Oral History and Military Publishing

LLM-105

LLM-105 was first produced at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in 1995.

Part of LLM-105's appeal lies, paradoxically, in its reluctance to detonate. It can withstand high temperatures without blowing up, making it a candidate for warheads used in hypersonic missiles, which fly and maneuver at more than five times the speed of sound.

LLM-105 can also tolerate heavy knocks and bumps. It is, therefore, being put into a new generation of “bunker-buster” warheads designed to punch through hard structures before blowing up inside. A munition full of LLM-105 is also less likely to be set off by an enemy attack, even if it is hit by shrapnel or bullets.