W62

Missile warheadUnited StatesThermonuclear (staged)

No freely licensed photo of this device yet.

Yield · TNT equivalent170 kt

Key specs

Country: United States
Design: Thermonuclear (staged)
Type: Missile warhead
Weight: 115 kg
Length: 1 m
Diameter: 500 mm
In service: 1970–2010
Number built: 1,725

Overview

A 170 kt warhead in the Mk 12 re-entry vehicle of the Minuteman III, the first US missile with multiple independently targeted warheads (MIRV). It served for 40 years, until 2010.

Effect radii: estimates

Calculated for 170 kt

Fireball, maximum radius: ≈ 480 m
Initial radiation, 500 rem (5 Sv): ≈ 2.2 km
Blast 5 psi: most buildings collapse: ≈ 3.9 km
Thermal: third-degree burns: ≈ 5.5 km
Blast 1 psi: windows shatter: ≈ 12 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

Complete List of All U.S. Nuclear Weapons, Nuclear Weapon Archive (Carey Sublette)
W62, Wikipedia