Soon after the creation of the Nevada nuclear test site, intensive tests of nuclear and thermonuclear charges began there. Before the ban on atmospheric nuclear tests in 1963, according to official US data, 100 "mushroom mushrooms" grew here. In Nevada, not only new warheads were tested, but also the combat use of already adopted nuclear charges and exercises with the use of nuclear weapons, in which thousands of servicemen were involved, took place. To study the damaging factors of nuclear explosions and to protect against them in the test area in the 50s and 60s, engineer units of the American armed forces were actively working, erecting both residential buildings and numerous fortifications. At various distances from the epicenter, samples of equipment and weapons were installed. In this respect, the Americans have surpassed all the countries of the "nuclear club". At the test site, nuclear bombs were detonated, tactical missiles were launched, and a "nuclear" artillery gun was fired. But more often than not, bombs were dropped from tactical and strategic bombers, which, despite the seeming simplicity of this method of application, gave rise to a number of technical problems.
Preparing for the combat use of nuclear weapons has always been a responsible and difficult task, and the first nuclear bombs with primitive and not always reliable automation schemes demanded increased attention in this regard and brought a lot of concern to their creators and testers. So, for the sake of safety when delivering nuclear strikes on Japanese cities in August 1945, the final assembly of nuclear bombs was carried out in the air, after the bombers had retired to a safe distance from their airfield.
In the 1950s, the USA even created a "cannon" type uranium bomb, in which there were no electrical circuits at all. The launch of a nuclear reaction took place after a conventional contact fuse hit the surface of the earth, fundamentally similar to those used in large-caliber free-fall bombs. As conceived by the designers, such a charge initiation scheme should, if not exclude, then minimize the likelihood of a nuclear weapon failure. Although this type of bomb was not produced in large quantities due to its low weight perfection and unacceptably low efficiency, this direction in the design of nuclear charges very clearly characterizes the degree of technical reliability of the first nuclear weapons. According to various estimates, from 10 to 20% of nuclear tests carried out in the 40-60s in the United States ended in failure, or passed with deviations from the design data. Nuclear charges of several aerial bombs, due to improper operation of automation or design errors, were scattered on the ground after an explosive was detonated, designed to start a chain reaction.
As the nuclear test flywheel was spinning, the US Air Force urgently needed a well-equipped air base where it could store and work with nuclear bombs under suitable conditions. At the first stage, one of the runways on the territory of the Nevada test site was used for this. But because of the possible radiation contamination as a result of an unsuccessful test, they did not begin to deploy nuclear bomb carriers on a permanent basis, to build capital structures for personnel, arsenals and laboratories here. It was unreasonable to build a new airbase in Nevada specifically for this, and the Air Force command was concerned about the choice of existing facilities. At the same time, the airbase, where the bombers participating in the tests were to be based, had to be located at a safe distance, excluding the effects of radioactive fallout, at the same time, the distance from the test site to the airbase should not be too large, so that an aircraft with nuclear weapons on board would not had to travel considerable distances over densely populated areas. In addition, the airbase itself, where it was supposed to carry out various manipulations with nuclear materials, must meet various, often very contradictory requirements. For takeoff and landing of long-range bombers and heavy military transport and tanker aircraft, an extended runway with a hard surface was required. At the base, fortified storage facilities and equipped laboratory buildings, workshops and life support infrastructure were needed. It was desirable to have transport routes nearby, through which the delivery of heavy bulky goods and large volumes of building materials could be carried out.
Most of these requirements were met by the Holloman airbase, located near the White Sands test site, where the first nuclear test took place on July 16, 1945. However, the missile range and the Holloman airbase were loaded to capacity with tests of new missiles and aviation ammunition. Therefore, the choice fell on the Kirtland Air Force Base - Kirtland airbase, located near the city of Albuquerque in New Mexico.
The airbase got its name in honor of Colonel Roy Kirtland, one of the first American military pilots. Prior to the official status of an airbase in 1941, there were several private airfields in the area, the largest of which was Albuquerque Airport. After the outbreak of World War II, the US government transferred these lands to state ownership for the construction of an air base. The first military aircraft to land here on April 1, 1941 was the Douglas B-18A Bolo bomber, created on the basis of the military transport DC-2.
