Usa, new nuclear bombs for NATO bases in Europe
According to the Politico newspaper, the United States is accelerating plans to upgrade the deployment of new nuclear bombs at NATO bases in Europe. Facts, details and insights
The United States accelerates plans to upgrade the deployment of new nuclear bombs at NATO bases in Europe.
Politico reports it citing some sources, according to which the arrival in the Old Continent of the updated gravity bombs B61-12 – one hundred bombs stored in the air bases in Italy ( Aviano and Ghedi ), Holland, Belgium, Germany and Turkey -, scheduled originally next spring, it is now scheduled for December.
The rumor about replacing older weapons with newer versions comes at a time of high tension following Moscow's threats about the possible use of nuclear power in Ukraine.
"We will continue to support Kiev, together with our allies and partners around the world, while defending itself from Russia's brutal aggression," said US President Joe Biden, meeting with US defense officials. "We must keep NATO strong and united", highlighted the US president. Line also shared by the new Italian executive. President Meloni reiterated that the Atlantic Alliance is essential to defend the security and common values that characterize Western identity, during a telephone conversation with NATO Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg, as reported yesterday by Palazzo Chigi .
During the latest NATO ministerial, European ministers expressed concern that the alliance "should not give in to Putin's nuclear blackmail" as contained in a cable viewed by Politico .
The rumor about the deployment of the new nuclear bombs in Europe comes just days before NATO kicks off its annual nuclear exercise, known as Steadfast Noon.
But is this move aimed at addressing Europe's nuclear anxieties or is it a warning to Moscow? Experts wonder.
DEPLOYMENT OF ENHANCED NUCLEAR BOMBS IN EUROPEAN BASES
The US has accelerated the deployment of upgraded nuclear bombs to its European bases, Politico revealed, citing US diplomatic sources.
THE B61-12 PROGRAM
The B61 is a family of nuclear bombs first developed in the early 1960s and initially demonstrated in underground nuclear tests in Nevada
The B61-12 Life Extension Program is a $ 10 billion US Department of Energy nine-year program to replace approximately 100 previous versions of the B61 at six European air bases in Germany, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands and Turkey.
“Sandia National Laboratories, Los Alamos National Laboratory and Boeing are the design agencies responsible for the design and engineering of the B61-12, with Sandia also producing custom electronics,” AresDifesa points out.
The bomb's improved characteristics allow military commanders to use it as a deterrent against "a more limited or tactical nuclear attack," a possibility that experts have speculated due to the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
According to Politico , the "explosive power of the bomb can be increased or decreased depending on the target, making it a low or medium yield weapon".
TRANSPORTABLE HUNTING F-15, F-16, F-35 AND TORNADO
The new version is designed to be carried by a range of US and Allied bombers and combat aircraft such as B-2 and B-21 bombers and F-15, F-16, F-35 and Tornado fighters, which was not possible with the previous variant.
The Air Force conducted flight tests of the new bomb project on the F-35A in October 2021 and certified it on the F-15E in 2020. But the Pentagon reported in February that it intended to "complete certification of the B61-12 nuclear project with the F-35A before January 2023, after which [US Air Forces in Europe] will be able to begin certification training, ”recalls Politico .
THE COMMENT OF THE EXPERTS
The development emerges amid mounting tensions in Western capitals over Russia's growing threat of using nuclear weapons, but it came as a surprise to many observers.
"It would be weird to hurry," said Hans Kristensen, director of the Nuclear Information Project at the Federation of American Scientists, who has closely followed the program. “They said we are not responding to this situation with nuclear weapons. I don't think they want to go down to that point ”.
The message behind the sending of the first bombs in December could be aimed more at European allies who feel particularly vulnerable in Moscow. "I suppose it's more aimed at NATO than Russia," said Tom Collina, director of policy at the Plowshares Fund, a disarmament group. “There are already [older] B61s there. The Russians know this. They work well. The new ones will be newer, but there really isn't much of a difference. But it could be a way to reassure the allies when they feel particularly threatened by Russia ”. However, Collina acknowledged that the move could be "escalating" and have unintended consequences.
THE POSITION OF THE PENTAGON
At Politico 's request for comment, Pentagon spokesman Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder replied by email that “while we will not discuss the details of our nuclear arsenal, the modernization of US B61 nuclear weapons has been underway for years and plans to safely and responsibly replacing older weapons with the updated B61-12 is part of a long-planned and planned modernization effort. It is in no way connected with current events in Ukraine and has not been accelerated in any way ”.
THE INTERVIEW BETWEEN MELONI AND STOLTENBERG
Finally, at the same time as the news of the acceleration of the US plans on nuclear weapons updated in Europe, came the report of a telephone conversation between the Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and the Secretary General of the Atlantic Alliance Jens Stoltenberg.
President Meloni reiterated that the Atlantic Alliance is essential to defend the security and common values that characterize Western identity. During the phone call, Meloni "reaffirmed full support for Ukraine against Russian aggression and the importance, with a view to a global approach, of strengthening NATO's commitment to countering threats of various kinds coming from all strategic directions, including the challenges of the South ".
For his part, the NATO secretary general announced that he had a “good phone call with Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. Italy – he says via social media – is a committed ally, which makes solid contributions to our defense and our deterrence. It is crucial for Allied support for Ukraine. NATO will not be intimidated and will not stop supporting Ukraine's self-defense, for as long as necessary, ”concluded Stoltenberg.
This is a machine translation from Italian language of a post published on Start Magazine at the URL https://www.startmag.it/innovazione/usa-nuove-bombe-nucleari-per-basi-nato-in-europa/ on Fri, 28 Oct 2022 10:08:36 +0000.