The United States equipped with the B-2 bomber nuclear weapon of the future
stealth Bomber (Stealth) B-2 U.S. air force tested an upgraded multipurpose nuclear bomb B61-12, which increases the accuracy, it combines different variants of attacks into one and change the strategic landscape from the point of view of the capacity of the mission on nuclear weapons. About it the newspaper writes The National Interest.
Earlier this summer the U.S. air force dropped a nuclear weapon B61-12 with B-2 at Nellis air force base, marking a new phase of flight testing the advanced bombs, reported the press Secretary of U.S. air force captain hope Cronin Warrior Maven earlier this year.
"the weapons will be Updated to include enhanced security and reliability," said Cronin.
the Latest version of thermonuclear gravity bombs of the B61, which originated in the 1960-ies, was developed as a strategic and tactical nuclear weapons of low and medium power, according nuclearweaponsarchive.org.
"the Main advantage of the B61-12 is that it combines all the features gravity bombs against all scenarios pointing in one bomb. This includes a tactical "clean" use of very low productivity with low rainfall and more dirty attacks on underground targets," says Hans Kristensen, Director nuclear information Project, Federation of American scientists.
According to Christensen, the model of the B61 Mod 12 is equipped with a special "shank" to improve the accuracy of the bomb and providing a new level of precision aiming with the use of inertial navigation systems.
Media weapons – bomber B-2 Spirit is the most expensive production aircraft in aviation history. The price of one machine with regard to research and development work exceeded two billion dollars. For ten years the US air force received only 21 stealth aircraft, although the programme included the delivery of over 130 B-2.
Except for nuclear bombs, stealth will carry on Board cruise missiles, long-range nuclear-armed Long-Range Stand-Off (LRSO), characterized by low visibility. There are the usual weapons — cruise missile extended range JASSM-ER — type "air-land" and free-fall bombs GBU-31, equipped with a guidance system JDAM.
Testing and integration of the B61-12 is part of a massive upgrade B-2 for the entire fleet, intended to support bomber in the coming years. A number of technical modifications is also intended to prepare the bomber era 1980-ies to a very sophisticated, upscale modern threats.
the B-2 gets improved integration of digital weapons, reported that the new computing power 1,000 times higher than the existing system and sensors the next generation designed to help the aircraft to avoid air defense of the enemy.