It appears that the upcoming B-21 Raider will be the primary platform armed with the B61-13 nuclear bomb.
In the twenty-first century, we read and hear all too often about promising defense technologies being delayed, stymied, and in some cases even outright cancelled due to those oh-so-dreaded “cost overruns.”
The infamous cost overruns of the F-35 Lightning II are all too well-known. Ditto for the U.S. Navy’s Columbia-class submarines. Though not nearly as well-publicized, runaway expenses convinced U.S. secretary of defense Pete Hegseth to finally kill the M10 Booker “light” tank project (as my colleague Brandon J. Weichert stated in his writeup for The National Interest, “What was supposed to be a cost-effective light tank became just the opposite”). And I recently penned an article for TNI discussing how a badly-needed radar upgrade for the B-52 bomber has triggered a Nunn-McCurdy Amendment cost breach.
But every now and then, you still get some good news, i.e., a pleasant surprise about a weapons system actually being assembled and delivered on time and indeed, even ahead of schedule. The star of the latest good news story is the B61-13 nuclear gravity bomb.
The Story of the B61 Bomb
Back on January 30, 2025, I wrote an article for TNI titled “America’s B61 Nuclear Gravity Bomb Is Getting an Upgrade.” A “gravity bomb,” as in a nuclear weapon dropped from an airplane, as opposed to ground-launched intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) or submarine-launched ballistic missiles.
Therein, I noted that the current B61 stockpile’s active service record dates back over fifty years, with development actually beginning way back in 1962. Ergo, the B61 family is the longest-serving type of nuclear weapon in the U.S. nuclear triad. Yes, even older than the Minuteman III ICBM, which for its part is due to be replaced by the Sentinel missile. However, the Sentinel is running afoul of not just a silo shortage but also…wait for it…yep, you guessed it: cost overruns (Nunn-McCurdy strikes again).
I also noted that the B61-12 upgrades would include greater accuracy thanks to a new tail kit assembly, likely modeled after those used by conventional Joint Direct Attack Munitions, and a reported adjustable yield between 0.3 and 50 kilotons. (One kiloton is equivalent to 1,000 tons of TNT.)
B61-13: Assembled and Delivered On Time!
Fast-forward to May 21, 2025, and we see a surprising headline courtesy of Kai Greet of The Aviationist in an article (republished on MSN) titled “Assembly of First B61-13 Nuclear Bomb Completed.” To wit:
“The National Nuclear Security Administration announced on May 19, 2025, that production of the first B61-13 variant nuclear bomb has been completed at the Pantex plant in Amarillo, Texas … The first completed bomb unit was unveiled at a small ceremony at the vast Pantex nuclear weapons facility, 20 miles from Amarillo, Texas, where U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright applied the final stamp marking on the bomb’s casing. He was joined by representatives of stakeholders from across the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) and supporting industries … Remarkably, the decision to build the B61-13 variant was publicly announced only two years ago, and the program as a whole is being delivered ahead of schedule.”
Wright was very pleased with the development, as can be seen from his post on X:
“It was my honor today to stamp the first completed B61-13 unit at the @PantexPlant! This achievement signals to our adversaries and allies alike that the U.S. is prepared to meet the challenges of today’s environment from a position of strength and security.”
Apparently in this instance, thirteen isn’t such an unlucky number after all.
What Will Carry the B61-13?
The B61-13 will pack a greater payload yield than the B61-12 variant (the exact differential hasn’t been disclosed yet) along with additional safety and security measures, and it will carry over the improved guidance systems from the B61-12.
As to which aerial platform will carry the B61-13, right now it appears that the upcoming B-21 Raider (the pending replacement for the B-2 Spirit stealth bomber) will be the primary platform. Interestingly enough, there do not appear to be any plans to reconfigure the F-35 to accommodate the B61-13, even though that fifth-generation fighter is capable of carrying the B61-12. But then again, given the F-35’s cost overruns that we’ve discussed ad nauseam, perhaps it’s not so surprising that arming the Lightning II with the newer nuke isn’t a priority right for the Department of Defense now.
About the Author: Christian D. Orr
Christian D. Orr was previously a Senior Defense Editor for National Security Journal (NSJ) and 19FortyFive. He is a former Air Force Security Forces officer, Federal law enforcement officer, and private military contractor (with assignments worked in Iraq, the United Arab Emirates, Kosovo, Japan, Germany, and the Pentagon). Chris holds a B.A. in International Relations from the University of Southern California (USC) and an M.A. in Intelligence Studies (concentration in Terrorism Studies) from American Military University (AMU). He has also been published in The Daily Torch, The Journal of Intelligence and Cyber Security, and Simple Flying. Last but not least, he is a Companion of the Order of the Naval Order of the United States (NOUS). If you’d like to pick his brain further, you can ofttimes find him at the Old Virginia Tobacco Company (OVTC) lounge in Manassas, Virginia, partaking of fine stogies and good quality human camaraderie.
Image: Wikimedia Commons.
