The U.S. Department of Defense has unveiled its intention to construct a potent new nuclear bomb, known as the B61-13, which will possess 24 times the power of the bombs dropped on Japan during World War II.

The Pentagon is currently seeking congressional approval and funding for this endeavor.

Assistant Secretary of Defense for Space Policy, John Plumb, emphasized that the decision is a response to evolving security threats from potential adversaries.

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He stated that the United States is committed to evaluating and deploying capabilities necessary for credible deterrence and potential responses to strategic attacks.

The B61-13 is expected to have a similar yield to the B61-7, with a maximum yield of 360 kilotons, significantly surpassing the bombs used in Hiroshima (15 kilotons) and Nagasaki (25 kilotons) during World War II.

The B61-13 will integrate contemporary safety, security, and precision technologies from the B61-12.

The announcement comes in the context of mounting global tensions, including a recent high-explosive experiment at a U.S. nuclear test site in Nevada, aimed at enhancing technology to support U.S. nuclear nonproliferation objectives.

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The B61-13, designed for delivery by modern aircraft, aims to provide the U.S. president with diverse options for targeting significant, large-area military objectives.

If approved, the new bomb would replace certain B61-7s within the existing U.S. nuclear stockpile rather than expanding it, according to the Department of Defense.