Mark 90 nuclear bomb

The Mark 90 Betty was a nuclear depth charge developed by the United States in 1952. With a length of 10 ft 2 in, a diameter of 2 ft 7.5 in, and a weight of 1,243 lbs, it utilized a Mark 7 nuclear warhead, with a yield of 5-10 kilotons. Its purpose was to serve as an anti-submarine weapon for the United States Navy. All units had been retired and withdrawn from service by 1960.

On September 25, 1959, a "Betty" was lost in Puget Sound after the aircraft it was in was forced to "ditch". The casing was never recovered, though it did not have its nuclear core installed at the time.

References

• James N. Gibson, Nuclear Weapons o fhte United States: An Illustrated History (Schiffer Publishing, 1996): Chapter 12, "Nuclear Anti-Submarine Weapons".