Laydown delivery
Laydown delivery is a mode of delivery found in some nuclear gravity bombs: the bomb's descent to the target is slowed by parachute so that it lands on the ground without detonating. The bomb then detonates by timer some time later.[1] Laydown delivery requires the weapon to be reinforced so that it can survive the force of impact.Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'Module:Footnotes/anchor_id_list' not found.
Laydown modes are used to make weapon delivery survivable by aircraft flying at low level.Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'Module:Footnotes/anchor_id_list' not found. Low-altitude delivery helps hide the aircraft from surface-to-air missiles.[2] The ground burst detonation of a laydown delivered weapon is used to increase the effect of the weapon's blast on built-up targets such as submarine pens, or to transmit a shock wave through the ground to attack deeply-buried targets. An attack of this type produces large amounts of radioactive fallout.
Weapons with laydown delivery options
United Kingdom
The issue of aircraft survivability led to laydown being selected for the Vickers Valiant bomber of the Royal Air Force, as the design became increasingly vulnerable to Soviet weapons, especially the SA-2 missile. The low-level laydown delivery was referred to as "Equipment 2 Foxtrot" in RAF parlance; alternatives included "2 Echo" toss bombing and "2 Hotel", a particular climbing delivery method used by the Avro Vulcan.[2]
United States
- B28 bomb — Only in the RE (retarded external), RI (retarded internal) and FI (full-fuzing internal) versions of the weapon. The RE and RI versions of the weapon used the W28 mod 1 warhead and were an interim weapon only capable of laydown delivery at 2,000 feet (610 m) altitude, while the FI version using W28 Mod 2 and later warheads was capable of 500 feet (150 m) delivery.Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'Module:Footnotes/anchor_id_list' not found.
- B43 bomb — Both variants had laydown capability.[3]
- B53 bomb — Full-fuzing option (FUFO) weapon with laydown.[4] The weapon later lost FUFO in its B53-1 upgrade in 1988, having only laydown fuzing.[5]
- B61 bomb — Full-fuzing option (FUFO) weapon with laydown. Capable of laydown delivery at 50 feet (15 m) altitude.[6]
- B83 bomb — Full-fuzing option (FUFO) weapon with laydown.[7]
See also
References
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- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.History of the Mk 28 Weapon (Report). Sandia National Laboratories. August 1968. p. 24. Archived from the original on 2021-07-07. Retrieved 2021-03-18.
- ^ a b Kristan Stoddart, "Losing an Empire and Finding a Role", Palgrave Macmillan, 2012, pp. 104–106.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.HISTORY OF THE MK 43 BOMB (Report). January 1968. Retrieved 5 May 2026.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Sublette, Carey (2 April 1997). "The B-53 (Mk-53) Bomb". Nuclear Weapon Archive. Retrieved 29 November 2021.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Sandia Weapon Review: Nuclear Weapon Characteristics Handbook (PDF) (Report). Sandia National Labs. September 1990. p. 47, 64. SAND90-1238. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2022-01-12.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.History of the TX-61 Bomb (Report). Sandia National Laboratories. August 1971. Archived from the original on 2021-03-30. Retrieved 2021-02-05.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Sublette, Carey (11 November 1997). "The B83 (Mk-83) Bomb". Nuclear Weapon Archive. Retrieved 21 November 2021.
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