Operation Dominic I and II
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Pacific Ocean detonation
Operation Dominic I and II was a series of 105 nuclear test explosions conducted in 1962 and 1963 by the United States. This test series was scheduled quickly, in order to take advantage of the Soviet abandonment of the 1958-61 test moratorium. Most of these shots were conducted with free-fall bombs dropped from B-52 bomber aircraft. Those conducted in the Pacific are sometimes called Dominic I. The blasts in Nevada are known as Dominic II. Twenty of these shots were to test new weapons designs; six to test weapons effects; and several shots to confirm the reliability of existing weapons. The Thor Missile was used to loft warhead into near-space to conduct tests; these shots were collectively called Fishbowl.
Operation Dominic occurred during a period of high Cold War tension between the United States and the Soviet Union; the Bay of Pigs Invasion had occurred not long before. Nikita Khrushchev announced the end of a three-year moratorium on nuclear testing on August 30, 1961, and Soviet tests recommenced on 1 September. President John F. Kennedy responded by authorizing Operation Dominic. It was the largest nuclear weapons testing program ever conducted by the United States, and the last atmospheric test series conducted by the U.S.—the Limited Test Ban Treaty was signed in Moscow the following year.
| Test Name | Date | Location | Yield | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adobe | 25 April 1962 | Christmas Island | 190 kilotons | |
| Aztec | 27 April 1962 | Christmas Island | 410 kilotons | |
| Black | 27 April 1962 | Nevada Test Site | Unknown | |
| Arkansas | 2 May 1962 | Christmas Island | 1090 kilotons | |
| Questa | 4 May 1962 | Christmas Island | 670 kilotons | |
| Frigate Bird | 6 May 1962 | Pacific Test Range | 600 kilotons | Polaris A2 Missile launched from the USS Ethan Allen (SSBN-608). Only operational test of a United States ballistic missile. |
| Paca | 7 May 1962 | Nevada Test Site | Unknown | |
| Yukon | 8 May 1962 | Christmas Island | 100 kilotons | |
| Mesilla | 9 May 1962 | Christmas Island | 100 kilotons | |
| Arikaree | 10 May 1962 | Christmas Island | Unknown | |
| Muskegon | 11 May 1962 | Christmas Island | 50 kilotons | |
| Swordfish | 11 May 1962 | off San Diego | <20 kilotons | RUR-5 ASROC from USS Agerholm (DD-826) at a range of only 4,000 yards. |
| Encino | 12 May 1962 | Christmas Island | 500 kilotons | |
| Aardvark | 12 May 1962 | Nevada Test Site | 40 kilotons | |
| Swanee | 14 May 1962 | Christmas Island | 97 kilotons | |
| Eel | 19 May 1962 | Nevada Test Site | Unknown | |
| Chetco | 19 May 1962 | Christmas Island | 73 kilotons | |
| White | 25 May 1962 | Nevada Test Site | Unknown | |
| Tanana | 25 May 1962 | Christmas Island | ‘Fizzled’ | |
| Nambe | 27 May 1962 | Christmas Island | 43 kilotons | |
| Racoon | 1 June 1962 | Nevada Test Site | Unknown | |
| Bluegill | 3 June 1962 | Johnston Atoll | ‘Failed’ | |
| Packrat | 6 June 1962 | Nevada Test Site | Unknown | |
| Alma | 8 June 1962 | Christmas Island | 782 kilotons | |
| Truckee | 9 June 1962 | Christmas Island | 210 kilotons | |
| Yeso | 10 June 1962 | Christmas Island | 3 megatons | |
| Harlem | 12 June 1962 | Christmas Island | 1.2 megatons | |
| Des Moines | 13 June 1962 | Nevada Test Site | Unknown | |
| Rinconada | 15 June 1962 | Christmas Island | 800 kilotons | |
| Dulce | 17 June 1962 | Christmas Island | 52 kilotons | |
| Petit | 19 June 1962 | Christmas Island | ‘Failed’ | |
| Starfish | 20 June 1962 | Johnston Atoll | ‘Failed’ | |
| Daman I | 21 June 1962 | Nevada Test Site | Unknown | |
| Otowi | 21 June 1962 | Nevada Test Site | Unknown | |
| Bighorn | 27 June 1962 | Christmas Island | 7.65 megatons | |
| Haymaker | 27 June 1962 | Nevada Test Site | 67 kilotons | |
| Marshmallow | 28 June 1962 | Nevada Test Site | Unknown | |
| Bluestone | 30 June 1962 | Christmas Island | 1.27 megatons | |
| Sacramento | 30 June 1962 | Nevada Test Site | Unknown | |
| Sedan | 6 July 1962 | Nevada Test Site | Operation Plowshare | |
| Bluegill Prime | 25 July 1962 | Johnston Atoll | ‘Failed’ | |
| Little Feller II | 7 July 1962 | Nevada Test Site | Unknown | |
