Lesson plan
W82
The W82 (also known as the XM785 shell) was a low-yield tactical nuclear warhead developed by the United States and designed to be used in a 155 mm artillery shell. It was conceived as a more flexible replacement for the W48, the previous generation of nuclear artillery shell. A previous attempt to replace the W48 with the W74 munition was canceled due to cost. Originally envisioned as a dual-purpose weapon, with interchangeable components to allow the shell to function as either a standard fission explosive or an enhanced radiation device, the warhead was developed at Lawrence Livermore Laboratory starting in 1977. The eventual prototype round had a yield of in a package long and weighing , which included the rocket-assisted portion of the shell. The unit cost of the weapon was estimated at million. Although enhanced radiation devices were considered more effective at blunting an invasion due to the high neutron flux they produce, the more complex design eventually led to the cancellation of the dual-purpose W82-0 program in 1982. Development of a standard weapon, the W82-1, was restarted in 1986. The program was finally cancelled in 1991 due to the end of the Cold War.
Article summary
The W82 (also known as the XM785 shell) was a low-yield tactical nuclear warhead developed by the United States and designed to be used in a 155 mm artillery shell. It was conceived as a more flexible replacement for the W48, the previous generation of nuclear artillery shell. A previous attempt to replace the W48 with the W74 munition was canceled due to cost. Originally envisioned as a dual-purpose weapon, with interchangeable components to allow the shell to function as either a standard fission explosive or an enhanced radiation device, the warhead was developed at Lawrence Livermore Laboratory starting in 1977. The eventual prototype round had a yield of in a package long and weighing , which included the rocket-assisted portion of the shell. The unit cost of the weapon was estimated at million. Although enhanced radiation devices were considered more effective at blunting an invasion due to the high neutron flux they produce, the more complex design eventually led to the cancellation of the dual-purpose W82-0 program in 1982. Development of a standard weapon, the W82-1, was restarted in 1986. The program was finally cancelled in 1991 due to the end of the Cold War.
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Discussion questions
- Summarise the article in your own words. Which single claim would you verify first, and why?
- Which claim in this article is most likely to be revised as the sources update? How would you check its current status?
- If two sources disagreed about one of these facts, what would you need in order to trust one over the other?
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