The US plans to begin mass production of its new B61-13 thermonuclear bombs later this month, nearly a year ahead of schedule, said Teresa Robbins, acting head of the US Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration.
“We also expect the first production B61 Model 13 to be produced later this month, nearly a full year ahead of schedule“, she said at a hearing of the House Armed Services Committee.
“The W88 Alteration 370 program / upgrade of a nuclear warhead for submarine-launched Trident II ballistic missiles/ remains on schedule for 100 percent of the Navy's delivery schedule and is on track to complete production by the end of fiscal year 2025“, Robbins said.
“The W80-4 /nuclear warhead/ program remains on schedule for the Air Force's long-range cruise missiles, and we expect to have the first production unit in September 2027“, she added.
The decision to produce the B61-13 warheads was made in 2023 by the previous US administration led by Joe Biden. It was criticized by many experts in the United States and abroad who advocate for further reductions in nuclear weapons around the world, including the Federation of American Scientists (FAS) and the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN).