Operation Fusileer

Series of 1980s US nuclear tests

See also: List of nuclear weapons tests of the United States

Fusileer

Information
Country| United States
Test site| NTS Area 12, Rainier Mesa; NTS Area 19, 20, Pahute Mesa; NTS, Areas 1–4, 6–10, Yucca Flat
Period| 1983–1984
Number of tests| 16
Test type| underground shaft, tunnel
Max. yield| 150 kilotonnes of TNT (630 TJ)
Test series chronology

<- Operation Phalanx

Operation Grenadier ->

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Operation Fusileer[1] was a series of 16 nuclear tests conducted by the United States in 1983–1984 at the Nevada Test Site. These tests followed the Operation Phalanx series and preceded the Operation Grenadier series.

United States' Fusileer 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

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Muggins | December 9, 1983 16:00:00.11  | PST (–8 hrs)
| NTS Area U3ls 37°00′46″N 116°02′47″W﻿ / ﻿37.01274°N 116.04643°W﻿ / 37.01274; -116.04643﻿ (Muggins) | 1,188 m (3,898 ft) – 243.84 m (800.0 ft)  | underground shaft,
weapons development  |  | 1.5 kt |  | [1][3][4][5][6] |
Romano | December 16, 1983 18:30:00.09  | PST (–8 hrs)
| NTS Area U2ex 37°08′25″N 116°04′23″W﻿ / ﻿37.1404°N 116.07294°W﻿ / 37.1404; -116.07294﻿ (Romano) | 1,287 m (4,222 ft) – 515 m (1,690 ft)  | underground shaft,
weapons development  |  | 29 kt | I-131 venting detected, 0  | [1][5][6][7][8][9] |
Gorbea | January 31, 1984 15:30:00.085  | PST (–8 hrs)
| NTS Area U2cq 37°06′48″N 116°07′20″W﻿ / ﻿37.11334°N 116.12229°W﻿ / 37.11334; -116.12229﻿ (Gorbea) | 1,344 m (4,409 ft) – 388 m (1,273 ft)  | underground shaft,
weapons development  |  | 20 kt | Venting detected, 12 Ci (440 GBq)  | [1][5][6][8][9] |
Midas Myth/Milagro | February 15, 1984 17:00:00.11  | PST (–8 hrs)
| NTS Area U12t.04 37°13′17″N 116°10′54″W﻿ / ﻿37.22135°N 116.181572°W﻿ / 37.22135; -116.181572﻿ (Midas Myth/Milagro) | 2,044 m (6,706 ft) – 360.9 m (1,184 ft)  | tunnel,
weapon effect  |  | 20 kt |  | [1][5][6] | 14 injured, 1 died in unexpected crater collapse following test; the only fatality from testing at NTS. Unlike other tunnel tests, Milagro required high speed video links, so a data trailer park was built above it.
Tortugas | March 1, 1984 17:45:00.09  | PST (–8 hrs)
| NTS Area U3gg 37°03′57″N 116°02′50″W﻿ / ﻿37.06572°N 116.04716°W﻿ / 37.06572; -116.04716﻿ (Tortugas) | 1,216 m (3,990 ft) – 638.6 m (2,095 ft)  | underground shaft,
weapons development  |  | 150 kt |  | [1][3][5][6][7] |
Agrini | March 31, 1984 14:30:00.084  | PST (–8 hrs)
| NTS Area U2ev 37°08′47″N 116°05′06″W﻿ / ﻿37.14648°N 116.08512°W﻿ / 37.14648; -116.08512﻿ (Agrini) | 1,304 m (4,278 ft) – 320 m (1,050 ft)  | underground shaft,
weapons development  |  | 6 kt | Venting detected on site, 690 Ci (26,000 GBq)  | [1][3][5][6][8][9] |
Orkney | May 2, 1984 13:50:00.09  | PST (–8 hrs)
| NTS Area U10be 37°11′54″N 116°03′17″W﻿ / ﻿37.19843°N 116.05484°W﻿ / 37.19843; -116.05484﻿ (Orkney) | 1,351 m (4,432 ft) – 210 m (690 ft)  | underground shaft,
weapons development  |  | 250 t | Venting detected, 0.5 Ci (19 GBq)  | [1][4][5][6][9] |
Bellow | May 16, 1984 16:00:00.085  | PST (–8 hrs)
| NTS Area U4ac 37°05′33″N 116°05′39″W﻿ / ﻿37.09244°N 116.09412°W﻿ / 37.09244; -116.09412﻿ (Bellow) | 1,266 m (4,154 ft) – 207.3 m (680 ft)  | underground shaft,
weapons development  |  | 800 t |  | [1][4][5][6] |
Caprock | May 31, 1984 13:04:00.102  | PST (–8 hrs)
| NTS Area U4q 37°06′12″N 116°02′59″W﻿ / ﻿37.10333°N 116.04967°W﻿ / 37.10333; -116.04967﻿ (Caprock) | 1,237 m (4,058 ft) – 599.85 m (1,968.0 ft)  | underground shaft,
weapons development  |  | 120 kt | Venting detected, 0.1 Ci (3.7 GBq)  | [1][5][6][7][8][9] |
Duoro | June 20, 1984 15:15:00.088  | PST (–8 hrs)
| NTS Area U3lv 37°00′02″N 116°02′38″W﻿ / ﻿37.00042°N 116.04399°W﻿ / 37.00042; -116.04399﻿ (Duoro) | 1,180 m (3,870 ft) – 379.78 m (1,246.0 ft)  | underground shaft,
weapons development  |  | 20 kt |  | [1][3][5][6][7] |
Normanna | July 12, 1984 14:00:00.087  | PST (–8 hrs)
| NTS Area U10cb 37°11′31″N 116°02′07″W﻿ / ﻿37.19194°N 116.03525°W﻿ / 37.19194; -116.03525﻿ (Normanna) | 1,315 m (4,314 ft) – 200 m (660 ft)  | underground shaft,
weapons development  |  | 500 t |  | [1][5][6] |
Kappeli | July 25, 1984 15:30:00.084  | PST (–8 hrs)
| NTS Area U20am 37°16′04″N 116°24′42″W﻿ / ﻿37.26771°N 116.41153°W﻿ / 37.26771; -116.41153﻿ (Kappeli) | 1,982 m (6,503 ft) – 640 m (2,100 ft)  | underground shaft,
weapons development  |  | 80 kt | Venting detected, 12 Ci (440 GBq)  | [1][5][6][8][9] |
Correo | August 2, 1984 15:00:00.09  | PST (–8 hrs)
| NTS Area U3lw 37°01′01″N 116°00′31″W﻿ / ﻿37.01681°N 116.00853°W﻿ / 37.01681; -116.00853﻿ (Correo) | 1,182 m (3,878 ft) – 334.1 m (1,096 ft)  | underground shaft,
weapons development  |

