US Fields Low-Yield Submarine-Launched Warhead

The U.S. Navy has deployed its low-yield nuclear warhead, used on the submarine-launched Trident II ballistic missile, the Pentagon said Tuesday.

"The U.S. Navy has fielded the W76-2 low-yield submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) warhead," said John Rood, Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, in a statement.

The move came as part of 2018 Nuclear Posture Review in which the Defense Department said potential adversaries such as Russia should know that having low-yield nuclear weapons would not give them advantage against Washington and its allies.

"This supplemental capability strengthens deterrence and provides the United States a prompt, more survivable low-yield strategic weapon; supports our commitment to extended deterrence; and demonstrates to potential adversaries that there is no advantage to limited nuclear employment because the United States can credibly and decisively respond to any threat scenario," read the statement.

First reported by the Federation of American Scientists, the USS Tennessee is the first submarine to go on patrol armed with the W76-2 warhead.

Derived from the existing W76 warhead, the W76-2 is a small warhead designed to counter enemy tactical nuclear weapons. -