In the early 60s of the twentieth century, the whole world froze on the eve of a nuclear apocalypse. Strategic bombers B-52 "Stratofortresses" were on duty in the American sky day and night. They carried two very powerful nuclear bombs "B53." The weight of each bomb was 4.5 tons, and if suddenly such a bomb hit the White House, then the destruction would be terrible. All of Washington and its suburbs would be destroyed. All people within 30 km would be killed by the light radiation of "B53", and within 6 km of the epicenter of the explosion there would be nothing but a scorched desert. Even in a protected bunker the chances survival would be zero.
The era of these weapons, fortunately, is coming to an end: the United States dismantled the last B53 bomb. This superbomb was stored at the US Department of Energy's Pantex plant near Amarillo, Texas. The charge, consisting of 136 kg of explosives, was separated from the enriched uranium core. The core was placed in a warehouse for subsequent disposal.
Cold War superweapons are sent for disassembly
The first B53s arrived in the US Air Force's military depots in 1962. The superbomb was distinguished by its high weight and low accuracy. However, all the shortcomings were compensated by its power. The nuclear bomb that destroyed Hiroshima had a yield of 12 kilotons. "B53" at the same time had a charge with a capacity of up to 9 megatons (9000 kilotons). It was not just a superbomb, but the only and first of its kind absolute anti-bunker weapon.
According to the US nuclear doctrine, a B53 nuclear strike on Soviet bunkers, where the Soviet command was located, as well as command and control points, was supposed. "B53" at the site of the fortifications should have left a huge melted funnel, completely excluding the possibility of surviving not only in the epicenter of the explosion, but also far beyond its borders.
During the Cold War, the United States had 400 B53 bombs. The rare combat power of the B53 appealed to the US military, and they used it as a warhead for the Titan ICBM. This warhead was considered the most powerful warhead in the entire history of American nuclear forces. A thermonuclear version of the "W53" with a capacity of up to 9 megatons was also launched.
By the mid-1980s, the B53 superbomb was removed from service. However, then it was returned back, since a weapon with similar anti-bunker capabilities had no analogues. And already in 1997 a light 540-kilogram anti-bunker thermonuclear bomb "B61" was adopted by the US Army, and the obsolete nine-megaton "monster" was sent for disposal.
The end of the B53 bomb means the end of the era in which mankind created the B53 superbomb, unique in its incredible destructive power. Fortunately, these mega-bombs only exploded at test sites.
