US plots fresh thermonuclear bomb manufacturing

(MENAFN) The United States is set to begin production of a new thermonuclear gravity bomb variant, the B61-13, starting next month, according to the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA). This new model is an upgraded version of the B61 warhead, originally produced in 1968, and features modernized electronics and a tail kit to enhance its precision as a guided weapon.

The B61-13 will have a maximum yield of 360 kilotons—approximately 24 times more powerful than the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima. Teresa Robbins, acting head of the NNSA, informed Congress on Wednesday that the first production unit will be completed nearly a year ahead of schedule, with full-scale production anticipated later in the 2025 fiscal year.

Robbins emphasized that the new bomb will offer the President enhanced capabilities to deter or respond to threats involving fortified or widespread military targets.

This announcement follows the recent deployment of the B61-12 variant to U.S. bases in Europe earlier this year.

Despite this expansion of the U.S. nuclear arsenal, President Donald Trump has previously expressed a desire for global denuclearization, calling nuclear weapons the greatest threat to humanity. In March, he urged all nuclear-armed nations to work toward eliminating their stockpiles.

Trump’s previous administration withdrew from the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, citing alleged Russian violations—claims Moscow denied. Following recent developments, including U.S. support for long-range Ukrainian strikes, Russia updated its nuclear doctrine to permit the use of nuclear weapons in retaliation to attacks by non-nuclear countries supported by nuclear-armed states.

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