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| W87 | |
|---|---|
| Name | W87 |
| Type | Thermonuclear warhead |
| Origin | United States |
| Designer | Los Alamos National Laboratory |
| Manufacturer | Pantex Plant |
| In service | 1986 |
| Weight | ~360 kg |
| Yield | 300 kt (primary field) |
W87 is an American thermonuclear warhead developed during the late Cold War for deployment on intercontinental ballistic missiles. It was designed by Los Alamos National Laboratory with production at the Pantex Plant and fielded on the LGM-118A Peacekeeper and later adapted for the LGM-30 Minuteman III. The W87 program intersected with policy decisions by the Department of Defense, directives from the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, and oversight by the National Nuclear Security Administration.
The W87's design originated at Los Alamos National Laboratory under programs shaped by advisory input from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and procurement managed by the Department of Defense and the Department of Energy. Engineering drew on thermonuclear research from earlier devices such as the W62 and designs evaluated in trials like those overseen by the Atomic Energy Commission predecessor organizations. Program decisions were influenced by strategic debates involving officials in the Reagan administration and arms control negotiators engaged at the Geneva Summit (1985) and later discussions tied to the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty negotiations.
The W87 incorporated a robust physics package developed at Los Alamos National Laboratory and safety features influenced by designs from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. Typical fielded variants had a reported yield around 300 kilotons and dimensions compatible with the LGM-118A Peacekeeper reentry vehicle and the Mark 12A reentry system used on the LGM-30 Minuteman III. The warhead's manufacturing and assembly integrated processes at the Pantex Plant and component testing at facilities like Sandia National Laboratories and Nevada Test Site infrastructure.
The W87 entered service in the mid-1980s on the LGM-118A Peacekeeper deployed with Air Force Global Strike Command predecessor units managed by the United States Air Force. Following treaty-driven force posture changes and deactivation of the LGM-118A Peacekeeper silos, many W87 units were refurbished for carriage on LGM-30 Minuteman III missiles in modernization efforts overseen by the National Nuclear Security Administration and the Defense Threat Reduction Agency-related programs. Operational basing and force structure adjustments referenced strategic reviews such as those by the Arms Control and Disarmament Agency and subsequent Quadrennial Defense Review deliberations.
Variants included the initial production model and later modified versions retrofitted for different reentry vehicle platforms and enhanced surety. Modifications were executed at the Pantex Plant with engineering support from Los Alamos National Laboratory and Sandia National Laboratories. Programmatic updates paralleled modernization initiatives like the Reliable Replacement Warhead research debates and congressional oversight from committees such as the United States Senate Armed Services Committee.
The W87 incorporated advanced safety features developed through collaboration between Los Alamos National Laboratory, Sandia National Laboratories, and the Department of Energy to meet requirements articulated by the Nuclear Posture Review and standards promoted by Nonproliferation Treaty-era policy frameworks. Hardened insensitive high explosive concepts and permissive action links were integrated consistent with guidance from the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board and acquisition policies administered by the National Nuclear Security Administration. Security and surety upgrades paralleled safeguards emphasized after incidents prompting reviews by the United States Senate Armed Services Committee and Presidential Commission on Strategic Forces-type panels.
As a road-mobile or silo-based strategic warhead option, the W87 played a role in deterrence postures articulated by administrations from Ronald Reagan to later presidents, with targeting doctrines reflecting strategic guidance from the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Single Integrated Operational Plan successors such as the Single Integrated Operational Plan-era planning frameworks and their modern equivalents. Employment considerations tied the W87 to force levels negotiated under arms control arrangements like the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty and influenced targeting procedures coordinated by the United States Strategic Command.
Although the W87's primary physics design derived from earlier tested concepts, its certification relied on subcritical tests and surveillance data from facilities including the Nevada Test Site and research at Sandia National Laboratories and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. Controversies arose in congressional hearings involving the United States Congress over stockpile stewardship, refurbishment costs, and debates tied to programs like the Reliable Replacement Warhead and treaty compliance monitored by representatives from the Arms Control Association. Public and expert discussions also involved nongovernmental organizations such as the Union of Concerned Scientists and analyses appearing in reports by think tanks including the Rand Corporation and the Brookings Institution.