W42 (nuclear warhead)

The W42 was an American nuclear fission weapon developed in 1957.

XW42 warhead with its storage container.

In December 1957 the Army requested the Atomic Energy Commission to develop a nuclear warhead for the HAWK low- to medium-altitude surface-to-air missile. In July 1958 the military characteristics were approved for the new warhead and the design released. Two months later the requirement for a HAWK with a nuclear warhead was cancelled.

The warhead was briefly considered for the AAM-N-10 Eagle long-range air-to-air missile

The dimensions of the warhead were 13–14 in (33–36 cm) wide by 18.5 in (47 cm) long. It weighed 75–92 pounds (34–42 kg) and used a proximity fuze.

The project was cancelled in June 1961.

References

Bibliography

• Hansen, Chuck (2007). Swords of Armageddon: U.S. Nuclear Weapons Development Since 1945 (PDF) (CD-ROM & download available) (2 ed.). Sunnyvale, California: Chukelea Publications. ISBN 978-0-9791915-0-3. Archived from the original on 2016-12-30. Retrieved 2015-08-28.
• Parsch, Andreas (6 January 2003). "Bendix AAM-N-10 Eagle". Directory of U.S. Military Rockets and Missiles, Appendix 1: Early Missiles and Drones. Designation-Systems. Archived from the original on 2017-09-17. Retrieved 2017-12-22.