W79 Artillery-Fired Atomic Projectile
Nuclear artillery / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Dear Wikiwand AI, let's keep it short by simply answering these key questions:
Can you list the top facts and stats about W79 Artillery-Fired Atomic Projectile?
Summarize this article for a 10 year old
The W79 Artillery-Fired Atomic Projectile (AFAP),[2] also known as XM753 (Atomic RA),[3][4] was an American nuclear artillery shell, capable of being fired from any NATO 8 in (203 mm) howitzer e.g. the M115 and M110 howitzer.[5] The weapon was produced in two models; the enhanced radiation (ERW) W79 Mod 0 and fission-only W79 Mod 1. Both were plutonium-based linear-implosion nuclear weapons.
- The Mod 0 was a variable yield device with three yields, ranging from 100 tons of TNT (420 GJ) up to 1.1 kt (4.6 TJ) and an enhanced-radiation mode which could be turned on or off
- The Mod 1 was fission-only with a fixed 0.8 kt (3.3 TJ) yield, corresponding with the maximum fission only yield of the Mod 0
W79 | |
---|---|
Type | Nuclear artillery |
Place of origin | United States |
Service history | |
In service | 1981 to 1992 |
Used by | United States Army |
Production history | |
Designer | Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory |
Designed | 1975 to 1981 |
Specifications | |
Mass | 200 pounds (91 kg) |
Length | 44 inches (1,100 mm) |
Diameter | 8 inches (203 mm) |
Maximum firing range | 24 kilometres (15 mi) or 30 kilometres (19 mi) with rocket assist[1] |
Blast yield | 0.1 to 1.1 kilotonnes of TNT (0.42 to 4.60 TJ) (Mod 0), 0.8 kilotonnes of TNT (3.3 TJ) (Mod 1) |
Both models were 8 in (203 mm) in diameter, 44 in (1,100 mm) long and weighed 200 lb (91 kg). The W79 was developed by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, starting in 1975. Production of the different mods took place from July 1981 through August 1986. A total of 550 warheads (325 Mod 0s, 225 Mod 1s) were produced.[6] All units were retired from active service by the end of 1992 with the last shell dismantled at the Pantex Plant in Texas in August 2002.[7]