Operation Redwing
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Operation Redwing was a United States series of 17 nuclear test detonations from May to July 1956. They were conducted at Bikini and Eniwetok atolls. The entire operation followed Operation Wigwam and preceded Operation Plumbbob. The primary intention was to test new, second-generation thermonuclear devices. Fission devices intended to be used as primaries for thermonuclear weapons, and small tactical weapons for air defense were also tested. Redwing is notable for having demonstrated the first airdrop of a deliverable hydrogen bomb - test "Cherokee". Because the yields for many tests at Operation Castle in 1954 were dramatically higher than predictions, Redwing was conducted using an "energy budget" - there were limits to the total amount of energy released, and the amount of fission yield was also strictly controlled. Fission, primarily "fast" fission of the natural uranium tamper surrounding the fusion capsule, greatly increases the yield of thermonuclear devices, and contributes the vast majority of the fallout - fusion being a relatively clean reaction.
The following tests all took place in 1956. The dates are in local time, followed by the yield.
| Test Name | Date | Location | Yield | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lacrosse | 4 May 1956 | Enewetak Atoll | 40 kilotons | |
| Cherokee | 20 May 1956 | Bikini Atoll | 3.8 megatons | first airdrop of a thermonuclear bomb, specifically (Mark 15 nuclear bomb) |
| Zuni | 27 May 1956 | Bikini Atoll | 3.5 megatons | first test of three-stage thermonuclear design |
| Yuma | 27 May 1956 | Enewetak | 190 tons | a fizzle, but the device weighed only 96 pounds |
| Erie | 30 May 1956 | Enewetak Atoll | 14.9 kilotons | |
| Seminole | June 6, 1956 | Enewetak Atoll | 13.7 kilotons | exploded in a tank of water |
| Flathead | June 11, 1956 | Bikini Atoll | 365 kilotons | intended to be particularly "dirty" - a high-fallout weapon |
| Blackfoot | June 11, 1956 | Enewetak Atoll | 8 kilotons | |
| Kickapoo | June 13, 1956 | Enewetak Atoll | 1.49 kilotons | |
| Osage | June 16, 1956 | Enewetak Atoll | 1.7 kilotons | |
| Inca | June 21, 1956 | Enewetak Atoll | 15.2 kilotons | |
| Dakota | June 25, 1956 | Bikini Atoll | 1.1 megatons | |
| Mohawk | July 2, 1956 | Enewetak Atoll | 360 kilotons | |
| Apache | July 8, 1956 | Bikini Atoll | 1.85 megatons | |
| Navajo | July 10, 1956 | Bikini Atoll | 4.5 megatons | 95% fusion, the cleanest known US shot |
| Tewa | July 20, 1956 | Bikini Atoll | 5 megatons | dirty (87% fission, the highest percentage in any known US thermonuclear test) |
| Huron | July 21, 1956 | Enewetak Atoll | 250 kilotons |
All shots were named after various US Native American tribes.
[edit] References
- ^ Redwing test series from The Nuclear Weapons Archive retrieved 05/31/2008
- Chuck Hansen, U. S. Nuclear Weapons: The Secret History (Arlington: AeroFax, 1988)
- United States Nuclear Tests - DOE/NV--209-REV 15
- United States Nuclear Tests at fas.org
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