retired in 1997. With the help of Los Alamos and Sandia National Laboratories, where the weapon was designed, Pantex studied and designed a fully compliant way to dismantle the aging B53 using the NNSA's Seamless Safety for the 21st Century (SS-21) program.

“This is a proud day for everyone at Pantex and throughout the nuclear weapons complex,” said Pantex Site Office Manager Steve Erhart. “Completing such a difficult project safely, securely and months ahead of schedule is a real testament to the professionalism and dedication of the men and women who work at Pantex.

“The B53 was a cornerstone of the U.S. nuclear defense for 35 years. Its final dismantlement is a significant event for this country and for the world.”

Beyond the difficulties presented by its massive size, the B53 disassembly was complicated by its use of older technology developed by engineers that have long since retired or passed away. The dismantlement required the creation of many complex pieces of tooling, as well as development of new procedures, to allow for the safe disassembly of the B53.

“I could not be more proud of the technicians, engineers and scientists who worked on this program,” said B&W Pantex General Manager John Woolery. “We knew going in that this was going to be a challenging project, and we put together an outstanding team with all of our partners to develop a way to achieve this objective safely and efficiently.”

The final step in the dismantlement will take place in conjunction with a ceremony at the plant on October 25. Dignitaries from the Department of Energy and NNSA will be on hand for the final steps in the dismantlement. A weapon is considered dismantled when the high explosive is separated from the special nuclear material, or pit.

Once that step is taken, the B53 will be removed from the nuclear stockpile forever.

Media is welcome to attend the event, but must arrive at the plant prior to 1 p.m. Oct. 25. Please contact Greg Cunningham as soon as possible if you plan to attend so arrangements can be made for access to secure areas of the plant. A minimum of 24 hours advanced notice is required. The event will include unique access to normally inaccessible areas of the plant, as well as excellent video opportunities and interviews with high level officials.

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B&W Pantex manages and operates the Pantex Plant near Amarillo, Texas, for the U.S. Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration. B&W Pantex is also the proud recipient of the DOE's Voluntary Protection Program STAR status for safety excellence. The company was also named one of America's safest companies by Occupational Hazards magazine and has received numerous awards from the National Safety Council.