W47 - Live Fire Testing

Live Fire Testing

The W47 is the only US ICBM or SLBM warhead to have been live fired in an atmospheric missile and warhead test, on May 6, 1962. This event took place during shot Frigate Bird which was part of the Dominic test series. While stationed off Johnston Island, the American submarine USS Ethan Allen fired a Polaris-A2 missile at an open ocean target point in the vicinity of Palmyra Atoll, south of Hawaii. The missile travelled a distance of 1,020 miles. The test was observed by two submerged US submarines stationed approximately 30 miles from the target point, the USS Carbonero and the USS Medrigal. The missile warhead detonated at 23:30 GMT on May 6, 1962, approximately 2 km from the designated target point, and at the target altitude of 11,000 feet. The detonation was successful and had the full design yield of approximately 600 kilotons. The shot was designed to improve confidence in the US ballistic missile systems, though even after the test there was considerable controversy. This was partly because it was revealed that the warhead selected for the test had undergone modifications before testing and was not necessarily representative of the stockpile.