Operation Dominic I and II

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Operation Dominic was a series of 105 nuclear test explosions conducted in 1962 and 1963 by the United States. Those conducted in the Pacific are sometimes called Dominic I. The blasts in Nevada are known as Dominic II. This test series was scheduled quickly, in order to take advantage of the Soviet abandonment of the 1958-61 test moratorium. Most of these shots were conducted with free-fall bombs dropped from B-52 bomber aircraft. Twenty of these shots were to test new weapons designs; six to test weapons effects; and several shots to confirm the reliability of existing weapons. The Thor missile was also used to loft warheads into near-space to conduct high altitude nuclear explosion tests; these shots were collectively called Operation Fishbowl.

Pacific Ocean detonation
Pacific Ocean detonation

Operation Dominic occurred during a period of high Cold War tension between the United States and the Soviet Union, since the Cuban Bay of Pigs Invasion had occurred not long before. Nikita Khrushchev announced the end of a three-year moratorium on nuclear testing on August 30, 1961, and Soviet tests recommenced on 1 September, initiating a series of tests that included the detonation of the Tsar Bomba. President John F. Kennedy responded by authorizing Operation Dominic. It was the largest nuclear weapons testing program ever conducted by the United States, and the last atmospheric test series conducted by the U.S., as the Limited Test Ban Treaty was signed in Moscow the following year.

