A POWERFUL new nuclear weapon, said to be more potent than the Hiroshima atomic bomb, is underway.

The United States’ latest militaristic weapon is in production seven months ahead of schedule.  

Sandia National Laboratories announced that the early production of the B61-13 nuclear weapon is due to the lab’s “innovative program planning,” which will allow the project to be completed 25% faster than initially scheduled. 

The B61-13 is the Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration’s answer to its 2023 task of building a new nuclear gravity bomb, Intersting Engineering reported. 

The gravity bomb, which is dropped from a plane rather than being self-propelled, cost $92 million to develop.

Sandia National Laboratories’ new bomb builds off of the B61-7 bomb and can yield 10 to 360 kilotons, allowing it to be thrown at different targets without damaging other areas.

The B61-13’s high maximum yield makes it 24 times more powerful than the bomb dropped on Hiroshima during World War II. 

The Hiroshima bomb yielded between 12 to 18 kilotons, whereas the Nagasaki bomb yielded 18 to 23 kilotons.

SNL’s B61-13 will be the latest of the US’s oldest nuclear weapons program, which began in 1968. 

It is planned to first fly aboard the B-2 Spirit bomber and will later be carried on the B-21 stealth bomber. 

NUCLEAR THREATS

Trump previously called nuclear weapons the “greatest existential threat” to humanity and has taken action over the past few weeks to work with other countries on their nuclear plans.

“We spend a lot of money of nuclear weapons – the level of destruction is beyond anything you can imagine,” Donald Trump said during an interview on Fox News in March.

“It’s just bad that you have to spend all this money on something that, if it’s used, it’s probably the end of the world.”

The president called nuclear weapons the “greatest” threat the country has.

“Nuclear weapons…are big monsters that can blow your heads off for miles and miles and miles,” Trump said during the interview.

On Monday, Trump said that direct talks are underway between the United States and Iran regarding Tehran’s nuclear program, CNN reported.

The president said “a very big meeting” will occur on Saturday and that it will be “at the top level.”

“I think everybody agrees that doing a deal would be preferable to doing the obvious,” Trump said.

Sources told the outlet that US and Iranian officials will directly discuss a nuclear deal marking the first direct discussion between the two countries since 2015.

“It is as much an opportunity as it is a test. The ball is in America’s court,” Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said.

Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei previously rejected Trump’s invitation to negotiate the nuclear deal directly.

Trump’s latest offer, which he sent in March, proposed that the two negotiate the nuclear deal with a two-month ultimatum to reach an agreement. 

“Hopefully those talks will be successful. And I think it would be in Iran’s best interests if they are successful. … We hope that’s going to happen,” Trump said on Monday.

“If the talks aren’t successful with Iran, I think Iran is going to be in great danger.”