Castle Bravo (1954) vs Tsar Bomba (1961)
Castle Bravo (1954) was the largest US nuclear test: about 15 Mt, nearly triple what was expected, causing serious radioactive contamination in the Pacific. The Soviet Tsar Bomba (1961) reached about 50 Mt, around 3.3 times as much. They are each superpower's record of the Cold War.
Castle Bravo (1954) · 15 Mt — Tsar Bomba (1961) · 50 Mt
Tsar Bomba (1961) releases 3.3 times more energy than Castle Bravo (1954)
Tsar Bomba (1961) equals 3,330 times Hiroshima
Castle Bravo (1954) (blue)
Tsar Bomba (1961) (red)
Blast radius scales with the cube root of energy: the larger circle is about 1.5 times wider. Relative scale only — no real distances or damage estimates.
Full scale (logarithmic)
Each step multiplies the energy; on a linear scale a grenade would vanish next to the Tsar Bomba. Tap a row to set it as B.
* Estimated, approximate or disputed figure. Yields of weapons in service are not official unless stated.
Figures used and how reliable they are
- Castle Bravo (1954): 15 Mt. Largest US test; nearly triple the expected yield.
- Tsar Bomba (1961): 50 Mt. Largest explosion ever detonated: about 50 Mt.
Related comparisons
Compare any other pair in the explosive yield comparison, with its full method. More context: Military history · Weapons · All tools
Sources / References
- U.S. Department of Energy, Manhattan Project history (Hiroshima and Nagasaki).
- U.S. Air Force GBU-43/B MOAB fact sheet.
- U.S. Army ammunition technical manuals (M67, M107).
- Atomic Archive and Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists (nuclear tests).