W59
American thermonuclear missile warhead / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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For other uses, see W59 (disambiguation).
The W59 was an American thermonuclear warhead used on some Minuteman I ICBM missiles from 1962 to 1969, and planned to be used on the cancelled GAM-87 Skybolt air-launched ballistic missile.
Quick Facts Type, Service history ...
W59 | |
---|---|
Type | Nuclear warhead |
Service history | |
In service | 1962 to 1969 |
Used by | United States |
Production history | |
Designer | Los Alamos National Laboratory |
Specifications | |
Mass | 550 pounds (250 kg) |
Length | 47.8 inches (121 cm) |
Width | 16.3 inches (41 cm) |
Detonation mechanism | Contact, airburst |
Blast yield | 800 kilotonnes of TNT (3,300 TJ) |
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