Bomber B-18
However, the B-18 was not widely used in the US Air Force and the main aircraft for which the crews were trained at Kirtland Air Force Base were the B-17 Flying Fortress and B-24 Liberator heavy bomb carriers. The duration of training for pilots and navigators ranged from 12 to 18 weeks.
Since modern bombers were in short supply, pilots learned to fly the PT-17 biplane and the outdated A-17 light single-engine bombers, after which they practiced piloting skills on the twin-engine AT-11 and B-18A. Much attention was paid to flights in the dark. On the same bombers that did not meet modern requirements, navigators-bombers and airborne gunners were trained. After training, the crews were transferred to B-17 and B-24.
Dropping a practical 100-pound M38A2 bomb from an AT-11 training bomber
To practice the practical skills of bombing, a ring target, consisting of several rings, was erected on the ground 10 kilometers east of the airfield. The diameter of the outer circle is about 900 meters, and the inner circle is 300 meters. It was at this target that training bombing was carried out with practical M-38 bombs with a charge of black powder and a finely dispersed blue powder, which gave, when falling, clearly visible blue sultans. The crews that passed the exam were considered to be able to put at least 22% of the bombs in the inner ring. This circular target, which was also used in the post-war period, has been well preserved to this day and is perfectly visible on satellite images.
Satellite image of Google Earth: ring target in the vicinity of the airfield "Kirtland"
After the country entered the war, the US Air Force command was very responsible for the process of combat training and did not spare funds for this. During training and passing exams, one crew was supposed to use at least 160 practical and high-explosive bombs. For bombing with full-fledged high-explosive bombs in 1943, 24 targets were built 20 km southeast of the airfield on an area of 3500 m², imitating cities, industrial facilities and ships.
By the time the Second World War ended, 1,750 pilots and 5,719 navigator-bombers had been trained at the training center near Albuquerque only for flights on B-24 bombers. At the beginning of 1945, the flight school began training crews of long-range bombers B-29 Superfortress, which later took part in strikes against Japan.
During the implementation phase of the Manhattan Project, even before the first nuclear explosion, Kirtland Air Force Base played an important role in the delivery of materials and equipment to Los Alamos. It was in Kirtland that crews were trained for the first combat use of nuclear weapons. At this airbase, the first "nuclear pit" with a hydraulic lift was built, designed to load large nuclear bombs into the bomb bays of long-range bombers.
Bomber of the 4925th test and test squadron on the "nuclear pit"
Two B-29 bombers from the 4925th test and test group based at the airbase on July 16, 1945, took part in Operation Trinity, observing the nuclear explosion from a height of 6,000 meters. The role of the Kirland aircraft in the nuclear bombing of Japan was also important. The nuclear charges from the Los Alamos laboratory were first delivered to an airbase in New Mexico, and then they were sent on a C-54 military transport aircraft to the port of San Francisco, where they were loaded aboard the USS Indianapolis cruiser, bound for Tinian.
Participation in the nuclear weapons program has left an imprint on the future of the airbase. During the war years, the American military department acquired a vast tract of land to the west of the airbase. Initially, anti-aircraft missiles with a radio fuse, secret at that time, were tested there, which greatly increased the likelihood of hitting air targets. After the war, "Division Z", which was engaged in the creation of nuclear weapons, moved here from Los Alamos.
After the end of World War II, the future prospects of the Kirtland airbase were uncertain for some time. At the end of 1945, surplus aircraft, formed after the end of hostilities, began to be transported here. If the training PT-17 and T-6 were in good demand for use in the role of agricultural aviation and sports aircraft, and transport C-54s were actively purchased by airlines, then several hundred piston bombers and fighters in Kirtland were put under the knife.
As a result, the proximity of Kirtland to the Nevada test site, the relocation of organizations responsible for the creation of nuclear weapons, and the ready-made infrastructure - all this became the reasons that a base was created here, where specialists from Sandia National Laboratories - the "Sandia National Laboratory" of the US Department of Energy together with the US Air Force Research Department were engaged in the creation, preparation for testing and improvement of aviation nuclear weapons. For the "Division Z", responsible for the design, installation, storage and field testing of elements of nuclear charges, a specially protected area was created at the airbase, where the few at that time ready-made atomic bombs were also stored.
