Production on the W76-1 started in September 2008 and the National Nuclear Security Administration completed updating all W76-0 warheads to the W76-1 design in December 2018.

[12] The warhead is currently the most numerous weapon in the US nuclear arsenal,[13] having replaced the 50 kt W68 that was fitted to the Poseidon SLBM in that capacity.

[1] During the W76-1 LEP, the warhead was fitted with a new MC4700 arming, fuzing and firing (AF&F) system, the so-called "super-fuze".

The MC4700 AF&F system increases warhead kill probabilities against hard targets such as silos and bunkers.

In comparison, a warhead without such a smart fuze would when overshooting a target, continue flying, leaving kill radius where detonating would destroy the target, and impact the ground which would actuate the impact fuze and detonate the warhead, outside the kill radius.