USA - W87

Mk-21
W87
Mk-21


Tactical-Technical Data

The Dimensions Of The Mk-21
- length : up to 1,750 mm
- diameter : 553,7 mm

Weight
- combat warheads W87 : 199,5 - 272 kg
- the return of the module, the Mk-21 : more than 363 kg

Cardinality
- 300 kt (the possibility of modulation on the 475-kt)

The number of warheads
- ordered : 1,000 pieces
- produced : 525 pcs

Carrier
- intercontinental ballistic missiles : the LGM-118A Peacekeeper (MX) and the LGM-30G Minuteman III
- small intercontinental ballistic guided missile : the MGM-134A SICBM "Midgetman"
- intercontinental ballistic missiles fired from submarines : the UGM-133A Trident II D-5


History
Martial thermonuclear warhead W87 is together with head W88 (or návratovým module Mk-5) the most advanced nuclear weapons in the arsenal of the armed forces of the U.With.And.
Weapon W87 have been proposed and developed in the laboratories of LLNL (Los Alamos National Laboratory).Research started in February 1982 and lasted until October 1983, when it was launched the technology of production. In April 1986 were assembled the first unit and serial production of the warhead W87 is sold all not long after, in July 1986. In November 1987, launched a development version of the W87-1, but in July 1988, he was stopped. Production of the W87 was completed in December 1988.
It was ordered and planned to manufacture 1,000 pieces of warheads W87 (10 pieces for 100 rounds MX), but with the end of the "cold war", the reduction of international tension and because of the financial cuts was made only 50 pieces of the missiles MX and even these were later discarded. Therefore, it was a total made only 525 pieces of warheads W87. Larger warhead W87-1 (W87 Mod. 1) does not exceed the stage of the development.
The return module, the Mk-21 was developed by AVCO Systems division, and is also known as the ABRV (Advance Ballistic Re-entry Vehicle). It is harder, but provides a high degree of accuracy (circular deviation amounts to 122 metres) and is cheaper than the module, the Mk-12A (W78). Is the shape of a sharp cone and is placed on the platform of the MIRV.
In September 1994, was launched under the auspices of the Ministry of Energy (U.With. Department of Energy) program, whose goal is to extend the lifetime of min. by the year 2020.

Description
This is a thermonuclear three-phase weapon 2. generation. W87 consists of smaller implozivní (stěpné) of the head, which functions here as the roznětka and is composed of high-explosive explosives LX-17 and PBX-9501 (a plastic explosive based blasting agent TATB) and plutonium. This roznětka in the explosion initiates the isotopes of hydrogen deuterium and tritium (whose source is 95% lithium). In order to avoid a premature start of the reaction already in the very beginning, is between fission bombs and the isotopes of hydrogen uranový shield. On the contrary, a neutron reflector (beryllium) and plutoniové the core in the middle of the fusion refills (deuterium & tritium) to help expand the response. The whole is wrapped with a layer of uranium (U 238), which in termonukleárním the explosion will release a large amount of energy. Version of the W87-1 should have an additional ring of the uranium (U 238), which should increase the cardinality of the 475 kilotons.
The weapon is designed for the explosion upon impact, for air blast and for blast initiated by a timer.
The combat thermonuclear warhead W87, placed in the return module, the Mk-21 (Re-entry Vehicle Mk-21), should be vybveno 100 heavy intercontinental missile odpalovaných of zodolněných shelters (underground forces) the LGM-118A Peacekeeper (also known as cruise missiles MX). Each of the rockets should be 10 modules MIRV with capitals W87. After a short existence they were missiles MX discarded and warheads W87 (including modules of the Mk-21) have been used in intercontinental missiles odpalovaných of zodolněných shelters (underground forces) the LGM-30G Minuteman III. These missiles carried the after one module, the Mk-21 warhead W87. Another carrier are intercontinental ballistic missiles fired from submarines, the UGM-133A Trident II D-5, which carry a specified number of warheads.
Derivative warhead W87-1 (Mod. 1) was designed for the small intercontinental ballistic guided missile of the MGM-134A SICBM "Midgetman", placed on the mobile platform, which was, however, at the beginning of the 90. years 20. century cancelled.



Information, as well as the following pictures were (are) taken from the website - http://www.nuclearweaponarchive.org/ ; http://www.wikipedia.org/ ; http://www.globalsecurity.cz/ ; http://www.atomicarchive.com/ ;.
URL : https://www.valka.cz/USA-W87-t69749#245542 Version : 0

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W87 bez upřesnění podtypu
Zdroj:
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URL : https://www.valka.cz/USA-W87-t69749#738311 Version : 0
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