"Swordfish"
USA /
California /
Lompoc /
World
/ USA
/ California
/ Lompoc
World
military, weapons, nuclear testing area, United States Navy
Operation: Dominic I
Purpose: Weapons Related
Type: ASROC-Mounted
Detonated: May 11, 1962
Yield Range: <20kt
Operation Dominic Swordfish was a nuclear weapons test carried out by ships of the United States Navy to evaluate the operational effects of a subsurface nuclear detonation with a live warhead mounted on an ASROC (Anti-Submarine ROCket).
Fired from the USS Agerholm (DD-826) at a stationary target barge roughly 4000 yards distant, the ASROC landed on target and descended to a predetermined depth before detonating with a force of less than 20 Kilotons. The resultant explosion created a one-mile radius base surge which destroyed most of the target and scientific craft moored above it and rose 2100ft into the air in 16 seconds. The initial base surge quickly collapsed and was replaced by a second plume from the collapsing detonation bubble, which reached a similar height before dissipating and leaving a large area of radioactive water.
The Dominic Swordfish test was the only full-scale nuclear test carried out with the ASROC system.
Video of the test can be seen here starting at 9:25
youtu.be/5orHjD5FWc8
nuclearweaponarchive.org/Usa/Tests/Dominic.html
Purpose: Weapons Related
Type: ASROC-Mounted
Detonated: May 11, 1962
Yield Range: <20kt
Operation Dominic Swordfish was a nuclear weapons test carried out by ships of the United States Navy to evaluate the operational effects of a subsurface nuclear detonation with a live warhead mounted on an ASROC (Anti-Submarine ROCket).
Fired from the USS Agerholm (DD-826) at a stationary target barge roughly 4000 yards distant, the ASROC landed on target and descended to a predetermined depth before detonating with a force of less than 20 Kilotons. The resultant explosion created a one-mile radius base surge which destroyed most of the target and scientific craft moored above it and rose 2100ft into the air in 16 seconds. The initial base surge quickly collapsed and was replaced by a second plume from the collapsing detonation bubble, which reached a similar height before dissipating and leaving a large area of radioactive water.
The Dominic Swordfish test was the only full-scale nuclear test carried out with the ASROC system.
Video of the test can be seen here starting at 9:25
youtu.be/5orHjD5FWc8
nuclearweaponarchive.org/Usa/Tests/Dominic.html
Wikipedia article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Dominic_I_and_II
Nearby cities:
Coordinates: 31°13'59"N 124°13'0"W
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