Mark 10 nuclear bomb
Encyclopedia
The Mark 10 nuclear bomb was a proposed American nuclear bomb based on the earlier Mark 8 nuclear bomb
design. The Mark 10, like the Mark 8, is a Gun-type nuclear weapon, which rapidly assembles several critical mass
es of fissile nuclear material by firing a fissile projectile or "bullet" into a hollow opening in a larger fissile "target", using a system which closely resembles a medium sized cannon barrel and propellant.
The Mark 10 was intended to be a general purpose airburst nuclear weapon, unlike the Mark 8 which was intended to penetrate into the ground as a Nuclear bunker buster
.
The Mark 10 was nicknamed the "Airburst Elsie"; the Mark 8 had been nicknamed the LC or Light Casing bomb, which was then expanded to "Elsie".
The Mark 10 was 12 inches in diameter and weighed 1,500 or 1,750 pounds. It had a design yield of 12 to 15 kilotons.
The Mark 10 design was cancelled in 1952, replaced by the implosion-type Mark 12 nuclear bomb
which was lighter and used considerably less fissile nuclear material.
Mark 8 nuclear bomb
The Mark 8 nuclear bomb was a nuclear bomb designed late 1940s and early 1950s, which was in service from 1952 to 1957.- Description :The Mark 8 was a gun type nuclear bomb, which rapidly assembles several critical masses of fissile nuclear material by firing a fissile projectile or "bullet" into a...
design. The Mark 10, like the Mark 8, is a Gun-type nuclear weapon, which rapidly assembles several critical mass
Critical mass
A critical mass is the smallest amount of fissile material needed for a sustained nuclear chain reaction. The critical mass of a fissionable material depends upon its nuclear properties A critical mass is the smallest amount of fissile material needed for a sustained nuclear chain reaction. The...
es of fissile nuclear material by firing a fissile projectile or "bullet" into a hollow opening in a larger fissile "target", using a system which closely resembles a medium sized cannon barrel and propellant.
The Mark 10 was intended to be a general purpose airburst nuclear weapon, unlike the Mark 8 which was intended to penetrate into the ground as a Nuclear bunker buster
Nuclear bunker buster
Bunker-busting nuclear weapons, also known as earth-penetrating weapons , are a type of nuclear weapon designed to penetrate into soil, rock, or concrete to deliver a nuclear warhead to a target. These weapons would be used to destroy hardened, underground military bunkers buried deep in the ground...
.
The Mark 10 was nicknamed the "Airburst Elsie"; the Mark 8 had been nicknamed the LC or Light Casing bomb, which was then expanded to "Elsie".
The Mark 10 was 12 inches in diameter and weighed 1,500 or 1,750 pounds. It had a design yield of 12 to 15 kilotons.
The Mark 10 design was cancelled in 1952, replaced by the implosion-type Mark 12 nuclear bomb
Mark 12 nuclear bomb
The Mark-12 nuclear bomb was a US designed and manufactured lightweight nuclear bomb which was built starting in 1954 and saw service from then until 1962...
which was lighter and used considerably less fissile nuclear material.
See also
- List of nuclear weapons
- Mark 1 Little Boy nuclear bombLittle Boy"Little Boy" was the codename of the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima on August 6, 1945 by the Boeing B-29 Superfortress Enola Gay, piloted by Colonel Paul Tibbets of the 393rd Bombardment Squadron, Heavy, of the United States Army Air Forces. It was the first atomic bomb to be used as a weapon...
- Mark 8 nuclear bombMark 8 nuclear bombThe Mark 8 nuclear bomb was a nuclear bomb designed late 1940s and early 1950s, which was in service from 1952 to 1957.- Description :The Mark 8 was a gun type nuclear bomb, which rapidly assembles several critical masses of fissile nuclear material by firing a fissile projectile or "bullet" into a...
External links
- Allbombs.html list of all US nuclear warheads at nuclearweaponarchive.org