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B61-13

The US Department of Defense announced on 27 October 2023 a project to upgrade its main nuclear gravity bomb. The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) at the Department of Energy will develop the B61-13 munition, pending the approval and funding by Congress. “The B61-13 represents a reasonable step to manage the challenges of a highly dynamic security environment,” Assistant Secretary of Defense for Space Policy John Plumb said. “While it provides us with additional flexibility, production of the B61-13 will not increase the overall number of weapons in our nuclear stockpile.”

The term "gravity" means that these bombs are dropped from a plane. Reportedly, the B61-13 will be carried by two US bombers: the B-2 and the B-21. Plumb described the announcement as “reflective of a changing security environment and growing threats from potential adversaries.” The Pentagon, however, insisted that the decision was not made in response to “any specific current event” but “reflects an ongoing assessment” of the security environment, as described in the 2022 Nuclear Posture Review.

According to the Pentagon, the B61-13 project would use the established production capabilities supporting the B61-12, with the “modern safety, security, and accuracy features” of the munition, but the much higher yield of the B61-7 model. While the B61-12 is a tactical weapon, with a yield ranging from 0.3 to 50 kilotons, the B61-7 is a strategic bomb that goes up to 340-360 KT. According to the military newspaper Stars and Stripes, the newest variant may replace some of the B61-7s as well as the B83, which is due to be retired soon.

First designed in 1963, the B61 is the primary air-dropped thermonuclear weapon in the US arsenal. In addition to the B1B-Lancer, B-2 Spirit, and B-52 Stratofortress bombers, the bomb can also be carried by the F-15 and F-16 tactical attack jets. The F-35 has also been testing the capability to carry and deploy the bomb, though it is not officially rated for it yet.

Hailing the plans to create the B61-13, GOP Rep. Mike Rogers of Alabama and GOP Sen. Roger Wicker of Mississippi – both ranking members of congressional Armed Services Committees – stressed that the bomb in question will provide US commanders in Europe and the Asia-Pacific "with more flexibility against these target sets."