| Operation Dominic | |
| Picture Description: | Dominic-Bighorn, 7.7 megatons. |
| Country: | United States |
| Test Site: |
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| Period: | 1962 |
| Number Of Tests: | 31 |
| Test Type: | air drop, free air drop, high-altitude rocket (30–80 km), parachuted, underwater |
| Max Yield: | 9.96MtTNT |
| Next Series: | Operation Fishbowl |
Operation Dominic was a series of 31 nuclear test explosions ("shots") with a 38.1MtonTNT total yield conducted in 1962 by the United States in the Pacific. This test series was scheduled quickly, in order to respond in kind to the Soviet resumption of testing after the tacit 1958–1961 test moratorium. Most of these shots were conducted with free fall bombs dropped from B-52 bomber aircraft. Twenty of these shots were to test new weapons designs; six to test weapons effects; and several shots to confirm the reliability of existing weapons. The Thor missile was also used to lift warheads into near-space to conduct high-altitude nuclear explosion tests; these shots were collectively called Operation Fishbowl.[1]
Operation Dominic occurred during a period of high Cold War tension between the United States and the Soviet Union, since the Cuban Bay of Pigs Invasion had occurred not long before. Nikita Khrushchev announced the end of a three-year moratorium on nuclear testing on 30 August 1961, and Soviet tests recommenced on 1 September, initiating a series of tests that included the detonation of Tsar Bomba. President John F. Kennedy responded by authorizing Operation Dominic. It was the largest nuclear weapons testing program ever conducted by the United States and the last atmospheric test series conducted by the U.S., as the Limited Test Ban Treaty was signed in Moscow the following year.
The operation was undertaken by Joint Task Force 8.[2]
The shot report lists the yield as 855ktTNT ±20% measured from a Bhangmeter and 930ktTNT ±10% from fireball analysis.[3] Other sources give the yield as .
| - !style="background:#ffdead;" | Name [4] !style="background:#efefef;" | Date time (UT) !style="background:#ffdead;" | Local time zone[5] [6] !style="background:#efefef;" | Location[7] !style="background:#ffdead;" | Elevation + height [8] !style="background:#efefef;" | Delivery [9] Purpose [10] !style="background:#efefef;" | Device[11] !style="background:#ffdead;" | Yield[12] !style="background:#efefef;" class="unsortable" | Fallout[13] !style="background:#ffdead;" class="unsortable" | References !style="background:#efefef;" class="unsortable" | Notes | - ! Adobe | 15:46:?? | LINT (10.67 hrs) (−10 hrs, 40 min) | Kiritimati (Christmas Island), Kiribati 1.59°N -157.32°W | 0 + 884m (2,900feet) | free air drop, weapons development | XW-50X1-Y2[14] | Verification test, similar to Aztec, Kingfish, Bluegill Triple Prime. Used in a Mk-39 Mod-1 Type 3 drop case. | - ! Aztec | 16:02:?? | LINT (−10.67 hrs) (−10 hrs, 40 min) | Kiritimati (Christmas Island), Kiribati 1.62°N -157.31°W | 0 + 796m (2,612feet) | air drop, weapons development | similar to Adobe, Kingfish, Bluegill Triple Prime, yield slightly lower than expected; achieved 2.21 kt/kg. | - ! Arkansas | 18:02:?? | LINT (−10.67 hrs) (−10 hrs, 40 min) | Kiritimati (Christmas Island), Kiribati 1.58°N -157.26°W | 0 + 1533m (5,030feet) | parachuted, weapons development | XW-56-X2 with Starling primary and Fife secondary. | Highly successful; parachute retarded, only 600feet from aimpoint. 