Third B61-12 nuclear gravity bomb test carried out in Nevada

A third test of a B61-12 nuclear gravity bomb took place recently at the Tonopah Test Range in Nevada, the U.S. Air Force and the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), which conducted this test, said in a statement.

The hardware used in the test was designed by Los Alamos and Sandia National Laboratories, with the internal parts made by National Security Enterprise Plants. The bomb was attached to the tail of an aircraft, which was assembled by the Boeing Co., which contracted with the Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center.

"This demonstration of effective end-to-end system performance under representative delivery conditions marks another 2015 achievement in the development of the B61-12 Life Extension Program,” NNSA Deputy Administrator Madelyn Creedon said. “Completing this guided B61-12 flight test provides additional evidence of the nation's continued commitment to our nation’s security and that of our allies and partners.”

The test was for a nuclear bomb, but no nuclear components, such as plutonium or uranium, were used to comply with test-treaty directives. The test bomb was flown on an F-15E out of Nellis Air Force Base.