W84[10]

| 10 kt |  | [1][5][6] |
Dolcetto | August 30, 1984 14:45:00.102  | PST (–8 hrs)
| NTS Area U7bi 37°05′23″N 116°00′01″W﻿ / ﻿37.08975°N 116.00023°W﻿ / 37.08975; -116.00023﻿ (Dolcetto) | 1,291 m (4,236 ft) – 365.15 m (1,198.0 ft)  | underground shaft,
weapons development  |  | 20 kt |  | [1][5][6] |
Wexford | August 30, 1984 14:45:00.0  | PST (–8 hrs)
| NTS Area U2cr 37°08′38″N 116°07′34″W﻿ / ﻿37.14386°N 116.12615°W﻿ / 37.14386; -116.12615﻿ (Wexford) | 1,376 m (4,514 ft) – 314 m (1,030 ft)  | underground shaft,
weapons development  |  | less than 20 kt |  | [1][5][6] |
Breton | September 13, 1984 14:00:00.0  | PST (–8 hrs)
| NTS Area U4ar 37°05′11″N 116°04′21″W﻿ / ﻿37.08639°N 116.0724°W﻿ / 37.08639; -116.0724﻿ (Breton) | 1,238 m (4,062 ft) – 483.11 m (1,585.0 ft)  | underground shaft,
weapons development  |  | 33 kt | Venting detected, 4 Ci (150 GBq)  | [1][5][6][7][8][9] |

