Data Quality85%
MASS(Military Archive Scoring System)
ⓘ Regardless of era, the same scoring system applies to all units in the nuclear warheads category.
01 / Overview
W56
Category
Country
Prime contractor
Production
1963–1969
Quantity
1,000
Operators
💰 PERFORMANCE / PRICE ASSESSMENT Methodology ↗
NUCLEAR WARHEADS · COLD WAR
10
PERFORMANCE/PRICE
75
UNIT COST (2025 USD)
—
ⓘ Performance/Price and MASS score are computed across all units in the nuclear warheads category, regardless of era.
02 / Specs & Design
◎General6MOD.6
- Warhead Typethermonuclear warhead
- Service Entry Year1964
- Weight272 kg
- Length1.2 m
- Diameter442 mm
- In ServiceYes
◈Yield2MOD.2
- Yield1,200
- ThermonuclearYes
▣Delivery2MOD.2
- Delivery SystemsMinuteman I and II intercontinental ballistic missiles
- Missile WarheadYes
◇Production4MOD.4
- Number Built1,000
- Designer / LabLawrence Livermore National Laboratory
- First Test1962
- Operators1
03 / History
SERVICE LIFESPANRetired
- 1945First deployment: Cold War
- 1963Production started
- 1969Production ended
63
years in service
6
years in production
1,000
units produced
0
countries operating
ⓘ 1 countries retired it.
05 / MASS Score
NUCLEAR WARHEADS RANKING Nuclear Warheads · Cold War
MASS RANKINGSMASS ↗
19NUCLEAR WARHEADS10COLD WAR · NUCLEAR WARHEADS484UNITED STATES · ALL WEAPONS10PERFORMANCE/PRICE · NUCLEAR WARHEADS
ⓘ Rankings are within theNuclear Warheadscategory.
📖 TERMS ON THIS PAGE2terms
Explosive payload of a missile, designed to inflict damage on a target.
Relating to nuclear weapons that derive destructive power from both fission and fusion reactions, typically used in intercontinental ballistic missiles.
These terms are listed automatically because they appear on this page.full encyclopedia →
📚 Sources