On February 1, 1946, the Kirtland airbase received the status of a flight test center. The B-29 of the 58th Bomber Wing returned here. The aircraft of this aviation unit were involved in nuclear tests and worked out the methodology for the use and safe handling of atomic bombs. At the beginning of 1947, a special sapper battalion was formed at the base to assist in the assembly and maintenance of atomic bombs.
In addition to the B-29, the specially created 2758 experimental squadron included: B-25 Mitchell bombers, F-80 Shooting Star, F-59 Airacomet, F-61 Black Widow, military transport C-45 Expeditor and C-46 Commando. In 1950, the aircraft fleet of the "nuclear" squadron was replenished with B-50 bombers and F-84 Thunderjet fighters.
In July and August 1946, personnel and aircraft from Kirtland AFB and Division Z specialists took part in Operation Crossroads, the first post-war nuclear explosions in the Pacific Atoll of Eniwetok. As the Cold War flywheel went on, the role of the airbase in New Mexico grew more and more. In addition to "Section Z", other organizations involved in the creation and testing of atomic bombs were also located here. In the late 1940s, the Kirtland airbase became the main facility of the US Air Force, where preparations were made for the use of nuclear weapons.
For this, the construction of the Sandia complex with numerous underground structures began at the airbase. In 1952, Division Z was merged with the Air Force Special Unit, resulting in the Air Force Special Weapons Center (AFSWC).
Google Earth Satellite Image: Manzano Nuclear Weapons Storage Facility
In February 1952, in the area of the former mine workings in Mount Manzano, 9 km southeast of Albuquerque, the construction of a well-fortified underground nuclear warhead storage facility was completed. The repository, known as the "Manzano Object", is located on an area of 5.8 x 2.5 km. The Manzano storage base, which is still operating, can house several thousand nuclear warheads.
One of the many "nuclear" bunkers based on the storage of nuclear charges "Manzano"
Satellite images show that Mount Manzano has several dozen entrances to fortified underground bunkers. It is here that the main stockpiles of nuclear weapons and fissile materials held at Kirtland AFB are now stored.
Satellite image of Google Earth: "nuclear" bunkers and sites for the preparation of warheads near the runway of the airbase "Kirtland"
In the past, nuclear warheads have also been stored at the Sandia facility and in nuclear bunkers 1 km south of the airbase runway. Next to the "nuclear" bunkers there are concrete hangars, where various manipulations with nuclear charges are carried out, and sites with "atomic" pits for hanging "special" aviation ammunition on aircraft carriers. All these objects are still maintained in working order.
The main research tool of the Kirtland Special Weapons Center was the 4925th Test Aviation Squadron, whose pilots sometimes carried out very risky missions. So, during the tests of atomic and hydrogen bombs in the Pacific atolls and in Nevada, the aircraft of the 4925th air group repeatedly flew through the clouds formed after the explosions in order to obtain samples and determine the level of danger of radiation pollution. Also, AFSWC specialists participated in experiments on conducting high-altitude nuclear explosions, for which anti-aircraft and aircraft missiles were used. One of the most difficult tasks performed by the pilots involved in work on nuclear issues was the development and full-scale tests on July 19, 1957 at the Nevada nuclear test site of the Genie unguided aircraft missile with a 2 kt W-25 nuclear warhead. Subsequently, this NAR was armed with interceptors: F-89 Scorpion, F-101B Voodoo, F-102 Delta Dagger and F-106A Delta Dart.
In the first half of the 60s, the 4925th aviation group had a very motley composition of aircraft: two B-47 and B-52 bombers and three F-100 Super Saber fighters, F-104 Starfighter and even the Italian Fiat G-91.
Initially, the pilots and aircraft of the 4925th aviation group were involved both in the tests of aviation nuclear munitions themselves, and in observation, photographing and filming nuclear explosions and taking air samples over the landfill. Due to the high workload of the 4925th aviation group, in addition to it, the 4950th test-assessment air group was formed in Kirtland. The equipment and personnel of this unit were entrusted with the duties of observing and recording the results of explosions and taking samples at high altitudes.
