The B61-12 stealth bomber became the first aircraft to be equipped with the B61-12 nuclear bomb
The updated B61-12 is also to be adopted by a number of other aircraft of various NATO member states
The US strategic stealth bomber B-2A Spirit has become the first aircraft to receive the official green light to operate an upgraded version of the B61-12 nuclear bomb, according to a new report of the 2024 SSMP Stockpile Management Plan released by the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA).
So now the B61-12 has officially appeared in the arsenal of the US military, primarily among the list of weapons of the B-2 stealth bomber, which can also use nuclear bombs such as the B61-7, B61-11, and B83-1, The War Zone reports.
List of nuclear weapons in the US arsenal and potentially agreed platforms, source – NNSA, image courtesy of The War Zone
In addition to the B-2A Spirit, other aircraft are currently in the process of being certified to operate the advanced B61-12 bomb, including the F-35A, F-15E and F-16C/D, as well as the latest sixth-generation stealth bomber, the B-21 Raider, which made its maiden flight earlier this month.
The updated bomb will also be used by aircraft from other NATO member states, including the F-35 and F-16, as well as the Tornado. Moreover, as stated earlier, the updated B61-12 bombs may appear in Europe sooner than expected.
The Pentagon and the NNSA started talking about the need to modernize B61 bombs back in 2013. The first flight tests were conducted in 2015, and the second in 2016. After a number of other successful tests in 2021, the United States assembled the first production modernized B61-12 thermonuclear bomb.
The upgraded bomb (the modernization concerned non-nuclear components) received a 20-year extended service life; a new tail section, which, together with control systems, increases its accuracy, etc.
