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RDS-3

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

RDS-3was the thirdatomic bombdeveloped by theSoviet Unionin 1951, after theRDS-1andRDS-2.It was calledMaryain the military. The bomb had a composite design with aplutoniumcore inside auraniumshell, providing an explosive power of 41.2 kilotons.[1]TheRDS-3Twas a modernized version and the first mass-producednuclear weaponby theSoviet Union.It was assigned toLong Range Aviationin 1953.[1]

Testing

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RDS-3 was tested on October 18, 1951, being air-dropped fromTupolev Tu-4.It was the first such test of a nuclear device by the Soviets, known as Joe-3 in the West. It was detonated at an altitude of four hundred meters. The resulting flash could be seen from 170 kilometers away, and the sound heard from around the same distance.[2]The footage of the test was filmed by an instrument tower 7.5 kilometers from ground zero.

See also

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References

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  1. ^abBukharin, Oleg; Kadyshev, Timur; Miasnikov, Eugene; Sutyagin, Igor; Tarasenko, Maxim; Zhelezov, Boris (2001). Podvig, Pavel (ed.). "Soviet Strategic Nuclear Forces". Cambridge, Massachusetts: The MIT Press.{{cite journal}}:Cite journal requires|journal=(help)
  2. ^"RDS-3 Soviet atomic bomb test (1951)".YouTube.Archived fromthe originalon 2022-12-25.