Mark 27

In 1958 the US Navy put into service the Mark 27 thermonuclear bomb, or “H” bomb, to be launched by their A-3 Skywarrior and A-5 Vigilante carrier bombers and to be installed as W-27 warhead on the Regulus II cruise missiles. This weapon was a development of the previous Mk.15 and it was a high yield 1Mt free fall bomb constructed for internal carriage and with a power never seen before within the US Navy. In 1960 the Mk.27 mod.1 came into service and in 1963 the Mk.27 mod.2 did it, but all were removed from service in 1964. This occured due to the position of President Kennedy to give priority to ballistic missiles and no longer need US Navy aircraft carriers to carry nuclear strike aircrafts. The A-3 and A-5 aircrafts that used the Mk.27 bombs were reconverted into electronic warfare and reconnaissance aircrafts respectively.

MARK 27 gallery and more info