#B61-12

[nelc]

Safety testing of the B61-12 nuclear bomb, aka "Will it go off if we hit it really hard?"

[planesawesome]

Grumman A-6 Intruder an American twin engine all-weather attack aircraft designed by Grumman for the US Navy and US Marine Corps.

The Intruder was conceived in response to a 1957 Bureau of Aeronautics requirement for an all-weather attack aircraft to replace the A-1 Skyraider it was required to perform Navy long-range interdiction missions and to have STOL capability for Marine close air support. Her first flight was April 19, 1960 and was introduced into service 3 years later in 1963.

The A-6 was the first Navy aircraft with an integrated airframe and weapons system. It's 2 man crew (Pilot and Bombardier/Navigator) operated in side by side seating. The A-6 had a staggering 18,000 lb (8,200 kg) payload with an equally impressive 1,010 mile (1,626 km) unrefueled range with max payload, her max speed was 640 mph (1,040 km/h) and cruise speed of 474 mph (763 km/h.) The diverse array of air to surface ordinance the Intruder was capable of carrying included nearly every iron/ cluster bomb in the US Navy/USMC inventory, later on nearly every LGB (Laser Guided Bomb) including the rocket powered AGM-123 Skipper LGB, the AGM-62 Walleye, AGM-65 Maverick, the AGM-84 Harpoon anti ship missile and AGM-45, AGM-78, and AGM-88 HARM Anti Radiation missiles (for eliminating enemy SAMs and Radar installations) ADM-141 TALD (Tactical Air Launched Decoy) And could even carry AIM-9 Sidewinder AAMs for self defense. In addition to the wealth of conventional weapons the A-6 was capable of carrying B43, B57 or B61 Nuclear weapons, and would have delivered them with toss bombing techniques.

In the early 1970's 90 A-6's were converted to KA-6D Tanker aircraft to replace the KA-3B Skywarrior tankers.

Nearly 700 A-6 Intruders were built for the USN and USMC and that's quite a significant number given there were no foreign customers. The Intruder served from 1963-1997 with the US Navy (USMC retired their A-6's 4 years prior in 1993) a 34 year career. The A-6's intended replacement the A-12 Avenger a stealthy flying wing never came to be and in it's stead the F-14 Tomcat with LANTIRN pods took up the precision strike mission until itself being replaced by the F/A-18E Super Hornet.

[animusrox]

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[humanoidhistory]

"A B61-12 test unit slams into a target at the end of Sandia National Laboratories’ 10,000-foot rocket sled track in a complex forward ballistics test. The test, which mimicked a high-speed accident, allowed engineers to examine safety features inside the weapon."

(Sandia National Laboratories)

[usafphantom2]

IMAGES: ROKAF performs last Elephant Walk with its F-4 Phantom

Fernando Valduga By Fernando Valduga 03/09/2024 - 18:21in Military

The Air Force of the Republic of Korea (RoKAF) conducted on March 8 an impressive "elephant walk" (Elephant Walk) involving 33 aircraft, including poacher fighters F-35A, KF-16, F-15K and the former F-4E that are scheduled for retirement in June.

The F-4E Phantoms, leading the formation equipped with AGM-142H 'Popeye' and AGM-65D 'Maverick' air-to-ground missiles, and MK-82 air-to-ground pump. A total of 25 newer fighters followed, including the F-15K, KF-16, F-16, FA-50, F-5 and F-35A. Among them, two F-35As flew low over the Elephant Walk formation and then landed and joined the formation.

This demonstration at Suwon Air Base coincided with the annual Freedom Shield exercise, reinforcing the deterrence against North Korea's nuclear and missile threats.

A RoKAF official said that "this is the first time that all types of fighters belonging to the South Korean Air Force have participated".

The term "elephant walk" dates back to World War II, when large fleets of Allied bombers gathered for missions containing up to 1,000 aircraft. It means a coordinated demonstration of power and military preparation.

The Chief of Staff of the Air Force, General Lee Young-su, emphasized the need of the South Korean Air Force to inspire confidence in the public and deter potential opponents. The "Elephant Walk" demonstrated RoKAF's readiness to respond decisively to any provocations.

"I give a warm applause to the Phantoms who protected the Republic of Korea for 55 years, and to the 'Ghost Men' who shared the ups and downs with the Phantoms," added Lee Young-soo.

The F-4 was first introduced in Korea in 1969. RoKAF explained that it was able to dominate the North Korean Air Force by introducing the F-4D, the new most powerful aircraft in the world at the time. Until the KF-16 entered service in 1994, the F-4 served as the main fighter representing the Air Force of the Republic of Korea, which even operated up to about 220 Phantoms, including the improved F-4E and the RF-4C reconnaissance aircraft.