Dominic I & II Test Blasts
Test Name Date Location Yield Note
Adobe 25 April 1962 Christmas Island 190 kilotons  
Aztec 27 April 1962 Christmas Island 410 kilotons  
Black 27 April 1962 Nevada Test Site Unknown  
Arkansas 2 May 1962 Christmas Island 1090 kilotons  
Questa 4 May 1962 Christmas Island 670 kilotons  
Frigate Bird 6 May 1962 Pacific Test Range 600 kilotons Polaris A2 Missile launched from the submarine USS Ethan Allen. Only operational test of a United States ballistic missile.
Paca 7 May 1962 Nevada Test Site Unknown  
Yukon 8 May 1962 Christmas Island 100 kilotons  
Mesilla 9 May 1962 Christmas Island 100 kilotons  
Arikaree 10 May 1962 Christmas Island Unknown  
Muskegon 11 May 1962 Christmas Island 50 kilotons  
Swordfish 11 May 1962 off San Diego <20 kilotons RUR-5 ASROC from USS Agerholm (DD-826) at a range of only 4,000 yards.
Encino 12 May 1962 Christmas Island 500 kilotons  
Aardvark 12 May 1962 Nevada Test Site 40 kilotons  
Swanee 14 May 1962 Christmas Island 97 kilotons  
Eel 19 May 1962 Nevada Test Site Unknown  
Chetco 19 May 1962 Christmas Island 73 kilotons  
White 25 May 1962 Nevada Test Site Unknown  
Tanana 25 May 1962 Christmas Island ‘Fizzled’  
Nambe 27 May 1962 Christmas Island 43 kilotons  
Racoon 1 June 1962 Nevada Test Site Unknown  
Bluegill 3 June 1962 Johnston Atoll ‘Failed’ Operation Fishbowl, tracking electronics failure 5 minutes after launch, detonated manually 10 minutes later
Packrat 6 June 1962 Nevada Test Site Unknown  
Alma 8 June 1962 Christmas Island 782 kilotons  
Truckee 9 June 1962 Christmas Island 210 kilotons  
Yeso 10 June 1962 Christmas Island 3 megatons  
Harlem 12 June 1962 Christmas Island 1.2 megatons  
Des Moines 13 June 1962 Nevada Test Site Unknown  
Rinconada 15 June 1962 Christmas Island 800 kilotons  
Dulce 17 June 1962 Christmas Island 52 kilotons  
Petit 19 June 1962 Christmas Island ‘Failed’  
Starfish 20 June 1962 Johnston Atoll ‘Failed’ Operation Fishbowl, rocket motor failure
Daman I 21 June 1962 Nevada Test Site Unknown  
Otowi 21 June 1962 Nevada Test Site Unknown  
Bighorn 27 June 1962 Christmas Island 7.65 megatons  
Haymaker 27 June 1962 Nevada Test Site 67 kilotons  
Marshmallow 28 June 1962 Nevada Test Site Unknown  
Bluestone 30 June 1962 Christmas Island 1.27 megatons  
Sacramento 30 June 1962 Nevada Test Site Unknown  
Sedan 6 July 1962 Nevada Test Site 140 kilotons Operation Plowshare
Little Feller II 7 July 1962 Nevada Test Site Unknown  
Starfish Prime 9 July 1962 Johnston Atoll 1.4 megatons Operation Fishbowl, exoatmospheric, caused artificial aurora borealis and power outages in Hawaii
Sunset 10 July 1962 Christmas Island 1 megaton  
Pamlico 11 July 1962 Christmas Island 3.88 megatons successful advanced principles test of high-efficiency thermonuclear weapon, last Christmas Island airdrop
Johnnie Boy 11 July 1962 Nevada Test Site 500 tons  
Merrimac 13 July 1962 Nevada Test Site Unknown  
Small Boy 14 July 1962 Nevada Test Site Unknown  
Little Feller I 17 July 1962 Nevada Test Site Unknown  
Bluegill Prime 25 July 1962 Johnston Atoll ‘Failed’ Operation Fishbowl, detonated on launch pad by range safety officers shortly after ignition due to rocket motor failure, destroyed the Thor launch facility and contaminated it with plutonium, requiring three months of repairs and decontamination
Wichita 27 July 1962 Nevada Test Site Unknown  
Housatonic 27 July 1962 Johnston Atoll 8.3 megatons  
York 24 August 1962 Nevada Test Site Unknown  
Bobac 24 August 1962 Nevada Test Site Unknown  
Raritan 6 September 1962 Nevada Test Site Unknown  
Hyrax 4 September 1962 Nevada Test Site Unknown  
Peba 20 September 1962 Nevada Test Site Unknown  
Tocito
Christmas Island
Cancelled
Allegany 29 September 1962 Nevada Test Site Unknown  
Mississippi 5 October 1962 Nevada Test Site 115 kilotons  
Bumping 6 October 1962 Johnston Atoll 11.3 kilotons  
Roanoke 12 October 1962 Nevada Test Site Unknown  
Wolverine 12 October 1962 Nevada Test Site Unknown  
Bluegill Double Prime 15 October 1962 Johnston Island ‘Failed’ Operation Fishbowl, missile tumbled out of control due to failure of a booster rocket 86 seconds after launch, destroyed manually 156 seconds after launch with minor radioactive contamination of the island
Chama 18 October 1962 Johnston Atoll 1.59 megatons  
Tioga 18 October 1962 Nevada Test Site Unknown  
Bandicoot 19 October 1962 Nevada Test Site Unknown  
Checkmate 20 October 1962 Johnston Atoll 7 kt Operation Fishbowl, high altitude nuclear explosion, 147 km altitude, XM-33 Strypi rocket with an Army Recruit booster, XW-50X1 warhead, no fireball
Bluegill Triple Prime 26 October 1962 Johnston Atoll 410 kiloton Operation Fishbowl, high altitude nuclear explosion, 50 km altitude, Thor missile, W50 warhead, fireball formed, large disruption of ionosphere did not occur
Santee 27 October 1962 Nevada Test Site Unknown  
Calamity 27 October 1962 Johnston Atoll 800 kilotons  
Kingfish 1 November 1962 Johnston Atoll 410 kiloton Operation Fishbowl, high altitude nuclear explosion, 97 km altitude, Thor missile with W-50 warhead, dramatic aurora-like effects, extensive ionosphere disruption, radio communication over central Pacific disrupted for over 3 hours
Tightrope 4 November 1962 Johnston Atoll between 1-40 kiloton Operation Fishbowl, 21 km (69000 ft) altitude, Nike Hercules missile with a W-31 warhead, test of a missile defense system, regarded to be the last true US atmospheric nuclear test
Saint Louis 9 November 1962 Nevada Test Site Unknown  
Gundi 15 November 1962 Nevada Test Site Unknown  
Anacostia 27 November 1962 Nevada Test Site Unknown Operation Plowshare
Taunton 4 December 1962 Nevada Test Site Unknown  
Tendrac 7 December 1962 Nevada Test Site Unknown  
Madison 12 December 1962 Nevada Test Site Unknown  
Numbat 12 December 1962 Nevada Test Site Unknown  
Manatee 12 December 1962 Nevada Test Site Unknown  
Casselman 8 February 1963 Nevada Test Site Unknown  
Acushi 8 February 1963 Nevada Test Site Unknown  
Ferret 8 February 1963 Nevada Test Site Unknown  
Hatchie 8 February 1963 Nevada Test Site Unknown  
Chipmunk 15 February 1963 Nevada Test Site Unknown  
Kaweah 21 February 1963 Nevada Test Site Unknown Operation Plowshare
Carmel 21 February 1963 Nevada Test Site Unknown  
Jerboa 1 March 1963 Nevada Test Site Unknown  
Toyah 15 March 1963 Nevada Test Site Unknown  
Gerbil 29 March 1963 Nevada Test Site Unknown  
Ferret Prime 5 April 1963 Nevada Test Site Unknown  
Coyfu 10 April 1963 Nevada Test Site Unknown  
Cumberland 11 April 1963 Nevada Test Site Unknown  
Kootanai 24 April 1963 Nevada Test Site Unknown  
Paisano 24 April 1963 Nevada Test Site Unknown  
Gundi Prime 9 May 1963 Nevada Test Site Unknown  
Double Tracks 15 May 1963 Nevada Test Site Unknown  
Harkee 17 May 1963 Nevada Test Site Unknown  
Tejon 17 May 1963 Nevada Test Site Unknown  
Stones 22 May 1963 Nevada Test Site Unknown  
Clean Slate I 25 May 1963 Nevada Test Site Unknown  
Pleasant 29 May 1963 Nevada Test Site Unknown  
Clean Slate II 31 May 1963 Nevada Test Site Unknown  
Yuba 5 June 1963 Nevada Test Site Unknown  
Hutia 6 June 1963 Nevada Test Site Unknown  
Apshapa 6 June 1963 Nevada Test Site Unknown  
Clean Slate III 9 June 1963 Nevada Test Site Unknown  
Mataco 14 June 1963 Nevada Test Site Unknown  
Kennebec 25 June 1963 Nevada Test Site Unknown  

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