W25 (nuclear warhead)
| W25 nuclear warhead | |
|---|---|
W25 warhead being loaded onto an AIR-2 Genie rocket. | |
| Type | Nuclear weapon |
| Place of origin | United States |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Los Alamos National Laboratory |
| Designed | 1954 to 1956 |
| Produced | May 1957 to May 1960 |
| No. built | 3150 |
| Variants | 2 |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 220 lb (100 kg) |
| Length | 26 in (660 mm) |
| Diameter | 17.25 in (438 mm) |
| Blast yield | 1.7 kilotonnes of TNT (7.1 TJ) |
The W25 was a small nuclear warhead that was developed by the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory for air-defense use. It was a fission device with a nominal yield of 1.7 kt.
The W25 was used for the MB-1 "Ding Dong", an unguided air-to-air rocket used by US Northrop F-89 Scorpion, F-101 Voodoo, and F-106 Delta Dart interceptor aircraft, and Canadian CF-101 Voodoo aircraft, as part of NATO nuclear sharing. The MB-1 entered service in 1957 and was eventually redesignated the AIR-2 Genie. Limited numbers were carried by Air National Guard F-106 aircraft until December 1984.