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AN-11

AN-11
Aircraft bombFranceImplosion fission
No freely licensed photo of this device yet.
Yield · TNT equivalent60 kt

Key specs

Country
France
Design
Implosion fission
Type
Aircraft bomb
Weight
1.5 t
In service
1964–1967

Overview

France’s first operational nuclear weapon, a 60 kt plutonium bomb of about 1.5 tonnes carried by the Mirage IV bomber of the Force de frappe. An early version was used in Gerboise Bleue; it served from 1964 to 1967.

Effect radii: estimates

Calculated for 60 kt

Fireball, maximum radius
≈ 310 m
Initial radiation, 500 rem (5 Sv)
≈ 1.8 km
Blast 5 psi: most buildings collapse
≈ 2.8 km
Thermal: third-degree burns
≈ 3.6 km
Blast 1 psi: windows shatter
≈ 8.6 km

Estimated ground ranges for an air burst at the optimum height over flat, open ground, computed from the yield with standard scaling laws. These are not measurements: real effects depend on the height of burst, terrain, buildings and weather.

Formulas from: Glasstone & Dolan, The Effects of Nuclear Weapons (1977), chapter II; Carey Sublette, Nuclear Weapons FAQ, section 5

Sources

  1. AN-11 bomb, Wikipedia