FACT SHEET
CASTLE was a six-detonation nuclear weapon test series
(see tabJe)
held at the Atomic Energy Commission's (AEC) Pacific Proving Ground (PPG)
in Spring 1954.
The PPG consisted principally of Enewetak* and Bik#ni
atolls in the northwestern Marshall Islands in the Central Pacific
Ccean.
Date
Assigned
Name
Location
1 March
BRAVO
Bikini; sandspit off Nam Island
27 March
ROMEO
Bikini; barge in BRAVO crater
KOON
Bikini; surface of Eneman Island
190 KT
26 April
UNION
Bikini; barge in lagoon off [roij Island
649 MT
5 May
YANKEE
Bikini; barge in UNION crater
1355 MT
14 May
NECTAR
Enewetak; barge in MIKE> crater
14 MT
7 April
Maghitude
[5 MT?
1 MT
Notes:
“One kiloton equals the approximate energy release of the explosion
one thousand tons of TNT; one megaton equals the approximate energ
release of the explosion of one million tons of TNT.
b
Pf
10.4-MT IVY series detonation in 1952.
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
The CASTLE series was held to test large-yield thermonuclear, or
drogen, devices.
y~
Work on this class of devices had progressed throug
the
GREENHOUSE, GEORGE experimental shot in 1951 and the IVY, MIKE shot o
1952.
MIKE was the first device that generated a substantial explosife
energy from the fusion, or joining, of hydrogen atoms.
These explosive
* The spelling of Marshall Island place names has changed in recent years
in order to more accurately render the sounds of the Marshall Islan
names using English spelling.