B61-12
Nuclear WeaponOEM: Boeing (Tail Kit Assembly) / NNSA (Sandia, Los Alamos, Pantex)
First Produced: 2022
Status: Active
Role: Air-delivered guided thermonuclear gravity bomb
Primary Operator: U.S. Air Force / NATO dual-capable aircraft
OEM Website: boeing.com
The B61-12 is the consolidation of the legacy B61-3, -4, -7, and -10 gravity bombs into a single life-extended variant with a four-position dial-a-yield warhead and a new Boeing-built tail kit assembly that converts the weapon from a ballistic gravity bomb into a guided standoff munition. First production units were completed at Pantex in 2022, with full-rate production proceeding through the 2020s.
The weapon is certified for the B-2 Spirit and B-21 Raider, the F-15E, the F-16C/D, the F-35A (the first fifth-generation dual-capable aircraft), and NATO allied PA-200 Tornado and future Eurofighter platforms. Its combination of reduced yield options and higher accuracy enables credible employment against hardened and deeply buried targets while remaining the cornerstone of the U.S. and NATO tactical nuclear posture.
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