Most Phantoms are retired and only about 10 F-4Es remain active. All of them will be retired in June of this year.

North Korea's recent calls for mobilization for combat highlight the ongoing tensions in the region, with Pyongyang often seeing negotiations for joint exercises between South Korea and the US as provocations.

Tags: Military AviationElephant WalkMcDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom IIROKAF - Republic of Korea Air Force/South Korean Air Force

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Fernando Valduga

Fernando Valduga

Aviation photographer and pilot since 1992, he has participated in several events and air operations, such as Cruzex, AirVenture, Dayton Airshow and FIDAE. He has works published in specialized aviation magazines in Brazil and abroad. He uses Canon equipment during his photographic work in the world of aviation.

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[xtruss]

Why “North Atlantic Terrorist Organization (NATO)” Has No Right to Complain About Russian Nukes in Belarus

— Sunday May 28, 2023 | Ilya Tsukanov

Moscow and Minsk signed agreements this week on the deployment of Russian tactical nukes at a special storage facility in Belarus. The deployment will mean a significant security boost for Minsk, and threaten to unravel NATO’s entire missile defense strategy, says international relations and security analyst Mark Sleboda.

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has confirmed that Russia has moved ahead with the deployment of tactical nukes to Belarus.

“We had to prepare storage areas and the like. We have done this, so the movement of nuclear weapons has already begun,” Lukashenko said, speaking to Russian media in Moscow on Thursday.

The Biden administration responded predictably, with White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre slamming the nuclear deployment as “yet another example of making irresponsible and provocative choices” by Russia, and reiterating Washington’s commitment “to collective defense of the NATO alliance.”

Jean-Pierre’s remarks echo those made by NATO in March, when Moscow and Minsk first outlined plans on the transfer of tactical nukes to Belarusian soil. At that time, an alliance spokesperson called Russia’s plans “dangerous and irresponsible,” and dismissed any suggestion that the decision was a response to longstanding NATO policy – including the stationing of US nukes on European soil.

Mark Sleboda rejects these excuses. “First off, it has to be said, one of the first justifications Russia used for doing this is that the US has actually had tactical nuclear weapons in Europe for decades, hundreds of them, in fact, and they have recently even been upgraded to the B61-12 tactical nuclear warheads [in place] of older gravity bombs,” Sleboda pointed out in an episode of Radio Sputnik’s The Final Countdown on Friday.

“They are located in a number of NATO countries, including Belgium, Italy, Germany. They’ve been there for decades, and Russia has long complained about it. And that longstanding grievance, combined with other NATO escalations, convinced Russia that if you set the precedent and you don’t consider it a violation of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, then you can hardly accuse us of doing the same if we do it in Belarus. But of course, hypocrisy knows no bounds,” the observer said.

US Nukes in Europe: Where are They Stationed? Russia's plans to station tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus sparked an outcry from North Atlantic Terrorist Organization (NATO), with the alliance issuing a statement condemning Moscow for its "Dangerous" and "irresponsible" move. But given that the US has around 100 nukes at six separate European bases, the rhetoric seems like a case of the pot calling the kettle black. (March 27th, 2023)

Russia’s move isn’t an act of “escalation” so much as it is “an act of equity,” according to Sleboda, with the decision sending a “definite signal” on Russia’s commitment to Belarus’ security, and the future of any potential NATO-Russia conflict.

Combined with the deployment of Russian Iskander-M missile systems and the modification of Belarusian jets to carry nuclear weapons, the analyst hopes the move will cool any hotheads in the Pentagon, Warsaw, and NATO as a whole.

Inoculation Against Color Revolution

Pointing to Belarus’ alliance with Russia, including its membership in the Collective Security Treaty Organization and the Russian-Belarusian Union State, is “something that’s not often talked about with the West because they don’t like to acknowledge its existence,” Sleboda said, recalling the regular threats to Belarusian security from the West, including an attempted color revolution in the country in 2020.

“Just in the last week, a Polish general and former deputy defense minister, Waldemar Skrzypczak, appeared on Polish TV and said there will be an uprising in Minsk. He spoke about a ‘pro-Ukrainian army’ by which I assume he means the Belarusian neo-Nazis fighting for the Kiev regime –basically the idea that they will come home and overthrow the Belarusian government, and that Poland should be prepared to support them. Obviously this is exactly one of the types of things that this placement is meant to secure Belarus from,” Sleboda said.

