W48
Country of origin
United States
United States
The W48 was an American nuclear artillery shell, capable of being fired from any standard 155-millimetre (6.1 in) howitzer. A tactical nuclear weapon, it was manufactured starting in 1963, and all units were retired in 1992. It was known as the XM454 AFAP (artillery fired atomic projectile) in US service.
The weapon was 34 inches (86 cm) long and weighed 120 pounds (54 kg), and was produced in two versions; the Mod 0 and Mod 1. Declassified British document give the yield of the W48 as 100 tonnes of TNT (0.42 TJ), making it one of the smallest nuclear weapons ever developed by the US.
The weapon was 34 inches (86 cm) long and weighed 120 pounds (54 kg), and was produced in two versions; the Mod 0 and Mod 1. Declassified British document give the yield of the W48 as 100 tonnes of TNT (0.42 TJ), making it one of the smallest nuclear weapons ever developed by the US.
