W58
The W58 was an American thermonuclear warhead used on the Polaris A-3 submarine-launched ballistic missile. Three W58 warheads were fitted as multiple warheads on each Polaris A-3 missile.
| W58 nuclear warhead | |
|---|---|
Diagram of the Mark 2 Reentry Body that housed the W58 thermonuclear warhead | |
| Type | Nuclear weapon |
| Place of origin | United States |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory |
| Designed | 1960 to 1964 |
| Produced | March 1964 to June 1967 |
| No. built | 1400 |
| Variants | 2 |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 257 lb (117 kg) |
| Length | 40.3 inches (102 cm) |
| Diameter | 15.6 in (40 cm) |
| Blast yield | 200 kilotonnes of TNT (840 TJ) |
The W58 was 15.6 inches (400 mm) in diameter and 40.3 inches (1,020 mm) long, and weighed 257 pounds (117 kg). The yield was 200 kilotonnes of TNT (840 TJ). The warhead used the Kinglet primary, which it shared with the W55 and W47 warheads.
The W58 design entered service in 1964 and the last models were retired in 1982 with the last Polaris missiles.
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