The US military has announced that it plans to begin research into producing a nuclear bomb 24 times more powerful than the one dropped on Hiroshima during World War II.. This was reported by the US media, according to which the Pentagon wants to obtain approval and funding from Congress to create a modern variant of the nuclear bomb: an information sheet from the Department of Defense states that the new weapon, called B61-13, would have explosive power similar to the 360 kilotons of TNT from the B61-7 bomb.
“The announcement reflects an evolving security environment and growing threats from potential adversaries,” said Assistant Secretary of Defense for Space Policy John Plumb. The plan comes almost a year after the publication of the Pentagon’s Nuclear Posture Review, which called on the United States to modernize its obsolete nuclear stockpile, with China poised to possess at least 1,000 warheads by 2030. «At a time of growing risks nuclear weapons, a partial restructuring strategy no longer serves our interests – states the report – We must develop and field balanced and flexible stockpiles capable of keeping pace with threats.” The B61-13 would be made with warheads reused from older bombs and designed to attack “more difficult, large-area military targets.” And it should also “include the modern safety, security and precision features” of the Obama-era B61-12.