| Starfish Prime | 9 July 1962 | Johnston Atoll | 1.4 megatons | Exoatmospheric, caused artificial aurora borealis and power outages in Hawaii |
| Sunset | 10 July 1962 | Christmas Island | 1 megaton | |
| Pamlico | 11 July 1962 | Christmas Island | 3.88 megatons | |
| Johnnie Boy | 11 July 1962 | Nevada Test Site | 500 tons | |
| Merrimac | 13 July 1962 | Nevada Test Site | Unknown | |
| Small Boy | 14 July 1962 | Nevada Test Site | Unknown | |
| Little Feller I | 17 July 1962 | Nevada Test Site | Unknown | |
| Wichita | 27 July 1962 | Nevada Test Site | Unknown | |
| York | 24 August 1962 | Nevada Test Site | Unknown | |
| Bobac | 24 August 1962 | Nevada Test Site | Unknown | |
| Raritan | 6 September 1962 | Nevada Test Site | Unknown | |
| Hyrax | 4 September 1962 | Nevada Test Site | Unknown | |
| Peba | 20 September 1962 | Nevada Test Site | Unknown | |
| Tocito | —
| Christmas Island | —
| Cancelled |
| Allegany | 29 September 1962 | Nevada Test Site | Unknown | |
| Mississippi | 5 October 1962 | Nevada Test Site | 115 kilotons | |
| Bumping | 6 October 1962 | Johnston Atoll | 11.3 kilotons | |
| Roanoke | 12 October 1962 | Nevada Test Site | Unknown | |
| Wolverine | 12 October 1962 | Nevada Test Site | Unknown | |
| Bluegill Double Prime | 15 October 1962 | Nevada Test Site | Unknown | |
| Chama | 18 October 1962 | Johnston Atoll | 1.59 megatons | |
| Tioga | 18 October 1962 | Nevada Test Site | Unknown | |
| Bandicoot | 19 October 1962 | Nevada Test Site | Unknown | |
| Checkmate | 20 October 1962 | Johnston Atoll | Unknown | |
| Bluegill Triple Prime | 26 October 1962 | Johnston Atoll | <1 megaton | |
| Santee | 27 October 1962 | Nevada Test Site | Unknown | |
| Calamity | 27 October 1962 | Johnston Atoll | 800 kilotons | |
| Housatonic | 27 July 1962 | Johnston Atoll | 8.3 megatons | |
| Kingfish | 1 November 1962 | Johnston Atoll | <1 megaton | |
| Tightrope | 4 November 1962 | Johnston Atoll | Unknown | |
| Saint Louis | 9 November 1962 | Nevada Test Site | Unknown | |
| Gundi | 15 November 1962 | Nevada Test Site | Unknown | |
| Anacostia | 27 November 1962 | Nevada Test Site | Unknown | Operation Plowshare |
| Taunton | 4 December 1962 | Nevada Test Site | Unknown | |
| Tendrac | 7 December 1962 | Nevada Test Site | Unknown | |
| Madison | 12 December 1962 | Nevada Test Site | Unknown | |
| Numbat | 12 December 1962 | Nevada Test Site | Unknown | |
| Manatee | 12 December 1962 | Nevada Test Site | Unknown | |
| Casselman | 8 February 1963 | Nevada Test Site | Unknown | |
| Acushi | 8 February 1963 | Nevada Test Site | Unknown | |
| Ferret | 8 February 1963 | Nevada Test Site | Unknown | |
| Hatchie | 8 February 1963 | Nevada Test Site | Unknown | |
| Chipmunk | 15 February 1963 | Nevada Test Site | Unknown | |
| Kaweah | 21 February 1963 | Nevada Test Site | Unknown | Operation Plowshare |
| Carmel | 21 February 1963 | Nevada Test Site | Unknown | |
| Jerboa | 1 March 1963 | Nevada Test Site | Unknown | |
| Toyah | 15 March 1963 | Nevada Test Site | Unknown | |
| Gerbil | 29 March 1963 | Nevada Test Site | Unknown | |
| Ferret Prime | 5 April 1963 | Nevada Test Site | Unknown | |
| Coyfu | 10 April 1963 | Nevada Test Site | Unknown | |
| Cumberland | 11 April 1963 | Nevada Test Site | Unknown | |
| Kootanai | 24 April 1963 | Nevada Test Site | Unknown | |
| Paisano | 24 April 1963 | Nevada Test Site | Unknown | |
| Gundi Prime | 9 May 1963 | Nevada Test Site | Unknown | |
| Double Tracks | 15 May 1963 | Nevada Test Site | Unknown | |
| Harkee | 17 May 1963 | Nevada Test Site | Unknown | |
| Tejon | 17 May 1963 | Nevada Test Site | Unknown | |
| Stones | 22 May 1963 | Nevada Test Site | Unknown | |
| Clean Slate I | 25 May 1963 | Nevada Test Site | Unknown | |
| Pleasant | 29 May 1963 | Nevada Test Site | Unknown | |
| Clean Slate II | 31 May 1963 | Nevada Test Site | Unknown | |
| Yuba | 5 June 1963 | Nevada Test Site | Unknown | |
| Hutia | 6 June 1963 | Nevada Test Site | Unknown | |
| Apshapa | 6 June 1963 | Nevada Test Site | Unknown | |
| Clean Slate III | 9 June 1963 | Nevada Test Site | Unknown | |
| Mataco | 14 June 1963 | Nevada Test Site | Unknown | |
| Kennebec | 25 June 1963 | Nevada Test Site | Unknown |
External link
- History (http://www.radiochemistry.org/history/nuke_tests/dominic/) at Radiochemistry Society website