High-altitude reconnaissance aircraft RB-57D-2 in the process of taking air samples over the nuclear test site
For high-altitude flights over nuclear test sites in the 4950th air group, specially modified RB-57D-2 Canbera reconnaissance aircraft were used. After the entry into force of the treaty banning atmospheric nuclear tests, the 4925th and 4950th air groups were eliminated. Part of the equipment and personnel was transferred to the newly formed 1211 test squadron.
High-altitude "weather scout" WB-57F at the airbase "Kirtland"
Officially, the task of the squadron was weather reconnaissance, but in fact, the main function of the crews of the RB-57D-2 aircraft, renamed WB-57F, was to monitor compliance with the terms of the treaty in the USSR and monitor French and Chinese nuclear tests. The active use of WB-57F aircraft continued until 1974, after which they were transferred to Davis-Montan for storage, and the 1211th squadron was disbanded.
The support mission of the Kirtland Air Force Base was the training of pilots for the Air Force of the National Guard. Usually, not the newest aircraft that had already served in the Air Force were transferred to the aviation units of the US National Guard. In 1948, the 188th National Guards Fighter Wing received A-26 Invader bombers and P-51 Mustang fighters.
F-86A Saber fighter at the Kirtland airbase
In January 1950, the F-86A Sabers were added to the Mustangs based at the air base, which entered the 81st Fighter Wing. This aviation unit was the first to receive serial swept-wing fighters. The 81st Wing was responsible for the Albuquerque Air Defense Zone.
F-100 fighter installed at the Kirtland airbase as a monument
However, due to the heavy workload of the airbase with nuclear issues and for reasons of secrecy, in May 1950 the fighters were transferred to the Moses Like airbase near Washington, but from time to time fighter squadrons were stationed at the airbase for a short time. Most often, these were fighters of the National Air Guard, which were mainly responsible for providing air defense to the continental United States.
To test new aircraft carrying nuclear weapons in 1948 at the airbase, the 3170th "special weapons" air group was formed. The air group was the first in the Air Force to receive the B-36 Peacemaker strategic bombers. In anticipation of the arrival of these huge planes, the runway was seriously reconstructed and extended.
Celebrations at Kirtland AFB for the arrival of the first B-36A Peacemaker
The B-36, powered by six push-rotor piston engines, was the first American intercontinental and the last serially built piston bomber. In many ways, it was a unique aircraft, which used very unusual technical solutions. On the last modification of the B-36D, 4 turbojets, running on aviation gasoline, were added to the piston engines. The B-36 is the largest production combat aircraft in the history of world aviation in terms of wingspan and height. The wingspan of the B-36 exceeded 70 meters, for comparison, the wingspan of the B-52 Stratofortress bomber was 56 meters. Not even a very small "Superfortress" - the four-engine bomber B-29 looked very modest next to the giant B-36.
B-36 next to the B-29 bomber
The maximum bomb load on the B-36 reached 39,000 kg, and the defensive armament consisted of sixteen 20-mm cannons. The range with a payload of 4535 kg, dropped halfway, was 11000 km. Several vehicles of the B-36H modification were converted into carriers of the GAM-63 RASCAL cruise missiles. On the basis of the B-36, long-range high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft RB-36 were built, which in the first half of the 50s, before the appearance of anti-aircraft missile systems in the USSR air defense system, made several reconnaissance flights over Soviet territory. There was one NB-36H built in a single copy - an aircraft with a nuclear power plant.
Serial production of the B-36J ended in 1954. The version with YB-60 turbojet engines lost to the more promising B-52 and was not serially built. In total, taking into account the prototypes and experimental specimens, 384 aircraft were built. At the same time, in 1950, the cost of the serial B-36D was an astronomical amount for those times - $ 4.1 million.