On top of that are the strategic considerations, both given NATO’s nuclear provocations – like staging nuclear-capable bomber drills near Russia’s borders over the Black and Baltic Seas in recent years, and longstanding efforts to create missile defenses in Eastern Europe to try to render Russia’s nuclear deterrent obsolete. The nuclear deployment in Belarus should counter these threats, from Moscow’s perspective, Sleboda believes.

Why is Russia Deploying Tactical Nuclear Weapons in Belarus? Announcing this week’s signing of a deal on maintaining Russian tactical nuclear weapons on Belarusian soil, Russia and Minsk reiterated that this is a response to the aggressive policies pursued by unfriendly countries. What prompted Moscow to deploy its non-strategic nukes in Belarus? May 26th, 2023

As compared to strategic nuclear weapons, an NSNW is less powerful and aims to devastate enemy targets in a specific area without causing widespread destruction and radioactive fallout.

"I would like to note that all the activities are organized strictly in accordance with existing international obligations and do not violate the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons,” Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said.

He Sergei Shoigu all of this indicates that both Belarus and Russia are facing a very hostile environment, which in turn prompts the two to further strengthen their partnership, particularly pertaining to bilateral relations in the military sphere. Peskov did not specify whether Russia had started deploying TNWs in Belarus or not.

"Over the last two and a half years, the Republic of Belarus has been subjected to unprecedented political, economic and information pressure from the United States, the United Kingdom and its NATO allies, as well as the member states of the European Union. In view of these circumstances, and the legitimate concerns and risks in the sphere of national security arising from them, Belarus is forced to respond by strengthening its own security and defense capabilities," the Belarusian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

The Russian president underlined that the immediate trigger for the deployment of TNWs in Belarus was the UK government’s decision to provide Ukraine with armor-piercing shells containing depleted uranium, something that he said was “one way or another related to nuclear technology."

— May 26th, 2023, Sputnik International

Belarusian Military Train in Russia to Operate Iskander-M Missile Systems! The Iskander-M is a mobile short-range ballistic missile system developed by Russia. It has a range of up to 500 km and is capable of carrying a range of conventional and nuclear warheads. The missile system is designed to evade interception and can be quickly deployed across different landscapes, such as deserts, snow-covered, and rough terrain. It also integrates advanced technologies such as inertial and optical guidance systems, making it highly accurate.

“One of the reasons they’re putting them there is, you know, the tactical value of having nuclear weapons closer to NATO’s borders, which ruins all of their missile defense plans… But it also puts Russia’s nuclear shield more firmly over Belarus. There will be no military incursion into Belarus [because] there will be nuclear weapons there. And likewise as well, it makes any future attempts at some kind of color revolution or Maidan type insurgency to overthrow the Belarusian government extremely unlikely because Russia will then always have an excuse to intervene,” he said.

Along with the increased security, the nuclear agreement might mean the transfer of additional advanced military hardware to Belarus, and perhaps some undercover “economic sweeteners” for Minsk, like cheaper gas prices, the observer suggested.

Change in Russia’s Nuclear Posture?

Asked about what the nuclear deployment in Belarus means for Russia’s nuclear doctrine, and whether it signals a shift in Moscow’s willingness to preemptively use nuclear weapons – including in Ukraine, as written about ad nauseam in Western legacy media and by DC think tanks, Sleboda stressed that until Moscow announces otherwise, “Russia’s nuclear doctrine does not allow for a first strike capability.”

“The exception for that is, of course, the use of some other type of weapons of mass destruction against Russia, you know, chemical weapons, biological weapons… The other situation, and this is an exceptional one, is an overwhelming conventional attack [that may] threaten the very existence of the Russian state, which is generally interpreted to mean a gigantic NATO conventional attack that manages to destroy the Russian military and is marching on Moscow or St. Petersburg,” he explained.

“I would say that there have been a number of Russian officials and political figures that have been very loose with nuclear talk. They talk about the casual use of nuclear weapons like US congressmen do, you know, it’s like [late Arizona Senator John] McCain saying we should turn something into a ‘glass parking lot.’ But those statements of bluster and rhetoric have nothing to do with reality. And I have to say that in this particular situation I find such use of nuclear threats (that are not part of Russia’s nuclear doctrine and so are meaningless) to be less than constructive,” Sleboda noted.

Otherwise, the international security observer noted, “Russia’s nuclear doctrine is clear,” and that unless someone uses nukes or other WMDs against Russia first, a nuclear response will not follow, including in Ukraine.

