By John LaForge
The transfer of new U.S. nuclear bombs to air bases in Europe as part of the quaint-sounding “nuclear sharing” program seems to have been confirmed by Administrator of the National Nuclear Security Administration, Jill Hruby.
In remarks to the Hudson Institute on January 16, Hruby said, “The new B61-12 gravity bombs are fully forward deployed, and we have increased NATO’s visibility to our nuclear capabilities.”
Hruby’s announcement came just a week after the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) revealed that production of the U.S.’s newest thermonuclear gravity bombs was complete. “In December 2024, the B61-12 life extension program … finish[ed] its production run,” the Eurasian Times reported on January 18.
NNSA’s notification came only three days after Hans Kristensen, et al. reported in the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, “[I]t remained unclear whether any B61-12s had been delivered to European bases.” Hruby’s surprisingly rare public declaration prompted Kristensen, of the Federation of American Scientists, to tell Eurasian Times, “This almost sounds like official confirmation that deployment of the B61-12 to Europe has begun.”
That Hruby’s announcement was “almost like” official confirmation is about as much openness as the public ever gets regarding the highly secretive world of nuclear weapons. Only an eye-witness account of the arrival of a giant U.S. Air Force C-17 cargo plane at any of six NATO “nuclear sharing” bases — in Germany, Italy, Belgium, and the Netherlands — could be a more certain affirmation.
In preparation for the delivery of the new air-drop thermonuclear gravity bombs, the foreign air force bases have all undertaken major, costly upgrades and expansions. The Bulletin reports, “these upgrades include the installation of double-fence security perimeters, modernizing the weapon storage and security systems and the alarm communication and display systems….” In addition, “A loading pad designed for U.S. C-17 aircraft that transports nuclear weapons is also being added at Kleine Brogel (Belgium), Büchel (Germany), Ghedi (Italy), and Volkel (the Netherlands).”
The approximately $1.14 billion Büchel Air Base upgrade also makes way for the new F-35 Stealth jet fighters being purchased by Germany to be flown by German Air Force pilots who will continue their role as planners, preparers, and prospective executioners of nuclear weapons attacks aimed at Russia.
News of the likely transfer of the new B61-12s came just as a group of nuclear weapons opponents were gathering only 15 miles from Germany’s Büchel Air Base, south of Cologne. The anti-nuclear group Nonviolent Action for Abolition met to welcome out of prison the U.S. nuclear resister Susan Crane, who had served 230 days resulting from protests at the base, and to discuss the coming year’s schedule of events which are directed against “nuclear sharing” in general and Büchel’s collaboration in particular. The NNSA’s January 18th B61-12 “job done” announcement included the thrilling, career saving and budget retaining news that its 60-year-old bomb-building assembly line “will transition to producing the B61-13 bomb.”
The Bulletin noted more soberly that the B61-version 13 comes with a thermonuclear explosive force of 360 kilotons, “significantly higher than the B61-12’s yield of 50 kilotons.”
With 24 Hiroshima-sized firestorms in each new “13,” you could say this jobs program has “unlucky” written all over it. Yet there is evidently no thought of arms control or belt-tightening when it comes to mass production of this Ford Mustang of mass destruction. The War Zone online reports this month that, “The B61-13 and future variants will require highly specialized engineering … the U.S. Air Force’s Nuclear Weapon Center’s recent contracting notice said.” (emphasis added).
Yes, contracting is the thing. And you thought it was about deterrence.
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