4.00 kt/kg. | - ! Questa | 19:05:?? | LINT (−10.67 hrs) (−10 hrs, 40 min) | Kiritimati (Christmas Island), Kiribati 1.63°N -157.32°W | 0 + 1594m (5,230feet) | air drop, weapons development | XW-59 with Tsetse primary | Similar to Alma, Rinconada, Sunset, yield considerably lower than expected. | - ! Frigate Bird | 23:30:?? | jamt (−11 hrs) Believed in use during Dominic, Fishbowl, HT I. | N/A + 2530m (8,300feet) | high alt rocket (30–80 km), weapons development | W47Y1 with Robin primary, Mk-1 RV | Only US operational ballistic missile launch w/live warhead, Polaris A2 SLBM launched from, successfully detonated 2200yd from target. | - ! Yukon | 18:01:?? | LINT (−10.67 hrs) (−10 hrs, 40 min) | Kiritimati (Christmas Island), Kiribati 1.62°N -157.32°W | 0 + 878m (2,881feet) | parachuted, weapons development | Calliope II with Kinglet primary | 1st test of high fusion/low fission family; similar to Muskegon, Chetco, Nougat Arikaree, Hudson, Codsaw, Hoosic; yield slightly higher than expected. | - ! Mesilla | 17:01:?? | LINT (−10.67 hrs) (−10 hrs, 40 min) | Kiritimati (Christmas Island), Kiribati 1.58°N -157.3°W | 0 + 747m (2,451feet) | free air drop, weapons development | Zippo I secondary | Advanced primary and secondary concepts test, yield considerably lower than expected. | - ! Muskegon | 15:37:?? | LINT (−10.67 hrs) (−10 hrs, 40 min) | Kiritimati (Christmas Island), Kiribati 1.59°N -157.32°W | 0 + 913m (2,995feet) | parachuted, weapons development | Kinglet primary and possibly with Harp secondary | Advanced lightweight low fission concept, similar to Chetco and Yukon, slightly lower than expected yield. | - ! Swordfish | 20:02:05.9 | PST (−8 hrs) | Pacific Ocean off California 31.245°N -124.212°W | 0 - 198m (650feet) | underwater, weapon effect | Full scale RUR-5 ASROC ASW rocket proof test, similar to Nougat Chena, fired from at target 4348yd away. | - ! Encino | 17:03:?? | LINT (−10.67 hrs) (−10 hrs, 40 min) | Kiritimati (Christmas Island), Kiribati 1.58°N -157.31°W | 0 + 1679m (5,509feet) | free air drop, weapons development | Verification of reduced yield variant of HT-I Elder shot. | - ! Swanee | 15:22:?? | LINT (−10.67 hrs) (−10 hrs, 40 min) | Kiritimati (Christmas Island), Kiribati 1.57°N -157.32°W | 0 + 896m (2,940feet) | parachuted, weapons development | Clean W56 device, possibly a XW-65 progenitor | "Clean" ABM warhead test, similar to Bluestone, possible W-65 progenitor, highly experimental, yield lower than expected. | - ! Chetco | 15:37:?? | LINT (−10.67 hrs) (−10 hrs, 40 min) | Kiritimati (Christmas Island), Kiribati 1.6°N -157.33°W | 0 + 2105m (6,906feet) | parachuted, weapons development | Kiglet primary with Calliope I secondary | Advanced light weight concept, similar to Muskegon and Yukon, yield close to predicted, only 200feet from target. | - ! Tanana | 16:09:?? | LINT (−10.67 hrs) (−10 hrs, 40 min) | Kiritimati (Christmas Island), Kiribati 1.6°N -157.3°W | 0 + 2752m (9,029feet) | parachuted, weapons development | Kinglet primary with Calliope III secondary | Fizzle with secondary fail, "radical" design. | - ! Nambe | 17:03:?? | LINT (−10.67 hrs) (−10 hrs, 40 min) | Kiritimati (Christmas Island), Kiribati 1.59°N -157.32°W | 0 + 2176m (7,139feet) | free air drop, weapons development | Scarab primary with Zippo II secondary | "Unique" design, advanced concepts test, yield lower than expected. | - ! Alma | 17:03:?? | LINT (−10.67 hrs) (−10 hrs, 40 min) | Kiritimati (Christmas Island), Kiribati 1.52°N -157.21°W | 0 + 2702m (8,865feet) | free air drop, weapons development | Similar to Questa, Rinconada, Sunset. 3.12 kt/kg. | - ! Truckee | 15:37:?? | LINT (−10.67 hrs) (−10 hrs, 40 min) | Kiritimati (Christmas Island), Kiribati 1.58°N -157.3°W | 0 + 2125m (6,972feet) | parachuted, weapons development | XW-58 (Kinglet primary with Tuba secoondary) | Development and verification test for the Polaris A-3 weapon (3 MRV), satisfactory. | - ! Yeso | 17:01:?? | LINT (−10.67 hrs) (−10 hrs, 40 min) | Kiritimati (Christmas Island), Kiribati 1.5°N -157.24°W | 0 + 2537m (8,323feet) | free air drop, weapons development | 16-M device using Tsetse primary | Advanced concepts test, similar to HT-I Koa, performed as expected. | - ! Harlem | 15:37:?? | LINT (−10.67 hrs) (−10 hrs, 40 min) | Kiritimati (Christmas Island), Kiribati 1.57°N -157.22°W | 0 + 4160m (13,650feet) | parachuted, weapons development | W-47Y2 Robin primary with Fife secondary | Successful, doubled W-47Y1 yield, 3.42 kt/kg. | - ! Rinconada | 16:01:?? | LINT (−10.67 hrs) (−10 hrs, 40 min) | Kiritimati (Christmas Island), Kiribati 1.56°N -157.23°W | 0 + 2775m (9,104feet) | free air drop, weapons development | XW-59 "Wall" device | Increased yield warhead test, successful, similar to Questa, Alma, Sunset. 