Albuquerque, N.M. – The first production unit of the B61-13 gravity bomb was completed about a year early, a major milestone for Sandia National Laboratories and the U.S. nuclear security enterprise.

Sandia, the lead systems integrator, designed the B61-13’s nonnuclear components, building on the B61-12, which finished production in 2024.

The rapid completion, achieved in May at the Pantex Plant, leveraged B61-12 qualification data and Pantex assembly processes, said Sandia manager Lysle Serna.

Funded by Congress in April 2024, the project benefited from feasibility studies started in 2022, giving it a head start, said Arthur Gariety, Sandia’s weapon systems lead.

Sandia’s team, transitioning from the B61-12, used expertise and innovation, collaborating with Los Alamos National Laboratory and other partners.

Early hardware from Y-12 National Security Complex and Kansas City National Security Campus ensured timely assembly, Gariety noted.

Energy Secretary Chris Wright diamond-stamped the unit at Pantex in May, marking its quality for the U.S. nuclear stockpile.

Wright praised the team’s ingenuity, highlighting the B61-13’s role in bolstering deterrence in a volatile world.

The B61-13 offers higher yield than the B61-12 while keeping its safety and accuracy, without increasing the U.S. stockpile.

The program now shifts to design reviews and full-rate production, advancing nuclear deterrence efforts.

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