1. ^ The US, France and Great Britain have code-named their test events, while the USSR and China did not, and therefore have only test numbers (with some exceptions - Soviet peaceful explosions were named). Word translations into English in parentheses unless the name is a proper noun. A dash followed by a number indicates a member of a salvo event. The US also sometimes named the individual explosions in such a salvo test, which results in "name1 - 1(with name2)". If test is canceled or aborted, then the row data like date and location discloses the intended plans, where known.
2. ^ To convert the UT time into standard local, add the number of hours in parentheses to the UT time; for local daylight saving time, add one additional hour. If the result is earlier than 00:00, add 24 hours and subtract 1 from the day; if it is 24:00 or later, subtract 24 hours and add 1 to the day. Historical time zone data obtained from the IANA time zone database.
3. ^ Rough place name and a latitude/longitude reference; for rocket-carried tests, the launch location is specified before the detonation location, if known. Some locations are extremely accurate; others (like airdrops and space blasts) may be quite inaccurate. "~" indicates a likely pro-forma rough location, shared with other tests in that same area.
4. ^ Elevation is the ground level at the point directly below the explosion relative to sea level; height is the additional distance added or subtracted by tower, balloon, shaft, tunnel, air drop or other contrivance. For rocket bursts the ground level is "N/A". In some cases it is not clear if the height is absolute or relative to ground, for example, Plumbbob/John. No number or units indicates the value is unknown, while "0" means zero. Sorting on this column is by elevation and height added together.
5. ^ Atmospheric, airdrop, balloon, gun, cruise missile, rocket, surface, tower, and barge are all disallowed by the Partial Nuclear Test Ban Treaty. Sealed shaft and tunnel are underground, and remained useful under the PTBT. Intentional cratering tests are borderline; they occurred under the treaty, were sometimes protested, and generally overlooked if the test was declared to be a peaceful use.
6. ^ Include weapons development, weapon effects, safety test, transport safety test, war, science, joint verification and industrial/peaceful, which may be further broken down.
7. ^ Designations for test items where known, "?" indicates some uncertainty about the preceding value, nicknames for particular devices in quotes. This category of information is often not officially disclosed.
8. ^ Estimated energy yield in tons, kilotons, and megatons. A ton of TNT equivalent is defined as 4.184 gigajoules (1 gigacalorie).
9. ^ Radioactive emission to the atmosphere aside from prompt neutrons, where known. The measured species is only iodine-131 if mentioned, otherwise it is all species. No entry means unknown, probably none if underground and "all" if not; otherwise notation for whether measured on the site only or off the site, where known, and the measured amount of radioactivity released.

