Davy Crockett (Nuclear Device)

The Davy Crockett was a tactical nuclear weapon system, fielded by the United States Army as the M28 and M29 recoilless smoothbore guns, that fired the W54-armed M388 projectile and was among the smallest nuclear weapons ever built, with yields of 10 to 20 tons of TNT equivalent. Named for the American frontiersman, it grew out of the Battle Group Atomic Delivery System program begun at Picatinny Arsenal in January 1958, and the Army formally adopted the Davy Crockett name that August. After testing in Alaska and Arizona, the system entered service in May 1961 with United States Army Europe and Pacific units, remaining fielded until 1971.