First B61-13, the latest nuclear gravity bomb, nearly a year ahead of schedule.

AMARILLO, Texas (KVII) — The Pantex Plant in Amarillo completed the first B61-13, the latest nuclear gravity bomb, nearly a year ahead of schedule.

U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright stamped the bomb during a ceremony on Monday.

“Modernizing America’s nuclear stockpile is essential to delivering President Trump’s peace through strength agenda,” said Secretary of Energy Chris Wright. “The remarkable speed of the B61-13’s production is a testament to the ingenuity of our scientists and engineers and the urgency we face to fortify deterrence in a volatile new age."

The B61 is the longest-serving and most versatile weapon in the U.S. nuclear stockpile.


While the B61 family can be delivered by a broad range of fighter and bomber aircraft, the B61-13 will only be certified for delivery by strategic bomber aircraft and deployed from bases in the continental United States.

“Accelerating production of the B61-13 while maintaining the highest standards of safety and security, and without disrupting our other six modernization programs, is a remarkable achievement,” said David Hoagland, Acting Deputy Administrator for Defense Programs.

The entire project is expected to be finished in 2027.