During the Cold War, the Soviet Union built a large number of underground fortresses and nuclear war shelters in response to a possible nuclear war. Today, these facilities still exist and have become potential targets for nuclear combat. In order to effectively combat these targets hidden deep underground, the United States has developed the B61-12 intelligent ground-penetrating nuclear bomb.
The B61-12 nuclear bomb is the most expensive nuclear bomb in the history of the United States, and its precision-guided nature makes it extremely likely to be used in the event of a conflict. This nuclear bomb is specifically designed to strike bunkers and can penetrate at least two such underground bunkers of the Russian army: one at the Kosvensky Kármán base in the northern Ural Mountains, and the other at the Yamantau Mountain base in the Southern Ural Mountains, both of which are located under a 300-meter-thick granite layer, and the B61-12 nuclear bomb inflicts a devastating blow on underground nuclear command and control facilities.
Compared with traditional nuclear bombs, the B61-12 has higher usability and scalability. Its power can be adjusted as needed, ranging from 300 tons to 50,000 tons of yellow explosives. This flexible power makes the B61-12 extremely high deterrent in actual combat.
What's more, the B61-12 nuclear bomb was the first guided nuclear bomb or "smart" nuclear bomb in the United States. It can be carried by any active NATO fighter jet, or it can be built into the bomb bay of the F-35 fighter jet, and it can be left alone after launch, and it can be carried out on a cruise flight and automatically hit the target. This characteristic makes the B61-12 invincible, leaving opponents with nowhere to hide.
The development of B61-12 is a core project for the modernization of U.S. nuclear weapons and is expected to cost $1 trillion over the next 30 years. Although its high cost has made some people skeptical, its actual combat power and deterrence cannot be ignored.
Overall, the B61-12 intelligent ground-penetrating nuclear bomb is an important ** developed by the United States in order to deal with potential nuclear threats. Its actual combat power and deterrence have made it impossible for opponents to hide, and it has also added new bargaining chips to the US nuclear strategy.