W66
Encyclopedia
The W66 thermonuclear warhead was used on the Sprint
anti-ballistic missile
system, designed to be a short range interceptor to shoot down incoming ICBM warheads.
The W66 was a low yield (details not declassified, but reportedly a few kilotons) thermonuclear bomb, which was the first Neutron bomb
(technically Enhanced Radiation weapon) fielded anywhere in the world. It was designed to destroy or disable an incoming warhead using neutron flux
, and to a lesser extent X-ray and blast effects.
The W66 was 18 inches in maximum diameter and 35 inches long, with a weight of around 150 pounds.
Sprint (missile)
The Sprint was a two-stage, solid-fuel anti-ballistic missile, armed with a W66 enhanced radiation thermonuclear warhead. It was designed as the short-range high-speed counterpart to the longer-range LIM-49 Spartan as part of the Sentinel program. Sentinel never became operational, but the...
anti-ballistic missile
Anti-ballistic missile
An anti-ballistic missile is a missile designed to counter ballistic missiles .A ballistic missile is used to deliver nuclear, chemical, biological or conventional warheads in a ballistic flight trajectory. The term "anti-ballistic missile" describes any antimissile system designed to counter...
system, designed to be a short range interceptor to shoot down incoming ICBM warheads.
The W66 was a low yield (details not declassified, but reportedly a few kilotons) thermonuclear bomb, which was the first Neutron bomb
Neutron bomb
A neutron bomb or enhanced radiation weapon or weapon of reinforced radiation is a type of thermonuclear weapon designed specifically to release a large portion of its energy as energetic neutron radiation rather than explosive energy...
(technically Enhanced Radiation weapon) fielded anywhere in the world. It was designed to destroy or disable an incoming warhead using neutron flux
Neutron flux
The neutron flux is a quantity used in reactor physics corresponding to the total length travelled by all neutrons per unit time and volume . The neutron fluence is defined as the neutron flux integrated over a certain time period....
, and to a lesser extent X-ray and blast effects.
The W66 was 18 inches in maximum diameter and 35 inches long, with a weight of around 150 pounds.
See also
- List of nuclear weapons
- Sprint (missile)Sprint (missile)The Sprint was a two-stage, solid-fuel anti-ballistic missile, armed with a W66 enhanced radiation thermonuclear warhead. It was designed as the short-range high-speed counterpart to the longer-range LIM-49 Spartan as part of the Sentinel program. Sentinel never became operational, but the...
- LIM-49A SpartanLIM-49A SpartanThe LIM-49A Spartan was a United States Army anti-ballistic missile, whose warheads were developed at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. It was a three-stage, solid-fuel surface-to-air missile that carried a W71 thermonuclear warhead with a lethal radius of up to 30 miles to intercept...
- Safeguard ProgramSafeguard ProgramThe Safeguard Program was a United States Army anti-ballistic missile system developed during the late 1960s. Safeguard was designed to protect U.S. ICBM missile sites from counterforce attack, thus preserving the option of an unimpeded retaliatory strike. Safeguard used much of the same technology...
- Neutron bombNeutron bombA neutron bomb or enhanced radiation weapon or weapon of reinforced radiation is a type of thermonuclear weapon designed specifically to release a large portion of its energy as energetic neutron radiation rather than explosive energy...
