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The United States Department of Defence has announced that it will pursue a modern variant of the B61 nuclear gravity bomb, designated the B61-13, pending Congressional authorisation and appropriation.
According to a Fox News report, the nuclear bomb is said to be 24 times more powerful than one of the bombs dropped on Japan during World War II.
'Today, the Department of Defence (DoD) announced that the United States will pursue a modern variant of the B61 nuclear gravity bomb, designated the B61-13, pending Congressional authorisation and appropriation. The Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) would produce the B61-13,' the Department of Defence release said.
'The decision to pursue this capability, which was undertaken in close collaboration with the NNSA, responds to the demands of a rapidly evolving security environment as described in the 2022 Nuclear Posture Review,' the statement read.
The B61-13 will yield similarly to the B61-7, which has a maximum output of 360 kilotonnes, according to Fox News, citing the Pentagon statement, which had a fact sheet that was included with the release.
The bomb dropped on Hiroshima, Japan, during World War II, which was around a 15 kilotonne bomb, is 24 times smaller than the load.
Additionally, the B61-13 would be almost 14 times bigger than the 25-kilotonne bomb that was dropped on Nagasaki.
'...announcement is reflective of a changing security environment and growing threats from potential adversaries,' said Assistant Secretary of Defence for Space Policy John Plumb.
'The United States has a responsibility to continue to assess and field the capabilities we need to credibly deter and, if necessary, respond to strategic attacks, and assure our allies.'
'The B61-13 represents a reasonable step to manage the challenges of a highly dynamic security environment,' Plumb added.
'While it provides us with additional flexibility, production of the B61-13 will not increase the overall number of weapons in our nuclear stockpile,' he noted.
According to the fact sheet, the powerful new bomb will also 'include the modern safety, security, and accuracy features of the B61-12', Fox News reported.
Notably, the announcement coincides with escalating international tensions following the US' high-explosive experiment earlier this month at a nuclear test site in Nevada.
'This initiative follows several months of review and consideration. The fielding of the B61-13 is not in response to any specific current event; it reflects an ongoing assessment of a changing security environment,' the US Department of Defence added.