W25

Missile warheadUnited StatesImplosion fission

No freely licensed photo of this device yet.

Yield · TNT equivalent1.7 kt

Key specs

Country: United States
Design: Implosion fission
Type: Missile warhead
Weight: 100 kg
Length: 660 mm
Diameter: 440 mm
In service: 1957–1984
Number built: 3,150

Overview

The 1.7 kt warhead of the AIR-2 Genie, an unguided air-to-air rocket meant to destroy whole formations of bombers. In the Plumbbob John test of 1957 a Genie was fired live from a fighter, with five officers standing beneath the burst.

Effect radii: estimates

Calculated for 1.7 kt

Fireball, maximum radius: ≈ 75 m
Thermal: third-degree burns: ≈ 830 m
Blast 5 psi: most buildings collapse: ≈ 850 m
Initial radiation, 500 rem (5 Sv): ≈ 930 m
Blast 1 psi: windows shatter: ≈ 2.6 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

Tests and use

Date	Event	Site	Yield
Jul 19, 1957	Plumbbob John	Nevada Test Site, USA	1.7 kt

Sources

Complete List of All U.S. Nuclear Weapons, Nuclear Weapon Archive (Carey Sublette)
W25 (nuclear warhead), Wikipedia