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Atomic Weapons Tests Trinity through Buster Jangle Vintage Atomic Bomb Film

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This atomic blast in Nevada was a test of a 2-kiloton nuclear-armed air-to-air weapon designed to defend the United States from an attack from enemy bombers. A live Genie was detonated only once in Operation Plumbbob on July 19 1957. It was fired by AF Captain Eric William Hutchison (pilot) and AF Captain Alfred C. Barbee (radar operator) flying a F-89J over Yucca Flats.

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0800059 - The United States Army Presents TF9 3370, Technical Proficiency Inspection - 1963 - 23:50 - Black&White - This video describes the rigorous yearly proficiency inspections that Army nuclear weapon personnel were subjected to by teams from the Office of the Inspector General (IG). The Army stated that the efficiency of nuclear weapons maintenance specialists is vital to the overall effectiveness of the readiness effort for nuclear deterrence.

The video shows graphically how flaws in the weapon hardware could cause the missile to become unreliable. The Army unit flunks the inspection and receives an unsatisfactory rating. The unit commander directs his personnel to correct the deficiencies, and he is reminded to stay in constant contact with all members of his technical teams. Because of attrition, the IGs representative suggests that the commander retain those who are trained and are serious about making nuclear weapons handling a career choice.

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Atomic Weapons Orientation Part One - Organization for Atomic Energy - 17:45 - The Atomic Energy Acts of 1946 (and revised in 1954) set up a vast government (military and civilian) industrial complex for the research, development, testing, and production of nuclear weapons, as well as for other assignments in the energy field. The workings of this complex make up the subject for this video.

Atomic Weapons Orientation Part Two - Basic Atomic Weapons - 6:11 - This animated and live action video was designed primarily as an instructional video on how nuclear weapons work. There is a simplified discussion of the two categories of nuclear weapons, fission and fusion. The video described the "gun-type" and "implosion" fission methods. Another segment details the sequence of events and devices that have to work in unison to enable fission or fusion weapons to produce a nuclear yield.

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Atomic Weapons Orientation Part Three - Special Weapons Orientation: Weapons Family - 6:32 - This video shows U.S. stockpiles nuclear weapons up to 1961. The stockpile includes early airdrop fission weapons, Mark (Mk)-3, Mk-4, Mk-5, Mk-6, Mk-6/18, Mk-7, Mk-8, Mk-12, and Mark-9, the artillery atomic projectile. A live test of the Mk-9 fired from a 280mm cannon is shown. This was the 15-kiloton GRABLE test conducted on May 25, 1953, as part of Operation Upshot-Knothole.

Atomic Weapons Orientation Part Four - Atomic Weapons Support Operations - 12:22 - The special contributions of nuclear weapons technicians are featured in this video. They inspected, maintained, modified and modernized nuclear weapons at various storage and operation field sites. The video shows training conducted at the Defense Atomic Support Agencys nuclear weapons school in Albuquerque and the U.S. Air Forces weapons school at Lowry Air Force Base in Colorado. Technicians are shown conducting "fire test set" inspections on all branches of the armed services.

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Atomic Weapons Orientation Part Five - Effects of Atomic Weapons - 12:22 - This video shows the heat, blast, and radiation effects of a nuclear explosion on personnel (dummies), structures, and military equipment. The video is a compilation of numerous nuclear detonations in the atmospheric testing program, but does not identify each blast. All types of detonations, including underground, surface, near surface and high altitude are shown.

Atomic Weapons Orientation Part Six - A Special Weapon Orientation: The Thermonuclear Weapon - 29:12 - This video provides a history and the major developmental phases of the thermonuclear program up to May 1, 1956. The test operations of Greenhouse, Ivy and Castle are highlighted. The GEORGE test in Operation Greenhouse was the first thermonuclear test explosion. It was followed by the MIKE test in Operation Ivy, which used a liquid, or "wet" fuel. A wet fuel was very expensive, as it had to be super cooled until used. The first test in Operation Castle, BRAVO, used a dry fuel successfully, and that ended the debate over wet versus dry fuel.