3.48 kt/kg. | - ! Dulce | 16:01:?? | LINT (−10.67 hrs) (−10 hrs, 40 min) | Kiritimati (Christmas Island), Kiribati 1.59°N -157.28°W | 0 + 2771m (9,091feet) | free air drop, weapons development | Zippo secondary | Experimental lightweight, high efficiency design, similar to Mesilla, basic design adequacy confirmed. | - ! Petit | 15:01:?? | LINT (−10.67 hrs) (−10 hrs, 40 min) | Kiritimati (Christmas Island), Kiribati 1.57°N -157.28°W | 0 + 4570m (14,990feet) | parachuted, weapons development | Kinglet primary with Oboe secondary | Advanced concepts test, second LRL fizzle, no secondary. | - ! Otowi | 16:01:?? | LINT (−10.67 hrs) (−10 hrs, 40 min) | Kiritimati (Christmas Island), Kiribati 1.58°N -157.31°W | 0 + 2746m (9,009feet) | air drop, weapons development | Zuppy primary with Zippo III secondary | Advanced concepts test of "novel system". | - ! Bighorn | 15:19:?? | LINT (−10.67 hrs) (−10 hrs, 40 min) | Kiritimati (Christmas Island), Kiribati 1.37°N -157.24°W | 0 + 3600m (11,800feet) | air drop, weapons development | Swan primary with Cello I-C secondary | Advanced concepts test, successful. 4.14 kt/kg. | - ! Bluestone | 15:21:?? | LINT (−10.67 hrs) (−10 hrs, 40 min) | Kiritimati (Christmas Island), Kiribati 1.53°N -157.25°W | 0 + 1518m (4,980feet) | parachuted, weapons development | XW-56-X2 prime device | Similar to Swanee; 4.96 kt/kg. | - ! Sunset | 16:33:?? | LINT (−10.67 hrs) (−10 hrs, 40 min) | Kiritimati (Christmas Island), Kiribati 1.6°N -157.26°W | 0 + 1500m (4,900feet) | air drop, weapons development | High yield advanced concepts test, similar to Questa, Alma, Rinconada, 4.06 kt/kg. | - ! Pamlico | 15:37:?? | LINT (−10.67 hrs) (−10 hrs, 40 min) | Kiritimati (Christmas Island), Kiribati 1.39°N -157.22°W | 0 + 4370m (14,340feet) | parachuted, weapons development | Kinglet primary with Ripple I secondary | [15] | Advanced principles test for high-efficiency fusion burn, successful, last Christmas Island airdrop; 0.934 kt/kg (experimental drops are low usually). | - ! Androscoggin | 16:18:?? | jamt (−11 hrs) Believed in use during Dominic, Fishbowl, HT I. | Johnston Island, Johnston Atoll 13.8°N -172.1°W | 0 + 3130m (10,270feet) | air drop, weapons development | Kinglet primary with Ripple II secondary | Ripple II secondary, fizzle, retested in Housatonic shot. | - ! Bumping | 16:03:?? | jamt (−11 hrs) Believed in use during Dominic, Fishbowl, HT I. | Johnston Island, Johnston Atoll 14.6°N -168.3°W | 0 + 3050m (10,010feet) | air drop, weapons development | Kinglet primary with Oboe secondary | Retest of Petit, yield much lower than expected, test to improve yield-to-weight ratio. | - ! Chama | 16:01:?? | jamt (−11 hrs) Believed in use during Dominic, Fishbowl, HT I. | Johnston Island, Johnston Atoll 14.6°N -168.7°W | 0 + 3650m (11,980feet) | parachuted, weapons development | Croton primary with either Thumbelina or Zuppy secondary | Test of lightweight small diameter device, possible replacement for W-38, yield below predicted value. | - ! Calamity | 15:46:?? | jamt (−11 hrs) Believed in use during Dominic, Fishbowl, HT I. | Johnston Island, Johnston Atoll 14.6°N -168.4°W | 0 + 3590m (11,780feet) | air drop, weapons development | Kinglet primary with Ripple III secondary | Third drop test of specific device to maximize yield to weight ratio. | - ! Housatonic | 16:02:?? | jamt (−11 hrs) Believed in use during Dominic, Fishbowl, HT I. | Johnston Island, Johnston Atoll 13.7°N -172.2°W | 0 + 3700m (12,100feet) | air drop, weapons development | Kinglet primary with Ripple II secondary | Repeat of Androscoggin, successful, target accuracy within 100feet; last U.S. nuclear weapon airdrop. Reportedly 99.9% clean. |