Operation Redwing

Operation Redwing
source
Name	Operation Redwing
Partof	Cold War nuclear weapons testing
Location	Pacific Proving Grounds, Marshall Islands
Date	May–July 1956
Outcome	Successful test series
Type	Atmospheric nuclear weapon tests

Operation Redwing. It was a series of 17 atmospheric nuclear tests conducted by the United States in the spring and summer of 1956. The operation was a major undertaking of the Atomic Energy Commission and the Department of Defense, primarily focused on testing new, high-yield thermonuclear weapon designs for the nation's strategic arsenal. These tests represented a significant evolution in thermonuclear weapon technology and were carried out at the Enewetak Atoll and Bikini Atoll within the Pacific Proving Grounds.

Background

The genesis of the operation lay in the intense technological rivalry of the Cold War, particularly following early Soviet thermonuclear tests like RDS-37. The U.S. atomic weapons establishment, led by laboratories such as the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and the Los Alamos National Laboratory, sought to develop a new generation of lighter, more efficient, and higher-yield warheads for delivery by the burgeoning fleet of strategic bombers like the Boeing B-52 Stratofortress and early intercontinental ballistic missile programs. Previous test series, including Operation Castle, had proven foundational but also revealed design flaws, necessitating further validation of refined concepts. The selection of the Marshall Islands as the test site continued a long-standing policy of using remote U.S.-trusted territories for large-scale atmospheric testing.

Test series

The test series was meticulously planned and executed by Joint Task Force 7, a massive naval and scientific armada. The operation introduced several innovative testing methodologies, including the use of barges as platforms for detonations and advanced diagnostic equipment to measure yield and weapon performance. Key objectives included proving the viability of two-stage thermonuclear designs that were more practical for military deployment, reducing the weight and size of warheads while increasing their destructive power. The tests also provided crucial data on nuclear fallout patterns and the effects of high-altitude detonations, contributing to both weapons science and an understanding of potential combat scenarios.

Tests conducted

The 17 detonations varied widely in yield and purpose. Notable shots included **Cherokee**, the first U.S. airdrop of a thermonuclear device from a B-52 bomber, and **Zuni**, which was the first test of a three-stage thermonuclear design, though it was only partially successful. The **Tewa** shot yielded 5 megatons and demonstrated a successful, robust two-stage design. The highest yield was from the **Navajo** shot at approximately 4.5 megatons. Other significant tests were **Seminole**, which explored cratering effects, and **Kickapoo**, which tested a smaller, tactical warhead design. Each test was given a name derived from Native American tribal names, continuing a naming convention established in earlier operations like Operation Ivy and Operation Castle.

Aftermath and legacy

The operation was declared a technical success, validating the Teller-Ulam design principles and providing the designs that would enter the enduring nuclear stockpile, such as the B28 nuclear bomb and the W27 warhead. However, it also generated significant international controversy and contributed to rising global concern over radioactive contamination, exemplified by the infamous incident with the Japanese fishing vessel Lucky Dragon No. 5 during Operation Castle. The data and experience from these tests directly informed subsequent test series, including Operation Hardtack I, and added impetus to the diplomatic efforts that eventually led to the Partial Nuclear Test Ban Treaty of 1963, which banned atmospheric testing. The environmental and health consequences for the Marshallese people and U.S. personnel involved remain a subject of ongoing study and compensation claims.

See also

* Nuclear weapons testing * History of nuclear weapons * List of nuclear weapons tests of the United States * Nuclear testing at Bikini Atoll * Operation Castle * Operation Hardtack I * Thermonuclear weapon

Category:1956 in the Marshall Islands Category:American nuclear weapons testing Category:Cold War nuclear weapons tests of the United States Category:Military operations of the Cold War