Operation Redwing

For the 2005 US counterterrorism mission in Kunar province, Afghanistan, see Operation Red Wings.

Operation Redwing was a United States series of 17 nuclear test detonations from May to July 1956. They were conducted at Bikini and Enewetak atolls. The entire operation followed Project 56 and preceded Project 57. The primary intention was to test new, second-generation thermonuclear devices. Also tested were fission devices intended to be used as primaries for thermonuclear weapons, and small tactical weapons for air defense. Redwing demonstrated the first US airdrop of a deliverable hydrogen bomb - test Cherokee. Because the yields for many tests at Operation Castle in 1954 were dramatically higher than predictions, Redwing was conducted using an "energy budget" - there were limits to the total amount of energy released, and the amount of fission yield was also strictly controlled. Fission, primarily "fast" fission of the natural uranium tamper surrounding the fusion capsule, greatly increases the yield of thermonuclear devices, and contributes the vast majority of the fallout - fusion being a relatively clean reaction.

All shots were named after various Native American tribes.

See also: List of nuclear weapons tests of the United States

United States' Redwing series tests and detonations

Name	Date time (UT)	Local time zone	Location	Elevation + height	Delivery Purpose	Device	Yield	Fallout	References	Notes
Lacrosse	4 May 1956 18:25:29.9	MHT (11 hrs)	Runit (Yvonne), Enewetak Atoll	2 m (6 ft 7 in) + 5 m (16 ft)	dry surface, weapons development	TX-39 primary	40 kt			Mockup of the TX-39. Left a visible Crater off Runit Island, next to Cactus Dome, 600 ft (180 m) in diameter.
Cherokee	20 May 1956 17:50:38.7	MHT (11 hrs)	Namu (Charlie), Bikini Atoll	0 + 1,320 m (4,330 ft)	free air drop, weapons development	TX-15-X1	3.8 Mt			First air deliverable thermonuke. Navigation error landed weapon 4 mi (6.4 km) off aim point (Namu), negated effects data gathering and placing unprotected military personnel facing the blast they had been arranged to have their backs to. The air force identified the test technician that disclosed the miss as Airman First Class Jackson H. Kilgore, for which he was reprimanded. Effects test, but also an international political statement about readiness to drop thermonuclear weapons.
Zuni	27 May 1956 17:56:00.3	MHT (11 hrs)	Eninmen (Tare), Bikini Atoll	2 m (6 ft 7 in) + 3 m (9.8 ft)	dry surface, weapons development	Mk-41 Bassoon	3.5 Mt			First test of 3 stage device. Clean version using lead tamper, 85% fusion; Tewa is dirty version of same bomb. Design evolved into Mk-41, largest deployed US bomb.
Yuma	27 May 1956 19:56:??	MHT (11 hrs)	Aomon (Sally), Enewetak Atoll	2 m (6 ft 7 in) + 60 m (200 ft)	tower, weapons development	Swift	190 t			Smallest (5 in (130 mm) diameter), lightest (96 lb (44 kg)) air defense warhead to date, a boosted, asymmetrical linear implosion device. Fizzled when boost didn't work.
Erie	30 May 1956 18:15:29.3	MHT (11 hrs)	Runit (Yvonne), Enewetak Atoll	2 m (6 ft 7 in) + 90 m (300 ft)	tower, weapons development	TX-28C primary	14.9 kt			Test of boosted primary for TX-28C (for "clean") thermonuke.
Seminole	6 June 1956 00:55:30.0	MHT (11 hrs)	Bokon (Irene), Enewetak Atoll	2 m (6 ft 7 in) + 2 m (6 ft 7 in)	dry surface, weapons development	TX-28 primary	13.7 kt			Exploded in a water tank to simulate underground nuke test. Left crater 660 ft × 32 ft (201.2 m × 9.8 m).
Blackfoot	11 June 1956 18:26:00.3	MHT (11 hrs)	Runit (Yvonne), Enewetak Atoll	2 m (6 ft 7 in) + 60 m (200 ft)	tower, weapons development		8 kt			Small air defense prototype. A near-minimal diameter spherical implosion system, 11.5 in (290 mm) in diameter.
Flathead	11 June 1956 18:26:00.1	MHT (11 hrs)	NE Lagoon, Bikini Atoll	0 + 4.5 m (15 ft)	barge, weapons development	TX-28S	365 kt			TX-28S (for "salted") test, intentionally dirty high fallout, 73% fission.
Kickapoo	13 June 1956 23:26:??	MHT (11 hrs)	Aomon (Sally), Enewetak Atoll	2 m (6 ft 7 in) + 90 m (300 ft)	tower, weapons development	Swallow	1.5 kt			Linear implosion, air defense warhead test.
Osage	16 June 1956 01:13:53.1	MHT (11 hrs)	Runit (Yvonne), Enewetak Atoll	0 + 210 m (690 ft)	free air drop, weapons development	XW-25	1.7 kt			Proof test of XW-25.
Inca	21 June 1956 21:26:??	MHT (11 hrs)	Rujoru (Pearl), Enewetak Atoll	2 m (6 ft 7 in) + 60 m (200 ft)	tower, weapons development	XW-45 Swan	15.2 kt			Test of tactical warhead, evolved into XW-45.
Dakota	25 June 1956 18:06:00.2	MHT (11 hrs)	NE Lagoon, Bikini Atoll	0 + 2 m (6 ft 7 in)	barge, weapons development	TX-28C	1.1 Mt			Prototype of XW-28C. Became the most versatile, widely used design in the US, from 1958 to 1990.
Mohawk	2 July 1956 18:06:??	MHT (11 hrs)	Ebiriru (Ruby), Enewetak Atoll	2 m (6 ft 7 in) + 90 m (300 ft)	tower, weapons development	Swan/Flute	360 kt
Apache	8 July 1956 18:06:00.2	MHT (11 hrs)	Elugelab (Flora), Enewetak Atoll	0 + 2 m (6 ft 7 in)	barge, weapons development	XW-27 /Zither	1.9 Mt			Same primary as Lacrosse; Prototype of XW-27 warhead for Regulus missile.
Navajo	10 July 1956 17:56:00.3	MHT (11 hrs)	NE Lagoon, Bikini Atoll	0 + 6 m (20 ft)	barge, weapons development	TX-21C	4.5 Mt			95% fusion, cleanest shot fired until 1958.
Tewa	20 July 1956 17:46:00.0	MHT (11 hrs)	Yurochi aka Irioj (Dog), Bikini Atoll	0 + 4.5 m (15 ft)	barge, weapons development	Mk-41 ? "Bassoon Prime"	5 Mt			87% fission; first US 3 stage device, dirty version of Bassoon tested in Zuni, with tamper change. Developed into Mk-41.
Huron	21 July 1956 18:16:00.1	MHT (11 hrs)	Elugelab (Flora), Enewetak Atoll	0 + 2 m (6 ft 7 in)	barge, weapons development	XW-50 ? Proto "Egg"	250 kt			2 Stage thermonuke, XW-50 prototype.

External links

• The short film Nuclear Test Film - Operation Redwing (1956) is available for free download at the Internet Archive.
• The short film Military Effects on Operation REDWING (1956) is available for free download at the Internet Archive.
• Summary and review of The Atomic Times