3 weeks Ago By Prashant Tamta
The US has reportedly started making gravity bombs that are 24 times more powerful than 'Little Boy', the nuclear bomb dropped by it on Japan's Hiroshima on August 6, 1945. Gravity bomb or B61-13 gravity bomb is set to play a key role in strengthening US nuclear deterrence amid rising global security challenges. It is being produced because of an 'urgent' and 'critical' threat from rising global tensions, the New York Post reported.
Also known as an unguided bomb, it has no guidance system and is simply dropped from an airplane, relying on gravity alone to reach its target. This comes amid US President Donald Trump's tariff war, which has rocked global markets and could trigger significant shifts in the world order. Reports suggest that the B61-13 is designed to have a 360-kiloton payload.
The 'Little Boy' dropped on Hiroshima in 1945 had a yield of just 15 kilotons. Initially, plans for the bomb were launched in 2023 after Russia invaded Ukraine. It was feared that the war could trigger a Europe-wide conflict.
As a NATO member, the US is committed to defending its European allies under Article 5 of the NATO treaty, ensuring collective defence in the event of an armed attack. The Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) was tasked in 2023 at a cost of USD 92 million with building a new nuclear gravity bomb called the B61-13. The gravity bomb was due for production in 2026.
But due to fears of escalating conflict with Russia, China and Iran, the US has reportedly begun production of the gravity bomb before timeline. The program now projects delivery of the first production unit seven months earlier than originally expected. The B61-13 follows the B61-12 Life Extension Program (LEP), which was completed in December 2023 at an estimated cost of USD 9 billion.
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