Fact Sheet
Public Affairs Office
Washington, D. C. 20305
1 September 1981
Castle was a six-detonation nuclear weapon test series (see table) held at the Atomic Energy Commssion's (AEC) Pacific Proving Ground (PPG) in Spring 1954. The PPG consisted principally of Enewetak* and Bikini atolls in the northwestern Marshall Islands in the Central Pacific Ocean.
| Date | Name | Location | Magnitude |
|---|
1 March
27 March
7 April
26 April
5 May
14 May
| BRAVO
ROMEO
KOON
UNION
YANKEE
NECTAR
| Bikini; sandspit off Nam Island
Bikini; barge in BRAVO Crater
Bikini; surface of Eneman Island
Bikini; barge in lagoon off Iroij Island
Bikini; barge in UNION Crater
Enewetak; barge in MIKE C crater
|
15 MT**
11 MT
110 KT***
6.9 MT
13.5 MT
1.69 MT
|
Notes:
** 1-megaton (MT) nuclear device has an explosive power equal to 1 million tons of TNT.
***A 1-kiloton (KT) nuclear device has an explosive power equal to 1 thousand tons of TNT.
****10.4-MT IVY series detonation in 1952.
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
The CASTLE series was held to test large-yield thermonuclear, or hy
drogen, devices. Work on this class of devices had progressed through the
GREENHOUSE, GEORGE experimental shot in l9Sl and the IVY, MIKE shot of.... continued on page 2.
* The spelling of Marshall Island place names has changed in recent years in order to more accurately render the sounds of the Marshall Island names using English spelling.
Fact Sheet continued page 2
Operation Castle