New U.S. W93 Nuclear Warhead Enters Engineering Design Phase

The U.S. Navy has moved the future W93 nuclear warhead into the Engineering and Manufacturing Development (EMD) phase.

This was announced by the U.S. Navy’s Strategic Systems Programs (SSP) office.

The W93 is designed for Trident II D5 submarine-launched ballistic missiles and is set to become the U.S. Navy’s new warhead.

EMD is the stage in which a system moves from the conceptual phase to prototype production, testing, and eventually full-scale production.

The W93 is being developed alongside the Mk7 main body, which will protect the warhead and deliver it to its target.

According to the U.S. Navy estimates, the W93/Mk7 will be the first new U.S. nuclear warhead and atmospheric reentry system developed in roughly four decades.

The primary delivery system for the W93 is expected to be the three-stage Trident II D5 ballistic missile used aboard nuclear-powered submarines.

The W93 is primarily intended for the future Columbia-class submarines.

W93 & Atrax

An important part of preparations for the further development of the W93 was the testing of the Atrax sounding rocket.

The test was intended to collect data on the behavior of components under conditions similar to atmospheric reentry and to validate the computer models used in the design process.

During the Atrax test, specialists collected data on aerodynamic loads, vibrations, and structural response.

This information will help improve modeling of the conditions under which the W93’s non-nuclear components will operate and assess their ability to withstand loads during flight.

The first flight test of the W93 itself is expected approximately two years after the Atrax test.

Last year, Lockheed Martin received a $383 million contract to develop a new upgrade for Trident II ballistic missiles equipped with nuclear warheads.