Operation Sunbeam

Operation Sunbeam
Operation Sunbeam
	Sunbeam Little Feller I. 0.018 kilotons.
Information
Country	United States
Test site	NTS Area 18, Buckboard Mesa; NTS Areas 5, 11, Frenchman Flat;
Period	1962
Number of tests	4
Test type	cratering, dry surface, gun deployed, tower
Max. yield	1.6 kilotonnes of TNT (6.7 TJ)
Test series chronology
	← Operation Nougat Operation Dominic →

Operation Sunbeam^[1] (also known as Operation Dominic II) was a series of four nuclear tests conducted at the United States's Nevada Test Site in 1962. Operation Sunbeam tested tactical nuclear warheads; the most notable was the Davy Crockett.

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The chief milestone of Operation Sunbeam was that it was the last nuclear test series on the Nevada Test Site conducted in the atmosphere by the United States. Since Operation Sunbeam, specifically the Little Feller 1 test of the Davy Crockett, all US nuclear tests on the Test Site have been carried out underground in accordance with the Partial Test Ban Treaty.

List of the nuclear tests

United States' Sunbeam series tests and detonations
Name ^{[note 1]}	Date time (UT)	Local time zone^{[note 2]}^[2]	Location^{[note 3]}	Elevation + height ^{[note 4]}	Delivery ^{[note 5]} Purpose ^{[note 6]}	Device^{[note 7]}	Yield^{[note 8]}	Fallout^{[note 9]}	References	Notes
Little Feller II	July 7, 1962 19:00:??	PST (–8 hrs)	NTS 37°07′09″N 116°18′14″W / 37.11906°N 116.30381°W / 37.11906; -116.30381 (Little Feller II)	1,566 m (5,138 ft) + 1 m (3 ft 3 in)	dry surface, weapon effect	W-54	22 t	I-131 venting detected, 0	^[1]^[3]^[4]^[5]^[6]^[7]	Used a stockpile Davy Crockett warhead. The Army's part of Sunbeam was Operation Ivy Flats.
Johnnie Boy	July 11, 1962 16:45:00.09	PST (–8 hrs)	NTS 37°07′20″N 116°20′02″W / 37.12216°N 116.33395°W / 37.12216; -116.33395 (Johnnie Boy)	1,572 m (5,157 ft)–0.6 m (2 ft 0 in)	cratering, weapon effect	W30 TADM	500 t	Venting detected off site	^[1]^[3]^[4]^[6]^[7]^[8]	TADM (Tactical Atomic Demolition Munition) test, similar to Plumbbob Stokes.
Small Boy	July 14, 1962 18:30:??	PST (–8 hrs)	NTS Area 5 36°47′53″N 115°55′55″W / 36.798°N 115.932°W / 36.798; -115.932 (Small Boy)	940 m (3,080 ft) + 3 m (9.8 ft)	tower, weapon effect		1.7 kt	I-131 venting detected, 270 kCi (10,000 TBq)	^[1]^[3]^[4]^[5]^[6]^[7]	Test of missile silo hardening principles, specifically EMP, similar to Nougat Ermine, Chinchilla I/II, Armadillo.
Little Feller I	July 17, 1962 17:00:??	PST (–8 hrs)	Launch from NTS Area 18, Buckboard Mesa 37°05′10″N 116°19′47″W / 37.08607°N 116.32977°W / 37.08607; -116.32977 (Launch_Little Feller I), elv: 1,630 + 2 m (5,347.8 + 6.6 ft); Detonation over NTS 37°06′34″N 116°19′06″W / 37.10946°N 116.31823°W / 37.10946; -116.31823 (Little Feller I)	2,550 m (8,370 ft) + 1 m (3 ft 3 in)	gun deployed, weapon effect	W54	18 t	Venting detected off site, 3 kCi (110 TBq)	^[1]^[3]^[4]^[5]^[6]^[7]	Army Operation Ivy Flats, witnessed by Robert Kennedy. Last atmospheric test at NTS, used a stockpile Davy Crockett warhead.

References

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