Mark 17 nuclear bomb

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The Mark 17 and Mark 24 were the first mass produced hydrogen bombs deployed by the United States. The two differed in their "primary" stages. The MK 17/24 bombs were 24 ft 8 in long, 61.4 in in diameter. They weighed 21 tons. The two weapons had yields in the 15 megaton range. Total production of Mk-17s was 200, and there were 105 Mk-24s produced, all between October 1954 and November 1955.

The design development originated when Los Alamos National Laboratory proposed that a bomb design using ordinary lithium hydride was possible. The new design was designated TX-17 on February 24, 1953. The TX-17 and 24 were tested as the "Runt" (Castle Romeo shot) device during Operation Castle in 1954. After the successful tests the Mk-17 and 24 in a crude form were deployed as part of the "Emergency Capability" program. A total of 5 EC 17 and 10 EC 24 bombs were rushed into stockpile between April and October 1954. The EC weapons lacked parachutes to delay the time between release and their detonation, ensuring the delivery aircraft would be destroyed with the target. Other safety features such as In Flight Insertion (IFI) and safe arming and fusing devices were also omitted to ensure a quick thermonuclear capability.

The EC weapons were quickly replaced with MK 17 Mod 0 and Mk-24 Mod 0 bombs in October and November 1954. Those weapons included a 64 foot diameter parachute to allow the delivery aircraft to escape. With the addition of IFI of the Primary capsule to prevent a nuclear explosion in case of an accident, the weapons were upgraded to the Mod 1 standard. The inclusion of a contact fuse brought some bombs up to the Mod 2 version, allowing the bombs to used against "soft" targets (air burst) or buried targets such as command bunkers (contact burst).

Due to the introduction of smaller and lighter weapons such as the Mk 15, as well as the pending retirement of the only aircraft capable of carrying them, the B-36, the Mk-24s were withdrawn by October 1956, with the Mk-17s withdrawn by August 1957.

Total production of Mk 17s was 200, and there were 105 Mk-24s produced, all between between October 1954 and November 1955.

It is often incorrectly stated that the Mk-17 was the first US hydrogen bomb stockpiled. This is not correct. Five examples of the EC14 "Alarm Clock" prepared for possible use starting in February 1954. There were also 5 examples of the EC16 "Jughead" cryogenic bomb, a direct development of the "Mike" device produced, starting in January 1954, before the EC17/24 bombs. The EC14s with drogue chutes became Mk-14 bombs and were the first in the hydrogen bomb in the stockpile starting in October 1954. The EC16s were never in the stockpile and were the first EC weapons eliminated. There was only 1 B-36 converted under Project Bar Room to carry the Jughead.

MK-17/24 casings may be viewed at the National Atomic Museum, The Strategic Air Command Memorial at Naval Air Station Fort Worth Joint Reserve Base Carswell Field, and in the collections of the National Museum of the United States Air Force and the Strategic Air and Space Museum.

[edit] See also

• List of nuclear weapons
• Castle Bravo
• Teller-Ulam design

[edit] References

• Hansen, Chuck. U.S. Nuclear Weapons. Arlington, Texas, Areofax, Inc., 1988. ISBN 0-517-56740-7.
• Gibson, James N. "Nuclear Weapons of the United States," Altglen, PA, Schiffer Publishing, 1996, ISBN 0-7643-0063-0.
• Cochran, Thomas, Arkin, William, Hoenig, Milton "Nuclear Weapons Databook, Volume I, U.S. Nuclear Forces and Capabilities," Cambridge, Massachusetts, Ballinger Pub. Co., 1984, ISBN 0-88410-173-8.
• Hansen, Chuck, "Swords of Armageddon," Sunnyvale, CA, Chucklea Publications, 1995.