Operation of the B-36 ended in February 1959. Shortly before that, on May 22, 1957, an incident occurred that could have unpredictable consequences. The B-36 bomber, which was transporting a thermonuclear bomb from the Biggs airbase, "lost" it while approaching the Kirtland airbase. A hydrogen bomb fell seven kilometers from the airbase control tower and just 500 meters from the "special" ammunition depot. The impact on the ground detonated the usual explosive of the bomb, which, under normal conditions, triggers the nuclear reaction of the plutonium nucleus, but, fortunately, no nuclear explosion occurred. A crater with a diameter of 7.6 meters and a depth of 3.7 meters was formed at the site of the explosion. At the same time, the radioactive filling of the bomb was scattered over the terrain. The background radiation at a distance of several tens of meters from the funnel reached 0.5 milliroentgens.
Considering that this was at the height of the Cold War, a thermonuclear explosion, if it happened at the most important airbase for the Strategic Air Command, where a significant part of American nuclear weapons were stored, could have the most dire consequences for the whole world.
XB-47 Stratojet
In mid-1951, a prototype of the XB-47 Stratojet jet bomber arrived at Kirtland to master and practice the use of nuclear weapons. This aircraft, with a maximum speed of 977 km / h at that time, was the fastest American bomber. In this regard, the US Air Force command hoped that the Stratojets would be able to evade encounters with Soviet interceptors. Reconnaissance RB-47Ks frequently invaded the airspace of the USSR and pro-Soviet-oriented countries, but high speed did not always help. Several aircraft were intercepted and shot down. In the period from 1951 to 1956, atomic and hydrogen bombs were repeatedly dropped from B-47 bombers during tests.
As electronic elements began to play an increasing role in nuclear weapons systems of the US Air Force, an experimental test center was established, where, in addition to development, it would be possible to test the components of nuclear charges on site and simulate the processes occurring during nuclear explosions in the course of field experiments. In 1958, for this purpose, the creation of a special test complex began in the vicinity of the airbase. Here, in addition to working out the components of nuclear bombs, experiments were carried out during which the impact of the damaging factors of a nuclear explosion, such as hard radiation and an electromagnetic pulse, on various types of equipment and weapons was clarified.
B-52 bomber on a test bench to test the effects of an electromagnetic pulse
Almost all combat aircraft of tactical, naval and strategic aviation passed through a specially built huge stand in the 60-70s. Including such giants as B-52 and B-1.
Following the signing of the Treaty Banning Nuclear Tests in Space, In the Atmosphere and Underwater in 1963, the Defense threat reduction Agency (DASA) was created on the basis of the AFWL laboratory, where most of the research and development work was transferred. …
Since 1961, at the Sandia facility, nuclear warheads for naval munitions have been developed and adapted for naval carriers. In this regard, carrier-based aircraft were frequent guests at the airbase in New Mexico.
Deck attack aircraft A-7 Corsair II, installed as a monument
Since full-scale nuclear tests in "three environments" were banned, it was necessary to expand the laboratory base, where it would be possible to simulate various physical processes. In this regard, the nuclear complex at the Kirtland airbase has grown strongly in the southeast direction. Here, since 1965, work was carried out to test the survivability of underground command posts and missile silos to seismic impact. To do this, large charges of conventional explosives were detonated underground at various distances from the fortifications. At the same time, soil vibrations were sometimes felt within a radius of up to 20 km.
The Kirtland nuclear laboratory has made a major contribution to the adaptation of nuclear bombs for carriers: F-4 Phantom II, F-105 Thunderchief, F-111 Aardvark and B-58 Hustler. It also mated nuclear warheads with cruise and ballistic missiles and anti-missiles: AGM-28 Hound Dog, AGM-69 SRAM, LGM-25C Titan II and LGM-30 Minuteman, LIM-49 Spartan.
Satellite image of Google Earth: Kirtland airbase, areas where nuclear weapons or their elements are stored or in the past are marked in red
In 1971, the Sandia facility, whose engineers created the components and assembled nuclear warheads, and the underground Manzano complex, where nuclear weapons were stored, and trained specialists for various branches of the military involved in maintaining nuclear weapons, were removed from the subordination of the US Department of Energy and handed over to the Air Force. This made it possible to organizationally include these objects in the Kirtland airbase. In this regard, the US Air Force command was able to optimize the cost of maintaining infrastructure and improve control of the territory.
