EN

UK Trident warhead (Holbrook)

Holbrook (UK Trident warhead)
Missile warheadUnited KingdomThermonuclear (staged)
No freely licensed photo of this device yet.
Yield · TNT equivalent100 kt

Key specs

Design
Thermonuclear (staged)
Type
Missile warhead
In service
1994 – present

Overview

The British warhead on the Trident II D5 missiles of the Vanguard-class submarines, closely related to the American W76; its current Holbrook version is based on the W76-1. The yield is officially undisclosed and estimated at up to about 100 kt. A new Astraea warhead is planned for the 2030s.

Effect radii: estimates

Calculated for 100 kt

Fireball, maximum radius
≈ 380 m
Initial radiation, 500 rem (5 Sv)
≈ 2 km
Blast 5 psi: most buildings collapse
≈ 3.3 km
Thermal: third-degree burns
≈ 4.4 km
Blast 1 psi: windows shatter
≈ 10 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. Trident (UK nuclear programme), Wikipedia