Weteye bomb

The Weteye bomb was a U.S. chemical weapon designed for the U.S. Navy and meant to deliver the nerve agent sarin. The Weteye held 160 kg (350 lb) of liquid sarin and was officially known as the Mk 116 (Mark 116). Stockpiles of Weteyes were transferred to Utah in the 1980s amidst controversy and protest.

The Weteye bomb was developed for the United States Navy during the early 1960s. The US Navy at China Lake, California attempted to develop a massive chemical bomb with a high fill efficiency (~70%). At the same time the US Army Chemical Center worked with the EDO corporation to develop the EX 38, a 500 lb (230 kg) chemical bomb with unique design features: 1) thin seamless hydrospun aluminum body, 2) weighted nose, 3) large plastic fins, and 4) a system of internal baffles to keep the 10% minimum void captured in the tail section of the bomb. The prototype Weteye design, with its shaped internal burster and folding fins, was combined with the EX38 design features to create the production model of the Weteye.

The Weteye was originally developed for delivery of GB and VX nerve agents. Production was limited to filling with double-distilled GB. The VX variants were not produced. During the Gulf War (Operation Desert Storm) there was consideration of repurposing the Weteye design to deliver firefighting chemicals to extinguish oil well fires set by retreating Iraqi forces.

In 1963, the supercarrier USS John F. Kennedy (CV-67) (SBC-127C) was intended to contain 100 Weteyes as part of its magazine load.

In 1969 the entire arsenal of US Weteye bombs were stored at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal in Colorado. Most Weteye bombs stored at Rocky Mountain Arsenal were demilitarized and destroyed in 1977; however, approximately 900 Weteye bombs were not destroyed at this time.

The interior of the Weteye was divided into three sections. The Weteye body was composed of thin aluminum alloy. It had fins which deployed after the bomb was released. The 240 kilogram Weteye held about 160 kg (350 lb) of liquid sarin nerve agent.

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