The B61-13 builds on the configuration of the B61-12, which finished production in late 2024. “The reason it was possible to move so quickly is the similitude between the two bombs, the B61-12 and the B61-13,” said Lysle Serna, a Sandia manager.
The first unit was completed in May at the Pantex Plant, just 13 months after Congress approved funding for the programme. “We definitely would not have been able to go this fast had we not been leveraging a significant portion of the design and especially the qualification data from the B61-12 to ensure the weapon is safe and secure,” said Arthur Gariety, the weapon systems lead at Sandia.
Sandia utilised innovation in the nuclear deterrence product realisation process to deliver the unit early. Many staff transitioned directly from the B61-12 programme, contributing expertise and continuity.
“I’m beyond proud of this team. This team has been working at double speed since 2018 to solve technical challenges. They always find a way to succeed,” Serna said, noting strong collaboration across Sandia and with Los Alamos National Laboratory.
External partners also played a vital role in meeting the accelerated schedule. Early hardware deliveries from the Y-12 National Security Complex and the Kansas City National Security Campus ensured key components reached Pantex on time.
“It was a highly collaborative process across the nuclear security enterprise,” Gariety added. “We worked across site boundaries to solve challenges together. When everyone gets on the same page, we can do great things to support the mission.”
Although formal funding was authorised in April 2024, Sandia and its partners began feasibility and planning studies as early as 2022. This early groundwork allowed official activities to begin promptly under Phase 6.4, Production Engineering.
In May, U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Chris Wright attended a ceremony at Pantex to diamond stamp the first B61-13 unit, confirming its quality and readiness. “The remarkable speed of the B61-13’s production is a testament to the ingenuity of our scientists and engineers and the urgency we face to fortify deterrence in a volatile new age,” Wright said.
Completion of the first unit reflects joint efforts among Sandia, Los Alamos National Laboratory, the Kansas City National Security Campus, the Pantex Plant, Y-12 National Security Complex, Savannah River Site, the National Nuclear Security Administration, and the U.S. Air Force. The B61-13 will offer a higher yield than the B61-12 while retaining its modern safety, security, and accuracy features.
The overall size of the U.S. nuclear stockpile will not increase as a result of the new weapon. Production numbers for the B61-12 were reduced to match the planned build quantity of the B61-13.
The programme will now transition to Design Review and Acceptance Group processes and move towards full-rate production.
Source: Sandia National Laboratories (press release).
