Drawing of the Mark 12A re-entry vehicle that houses the W78 warhead. The W78 is an American thermonuclear warhead with an estimated yield of 335–350 kilotonnes of TNT (1,400–1,460 TJ), deployed on the LGM-30G Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) and housed in the Mark 12A reentry vehicle.

The Mk-21 reentry vehicle (RV) used with the W87 warhead was previously known as the ABRV, Advanced Ballistic Reentry Vehicle, designed by AVCO Systems Division. This RV affords the warhead greater accuracy.

Technicians secure a number of Mk12A re-entry vehicles on a Peacekeeper MIRV bus. LGM-118A Peacekeeper MIRV at the National Museum of the United States Air Force. A Trident II missile, operated exclusively by the US Navy and Royal Navy. Each missile can carry up to …

Oct 31, 2023 · Lockheed Martin has been awarded a near-$1bn contract to conduct engineering, manufacturing and design work to provide a “low technical risk and affordable” RV for the Mk21A programme, which will fit a new RV to the US’ Sentinel nuclear missile system.

In the late 1970s the MK 12 reentry system was modified to accommodate a new reentry vehicle, designated the MK 12A. Three hundred of the original 550 MK 12 systems were converted to the MK 12A configuration.

Sep 1, 2001 · The W-78 is the warhead used with the Mk 12A reentry vehicle which arms a portion of the Minuteman III ICBM force. Designed for use on MIRV (multiple independently targeted reentry vehicle) bus upper stage. The W-78 replaced part of the W-62 to provide an increased hard target kill capability by increasing both accuracy and yield.

The Minuteman III Missile system was initially deployed in 1969-1972 with the Mk12 reentry vehicle (RV). A partial retrofit with the Mk12A RV was carried out in 1979-82. Peace- keeper, the newest USAF ICBM, was deployed in the late 1980's …

The program will replace the MK12/W62 and MK12A/W78 (RV's) with a single MK21/W87 RV on 350 missiles. The remaining force will consist of 150 single MK12A's.

The W78 thermonuclear warhead is the warhead used on most of the United States LGM-30G Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), along with the MK-12A reentry vehicle which carried the warhead.

Oct 23, 1978 · A review of the development test and evaluation program for the MK-12A reentry vehicle system intended for deployment on Minuteman 111 missiles...