Did you ever wonder which one was bigger ...
The Polaris A-3 SLBM (left) next to its larger successor, the Poseidon C-3 SLBM, March 1968
The Polaris A-3 was the latest and last version of the Polaris missile, the Navy's first underwater ballistic
missile initially deployed in 1960. The A-3 was deployed between 1964 and 1981. In 1965, the Navy started
development of the next generation of SLBMs and beginning in 1971 the Poseidon C-3 was deployed aboard
31 converted Polaris submarines, with 16 missiles on each submarine.
The Polaris A-3 carried three W58 warheads, each
with a yield of 200 kilotons. The Poseidon C-3 carried an average of 10 W68
warheads, each with a yield of 40-50 kilotons
(the missile was tested with 14 warheads but carrying this number would restrict its range).
Geetrue adds: "Thank you boomers for a job well done"