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TheW52 was athermonuclear warhead developed for theMGM-29 Sergeantshort-range ballistic missile used by theUnited States Army from 1962 to 1977. The W52 was 24 inches (61 cm) in diameter and 57 inches (140 cm) long, and weighed 950 pounds (430 kg). It had a yield of 200kilotons. A total of 300 W52 warheads were produced.
ResearcherChuck Hansen claims based on his research into the US nuclear program that the thermonuclear W52 and (fission-only)W30 warheads both use a commonprimary or fission first stage, and that this design was nicknamed theBoa primary.[1]
Three models of the W52 were produced, the Mod 1, Mod 2, and Mod 3. A warhead test was performed in 1963, which failed, showing that the Mod 1 and Mod 2 versions of the W52 were essentially duds. The Mod 3 was subsequently redesigned to work properly.
The design failures of the Mod 1 and 2 W52, along with early problems with theW45 andW47 warheads, are still an active part of the debate about the reliability of the US nuclear weapons force moving into the future, without ongoing nuclear testing.[2]