Mark 39 nuclear bomb
The Mark 39 nuclear bomb and W39 nuclear warhead were versions of an American thermonuclear weapon, which were in service from 1957 to 1966.
The Mark 39 design was a thermonuclear bomb (see Teller-Ulam design) and had a yield of 3.8 megatons. The design is an improved Mark 15 nuclear bomb design (the TX-15-X3 design and Mark 39 Mod 0 were the same design). The Mark 15 was the first lightweight US thermonuclear bomb.
The W39 warhead is 35 inches in diameter and 106 inches long, with a weight of 6,230 to 6,400 pounds. It was used on the SM-62 Snark missile, Redstone IRBM missile, and in the B-58 Hustler weapons pod.
The B39 bomb is 35 inches diameter and 140 inches long, with a weight of 6,650 to 6,750 pounds, and was carried by a number of aircraft.
Survivors
- A Mark 39 casing is on display in the Cold War Gallery of the National Museum of the United States Air Force in Dayton, Ohio. The bomb was received from the National Atomic Museum at Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M., in 1993.