Incredible Footage Shows The Impact Of Nuclear Bomb Being Tested Underwater

A chilling clip shows the terrifying sight of an atomic warhead being detonated underwater.

This particular explosion, captured back in 1958, showcases the raw power of a Mark 7 nuclear warhead as it’s detonated beneath the surface.

The weapon in question had an explosive power equivalent to nine kilotons of TNT—yes, that’s 9,000 tons of TNT packed into one bomb.

It was positioned 500 feet below the water’s surface before it was detonated, unleashing its terrifying destructive power for all to see.

And if you’re already feeling unsettled by the sheer force displayed in this explosion, just wait until you find out how it stacks up against other nuclear warheads.

It might surprise you to learn that this bomb, powerful as it is, was actually on the smaller side. In fact, it was even smaller than the bomb dropped on Hiroshima.

But don’t jump to the conclusion that nuclear weapons were getting weaker. The smaller size of this warhead was entirely intentional.

Nuclear weapons generally fall into two broad categories based on their size and purpose. 

Shortly before the explosion. Atomic Tests Channel

The first category is the strategic nuclear weapon. These are the massive, civilization-ending bombs that are designed to target infrastructure and population centers as a deterrent. 

If these weapons were ever used in an exchange, the death toll would easily reach hundreds of thousands, if not millions.

They are less about being a weapon and more about being a diplomatic tool—a terrifying bargaining chip.

Then we have the second category, which is the type of weapon being demonstrated here.

This is a tactical nuclear weapon, a smaller warhead designed to be deployed in a more confined military setting. 

The U.S. even experimented with tactical nuclear weapons that could be fired from an artillery piece at one point.

So what about the specific weapon in this clip? The Mark 7 was designed to be dropped by a small fighter-bomber aircraft, which was an alternative to the larger strategic bombers that carried the bigger bombs. 

Even the small explosion had enormous power. Atomic Tests Channel

These larger bombers were eventually replaced by Inter-Continental Ballistic Missiles (ICBMs) and nuclear submarines.

The test you’re watching here was known as the Wahoo Test.

It was conducted to study the effects of nuclear weapons in a naval environment, and as you might expect, the results were devastating. 

Tons of water were hurled into the air by the sheer force of the explosion, and a test ship anchored some 2,346 feet away sustained severe damage from the blast.

To put things in perspective, the most powerful nuclear weapon ever developed by the U.S. was the B-41, boasting a staggering yield of 25 megatons. 

While today’s warheads might be smaller, that’s hardly comforting given the newer technology that allows a single missile to carry multiple warheads.

These warheads are carried on Trident submarines and can be used to hit multiple targets with one missile or saturate an area with several strikes.