W41
Encyclopedia
W 41 was the designation of an American
nuclear warhead
, which was investigated during the late 1950s. Intended for use in the SM-64 Navajo cruise missile
, the program was cancelled in 1957. The program was brief, considered at the same time as the TX-29, WX-15-X1 and XW-21 warheads. All were eventually replaced as the proposed Navajo warhead by the W-39. The W41 was an adaptation of the B41 (Mk-41) thermonuclear bomb which was produced in large numbers and served in stockpile for 15 years.
. Investigated as a possible warhead for the SM-64 Navajo, a cruise missile then in development, work on the warhead continued through July 1957, when the project was cancelled.
, conspiracy theories began that claimed a "W41" nuclear bomb would be used to seal the oil well, despite the use of a nuclear weapon in the role having been officially rejected.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
nuclear warhead
Nuclear weapon
A nuclear weapon is an explosive device that derives its destructive force from nuclear reactions, either fission or a combination of fission and fusion. Both reactions release vast quantities of energy from relatively small amounts of matter. The first fission bomb test released the same amount...
, which was investigated during the late 1950s. Intended for use in the SM-64 Navajo cruise missile
Cruise missile
A cruise missile is a guided missile that carries an explosive payload and is propelled, usually by a jet engine, towards a land-based or sea-based target. Cruise missiles are designed to deliver a large warhead over long distances with high accuracy...
, the program was cancelled in 1957. The program was brief, considered at the same time as the TX-29, WX-15-X1 and XW-21 warheads. All were eventually replaced as the proposed Navajo warhead by the W-39. The W41 was an adaptation of the B41 (Mk-41) thermonuclear bomb which was produced in large numbers and served in stockpile for 15 years.
History
An warhead version of the B41 thermonuclear bomb, development of the W 41 began in November 1956 at Lawrence Livermore National LaboratoryLawrence Livermore National Laboratory
The Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory , just outside Livermore, California, is a Federally Funded Research and Development Center founded by the University of California in 1952...
. Investigated as a possible warhead for the SM-64 Navajo, a cruise missile then in development, work on the warhead continued through July 1957, when the project was cancelled.
Conspiracy theories
Following the Deepwater Horizon oil spillDeepwater Horizon oil spill
The Deepwater Horizon oil spill is an oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico which flowed unabated for three months in 2010, and continues to leak fresh oil. It is the largest accidental marine oil spill in the history of the petroleum industry...
, conspiracy theories began that claimed a "W41" nuclear bomb would be used to seal the oil well, despite the use of a nuclear weapon in the role having been officially rejected.