[krispyweiss]

Song Review: Aoife O’Donovan and the Westerlies - “B61”

The Ice House, “one of (Aoife O’Donovan’s) favorite bars in NYC,” figures prominently in “B61.” So it also figures O’Donovan would record a new version of the track at said watering hole.

This one finds O’Donovan and her acoustic guitar accompanied by the brass quartet known as the Westerlies. What transpires is a cool idea that doesn’t work out as well as it should.

The arrangement doesn’t quite gel and the makeshift recording atmosphere results in less-than-ideal sound quality. But O’Donovan and the Westerlies have time to work it out as they head out on tour with a promise “to play this song every night” after O’Donovan wraps her full-album performances of Bruce Springsteen’s Nebraska.

“It’s an honor to make music with” the Westerlies, O’Donovan said in a statement.

Grade card: Aoife O’Donovan and the Westerlies - “B61” - C+

4/12/23

[andrewtheprophet]

USA Spreads Her Nuclear Horn Into Europe: Daniel 7 https://andrewtheprophetcom.wordpress.com/2025/01/24/usa-spreads-her-nuclear-horn-into-europe-daniel-7/

[rayhaber]

Güç Gösterisi: 50 Kilotonluk Silahlar ABD'den Avrupa'ya Taşındı!

B61-12 Nükleer Bombalarının Yenilenmesi ve Avrupa’daki Konumlandırılması Son yıllarda, ABD’nin B61-12 nükleer bombaları üzerinde gerçekleştirdiği yenileme çalışmaları, dünya genelinde büyük bir dikkat çekmiştir. Bu gelişmeler, nükleer silahların stratejik kullanımı ve uluslararası güvenlik dengeleri açısından önemli bir yere sahiptir. B61-12, ABD’nin sahip olduğu tek taktik nükleer bombadır ve bu…

[leakshareorg]

New US Nuke Deployment in Europe Raises Serious Questions About NATO's True Nature

The United States has begun the forward deployment of a new generation of its B61 nuclear gravity bomb at bases in Europe, a senior administrator has announced. What signal does the deployment send to Moscow? What impact will it have on strategic security in Europe? Sputnik turned to a senior former Pentagon insider for answers. “The new B61-12 gravity bombs are fully forward deployed, and we…

[wpristav]

США завершают модернизацию ядерных авиабомб B61-4 и готовятся к модернизации авиабомб В61-7

Сотрудники Национальной лаборатории Сандиа готовят B61-12 к испытанию на безопасность. Национальное управление по ядерной безопасности США объявило о завершении программы модернизации нового ядерного оружия B61-12 и предстоящем начале производства варианта B61-13 компанией Sandia National Laboratories. Национальное управление ядерной безопасности США (NNSA) только что объявило, спустя семнадцат... Читать дальше »

[nelc]

Integration testing of the F-35 and B61 nuclear bomb

[abfindunginfo]