## References[edit]

1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q Yang, Xiaoping; North, Robert; Romney, Carl (August 2000), CMR Nuclear Explosion Database (Revision 3), SMDC Monitoring Research
2. ^ "Time Zone Historical Database". iana.com. Retrieved March 8, 2014.
3. ^ a b c d Operation Argus, 1958 (DNA6039F), Washington, DC: Defense Nuclear Agency, Department of Defense, 1982, retrieved November 26, 2013
4. ^ a b c Norris, Robert Standish; Cochran, Thomas B. (February 1, 1994), "United States nuclear tests, July 1945 to 31 December 1992 (NWD 94-1)" (PDF), Nuclear Weapons Databook Working Paper, Washington, DC: Natural Resources Defense Council, archived from the original (PDF) on October 29, 2013, retrieved October 26, 2013
5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p Official list of underground nuclear explosions, Sandia National Laboratories, July 1, 1994, retrieved December 18, 2013
6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p United States Nuclear Tests: July 1945 through September 1992 (PDF) (DOE/NV-209 REV15), Las Vegas, NV: Department of Energy, Nevada Operations Office, December 1, 2000, archived from the original (PDF) on October 12, 2006, retrieved December 18, 2013
7. ^ a b c d e Hechanova, Anthony E.; O'Donnell, James E. (September 25, 1998), Estimates of yield for nuclear tests impacting the groundwater at the Nevada Test Site, Nuclear Science and Technology Division
8. ^ a b c d e f Estimated exposures and thyroid doses received by the American people from Iodine-131 in fallout following Nevada atmospheric nuclear bomb tests, Chapter 2 (PDF), National Cancer Institute, 1997, retrieved January 5, 2014
9. ^ a b c d e f g Radiological Effluents Released from U.S. Continental Tests 1961 Through 1992 (DOE/NV-317 Rev. 1) (PDF), DOE Nevada Operations Office, August 1996, archived from the original (PDF) on November 3, 2013, retrieved October 31, 2013
10. ^ Couch, Lt Col (Ret) Robert (March 1, 2021). "JCMPO and the W-84 Warhead" (PDF). Air Force Missileers: The Quarterly Newsletter of the Association of Air Force Missileers. Vol. 29, no. 1\. p. 11. Retrieved January 11, 2024. "the underground nuclear test at the Nevada Test Site of Fusileer-Correo, a low yield nuclear option, that demonstrated that the W-84 actually worked with all its safety features in place!"

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Nuclear weapons tests conducted by the United States

Operations|

* "Anvil"
* "Aqueduct"
* "Arbor"
* "Argus"
* "Bedrock"
* "Bowline"
* "Buster–Jangle"
* "Castle"
* "Charioteer"
* "Cornerstone"
* "Cresset"
* "Crossroads"
* "Crosstie"
* "Dominic"
* "Starfish Prime"
* "Emery"
* "Fishbowl"
* "Flintlock"
* "Fulcrum"
* "Fusileer"
* "Greenhouse"
* "Grenadier"
* "Grommet"
* Cannikin
* "Guardian"
* "Hardtack I"
* "Hardtack Teak"
* "Hardtack II"
* "Ivy"
* "Julin"
* "Latchkey"
* "Little Feller"
* "Mandrel"
* "Musketeer"
* "Niblick"
* "Nougat"
* "Phalanx"
* "Plumbbob"
* "Praetorian"
* Project 56
* Project 57
* Project 58/58A
* "Quicksilver"
* "Ranger"
* "Redwing"
* "Roller Coaster"
* "Sandstone"
* "Sculpin"
* "Storax"
* "Sunbeam"
* "Teapot"
* "Tinderbox"
* "Toggle"
* "Touchstone"
* "Trinity"
* "Tumbler–Snapper"
* "Upshot–Knothole"
* "Whetstone"
* "Wigwam"

Test
areas|

| Nevada|

* Nevada Test Site
* Frenchman Flat
* Pahute Mesa
* Rainier Mesa
* Yucca Flat
* Central Nevada
* Sand Springs Range
* Nevada Test and Training Range

|

New Mexico|

* Alamogordo
* Carlsbad
* Carson National Forest

Colorado|

* Parachute
* Rifle

Other|

* South Atlantic
* Pacific Proving Grounds
* Amchitka
* Salmon Site

Related
topics|

* National Atomic Testing Museum
* Fallout: An American Nuclear Tragedy
* Alvin C. Graves
* Reed Hadley
* Chuck Hansen
* Corbin Harney
* Desert Rock exercises
* Unethical human experimentation in the United States
* International Day against Nuclear Tests
* Nevada Desert Experience
* Nuclear weapons testing
* Project Plowshare
* Radiation Exposure Compensation Act
* The Atomic Cafe
* Radio Bikini
* Reactor-grade plutonium nuclear test
* Trinity and Beyond: The Atomic Bomb Movie
* Vela Uniform
* Louis Vitale
* Nuclear testing at Bikini Atoll

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