Improvised Nuclear Weapons with 60%-Enriched Uranium

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates that a relatively small amount of 60%-enriched uranium can be used to construct a crude nuclear weapon with a kiloton yield, raising concerns about proliferation risks from clandestine stockpiles.

Contribution

It provides an analysis showing how 40 kg of 60%-enriched uranium can be assembled into a deliverable nuclear device, highlighting proliferation vulnerabilities.

Findings

A 40 kg quantity of 60%-enriched uranium can produce a kiloton nuclear explosion.

Such a weapon could be delivered via shipping container, not just missile.

The analysis underscores proliferation risks from clandestine uranium stockpiles.

Abstract

In this work we show that as little as 40 kg of 60%-enriched uranium can be used to build a crude nuclear weapon with a kiloton yield. While too large to fit on a missile, such a weapon could be delivered by shipping container. This analysis is motivated by the June 2025 Israeli and US attacks on Iran, especially the bombings of the nuclear facilities at Natanz, Fordow, and Isfahan. The Iranian stockpile of approximately 408 kg of 60%-enriched uranium is, at the time of writing, inaccessible to IAEA inspectors and stored in secret. The rapid clandestine relocation of this material in June 2025 creates an opportunity for aspiring nuclear terrorists to divert an amount that could be used in the construction of an improvised gun-type nuclear weapon in the style of Little Boy.