 |
In May 1962,
the submerged USS Ethan Allen (SSBN-608) test-fired a Polaris A-2
missile with a live nuclear warhead across the Pacific Ocean toward Christmas
Island, 1,700 miles (2,700 km) away. The test, code-named Frigate Bird,
was the only one the United States ever conducted of any nuclear ballistic
missile from launch through detonation. After a 12.5-minute, 1,200-mile
(1,900 km) flight, the warhead exploded in the air between 10,000 and
15,000 feet (3,000 and 4,600 m) high with a yield of 600 Kilotons. Thirty
miles from the air burst at periscope depth, the waiting USS Carbonaro
(SS-337) captured the mushroom cloud on film.
|
|
|
