December 5, 2021
Bunker-Buster: The Air Force’s B61 Mod 12 Missile Is Literally Earth Shattering
Bunker-buster or earth-penetrating nuclear weapons can both reach otherwise inaccessible targets and increase precision by virtue of limiting the blast radius within a more confined area underground. This is no exception.
by Kris Osborn
Low-yield nuclear attack, earth-penetrating strikes, above surface detonation, and bunker-buster explosions are all now woven into a single nuclear bomb for the U.S. Air Force. Meet the new B61-12 weapon.
The B61-12 is a modified nuclear weapon that builds upon and integrates more than fifty years of technology and development. It has been a multi-year modernization effort to engineer a single bomb variant able to perform a range of otherwise separated nuclear attack functions.
Historically, different variants of the weapon were needed for specific missions and blast effects. The B61-12 Life Extension Program has successfully completed its first production unit, according to the Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA). The B61-12 combines the Mod 3, 4, 7, and 11 into a single munition.
https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/bunker-buster-air-force%E2%80%99s-b61-mod-12-missile-literally-earth-shattering-197543