Welche Gefahren vom Einsatz von Atomwaffen aktuell ausgehen, wird insbesondere in Europa unterschätzt. Politiker und Medien tragen dazu bei. Atomwaffen in Deutschland - unterschätzte Gefahr Für das, was häufig als militärischer "Ernstfall" genannt wird, lagern die USA Atombomben in Deutschland. Auf dem Atomwaffenstützpunkt "Fliegerhorst Büchel" in der Eifel sollen bis zu 20 B61-Bomben stationiert sein. Jede einzelne hat eine maximale Sprengkraft wie 13 Hiroshima-Bomben. Einerseits schlagen Politiker wie Bundesverteidigungsminister Boris Pistorius und Medien Alarm, dass Deutschland bis spätestens 2029 "kriegsbereit" sein müsste, um "Putins" Bedrohung zu widerstehen. Andererseits ignorieren sie völlig die physikalischen, klimatischen und biologischen Gesetzmäßigkeiten, dass "Atombunker" und Vorräte an Lebensmitteln und Wasser für mehrere Wochen oder Monate keine Überlebenschance bieten. Die Überlebenden eines Atomschlags werden die ersten Opfer beneiden! Zu dieser Erkenntnis könnte eine Videoanimation beitragen, die auf dem Youtube-Kanal von Science Time unter dem Titel "The True Scale Of Modern Nuclear Weapons" ("Das wahre Ausmaß moderner Nuklearwaffen") veröffentlicht wurde. Innerhalb eines Monats griffen über 16 Millionen Besucher darauf zu. Das Video ist anschaulich wohl auch für jene verständlich, die die englische Sprache nicht beherrschen. Das Fazit: "Das wahre Ausmaß der modernen Atomwaffen zeigt, dass es in einem Atomkrieg keine Gewinner gibt - nur verheerende Verluste für die Menschheit." Ähnliches verdeutlicht unter anderem ein Artikel, der im Oktober 2022 im Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists mit dem Titel "Nowhere to hide: How a nuclear war would kill you - and almost everyone else" ("Nirgendwo ein Ort zum Verstecken - Wie ein Atomkrieg Dich töten würde - und alle anderen ebenso"). Der Arzt Prof. Dr. med. Klaus-Dieter Kolenda, hat ihn aktuell für die NachDenkSeiten übersetzt. Scott Ritter apelliert an Mitglieder des US-Repräsentantenhauses Scott Ritter, ehemaliger Spionageabwehroffizier des US Marine Corps und leitender UN-Waffeninspektor, gehört in den USA zu den entschiedendsten und aktivsten Verfechtern einer nuklearen Abrüstung. Gemeinsam mit Medea Benjamin und Code Pink versuchte er unlängst Mitglieder des US-Repräsentantenhauses zu dringendem Handeln zu bewegen, um einen möglicherweise drohenden Atomkrieg mit Russland abzuwenden. Ritter erklärte den Kongressabgeordneten die unmittelbare Gefahr, der die Welt derzeit gegenübersteht, die jedoch von den meisten US-Regierungs- und etablierten Medien auf gefährliche Weise ignoriert wird. Er traf sich mit den Abgeordneten Jim McGovern (D-MA) und Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) sowie mit Mitarbeitern von etwa einem Dutzend weiterer Mitglieder, darunter dem Sprecher des Repräsentantenhauses Mike Johnson (R-LA) und den Abgeordneten Daniel Webster (R-FL), Roger Williams (R-TX), Clay Higgins (R-LA) und Delia Ramirez (D-IL). Im National Press Club in Washington moderierten Scott Ritter und Medea Benjamin Diskussionsrunden zur Gefahr eines Atomkonflikts und Möglichkeiten, ihn zu verhindern. Gibt es in Deutschland ähnliche Aktivitäten? Hat eine Friedensbewegung wie in den 80er Jahren keine Chance mehr in Deutschland? Die bisherige Reaktion auf die Petition "Gegen die atomare Bedrohung", die Bernhard Trautvetter an Bundesregierung und Bundestag am 15. 12. 2023 startete, legt diesen traurigen Schluss nahe! Teilen Sie diese Petition? Nachtrag vom 28. 12. 2024: "Die Überlebenden werden die Toten beneiden!" – Über den verordneten neuen Bunkerbauboom Nachtrag vom 30. 12. 2024: Özlem Alev Demirel, Jürgen Wagner: Frieden schaffen mit Angriffswaffen? (Broschüre zum Download)   Read the full article

[dnvdk]

With the speed at which geopolitical developments progress at the moment - and with a couple of days downtime over Christmas - I got interested in nuclear weapons once again. Have always been fascinated by them ever since I was very young as they are mostly theoretical and technologically so very different from anything else we use. The combination of a leap in physics on the one hand and their speculative qualities on the other - they're the closest to an actual diegetic sci-fi object. There are currently 22 USA-owned B61-12 nuclear warheads in Volkel, The Netherlands (article from 2023) which is about 50km, or less than an hour, from where I live. I knew of their existence for decades but for some reason was under the impression that these were surplus bombs from the Cold War era, probably catching dust because for sure there would never be a nuclear threat in my lifetime. Turns out it doesn't really work like that. These are constantly serviced, updated and state of the art weapons of mass destruction. Much smaller than I thought they would be (these specific ones are the size of a rolled up carpet) with a payload of up to 1250 kilotons - 83 times that of Little Boy that destroyed Hiroshima. And as much as I theoretically understand the usefulness of the thermo-nuclear Mexican stand-off we know as mutually assured destruction, it is still completely baffling to me that these could be fitted to regular F16/F35 fighter planes and effectively destroy countries in minutes. Not to start about ICBMs, MT nukes, high altitude drones and other developments that the Boeings, Northrup Grummans, Lockheed Martins and all their adversary competitors of the world have cooked up. Looking back at the Cuban missile crisis and other near-escalations the equilibrium has been stabilized by negotiations and diplomacy - none of which seems on the table at the current time. So we - humanity - are to a large extent going to be dependent on the next Stanislav Petrov to not get pulled into doing something without thinking it through.

[usafphantom2]

An F-16C with a B61-12 during a development flight test by the 422nd Flight Test and Evaluation Squadron at Nellis AFB. (Brandi Hansen AFNWC)

@kadonkey via X