I wasn't suggesting the use of large nuclear weapons to create an EMP. We have many smaller ones more suitable for that purpose...
"The smallest nuclear weapons currently in the
US arsenal (as of early 2026, based on the latest estimates from sources like the Federation of American Scientists (FAS) and the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists) are low-yield variants of the
B61 gravity bomb family, particularly the
B61-3,
B61-4, and the newer
B61-12.
These are tactical (non-strategic) nuclear weapons, deliverable by aircraft such as F-15, F-16, F-35, and B-2 bombers. They feature variable ("dial-a-yield") designs, allowing operators to select different explosive yields depending on the mission.
- The lowest selectable yield for these B61 variants is approximately 0.3 kilotons(300 tons of TNT equivalent).
- This is the minimum setting on the B61-3 (up to 170 kt max), B61-4 (up to 50 kt max), and B61-12 (up to 50 kt max, with options including 0.3 kt, 1.5 kt, 10 kt, and 50 kt).
- 0.3 kt is roughly 2% of the yield of the Hiroshima bomb (~15 kt) and is often described as the unboosted fission primary yield.
For comparison:
- The US also deploys a small number of W76-2 low-yield warheads on Trident II submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs). These are estimated at around 8 kt (some earlier reports cited ~5 kt, but recent FAS/Bulletin updates use 8 kt). Production was limited (likely ~25 warheads), and they are deployed on only 1–2 missiles per submarine for specific scenarios. This is higher than the B61's minimum.
- Older historical US weapons (e.g., retired W54 or W48) had even smaller yields (down to 0.01–0.072 kt), but none remain in the active arsenal.
The US stockpile includes about 200 non-strategic B61 bombs (with ~100 forward-deployed in Europe for NATO). The B61-12 has been entering service to consolidate older variants, maintaining or improving low-yield options while adding precision guidance.
Yields are estimates from declassified info and expert analyses (e.g., FAS Nuclear Notebook 2025), as exact figures remain classified. No US nuclear weapons are smaller than ~0.3 kt in the current operational inventory."