USA flytter atombomber til Europa til våren - DefenseMirror

 

U.S. to Deploy B61-12 Nuclear Bombs to Europe in December: Report

•  Defensemirror.com Bureau
•  01:09 PM, October 27, 2022

B61-12 nuclear gravity bomb

The United States has reportedly decided to pre-pone the deployment of B61-12 nuclear bombs to NATO bases in Europe from spring of next year, to as early as December 2022.

U.S. officials shared its intention with NATO allies during a closed-door meeting in Brussels this month, Politico reported citing sources. The decision comes amid increasing tensions over Russia’s threats to use nuclear weapons in Ukraine.

Such a move requires replacing outdated B61 nuclear bombs with a newer B61-12 version in various storage facilities in Europe for potential use by the U.S. and allied bomber and fighter jets.

B61 nuclear bombs have been in service with the United States since 1968. Currently, the B61-3, B61-4, B61-7, and B61-11 modifications are being used.

B61-3 and B61-4 belong to tactical ammunition, and they are used with F-15E and F-16C fighter jets. B61-7 and B61-11 bombs are considered strategic and are used with B-2 and B-52 bomber jets.

B61-12 bombs are expected to replace B61-3s, B61-4s and B61-7s in service.

The B61-12 bomb received a 50 kilotons warhead and became high precision: a controlled tail rudder is installed on it, which will significantly increase accuracy and abandon the use of a brake parachute.

The capabilities of the bomb facilitate the work of pilots: now, for the effective use of the modernized bomb, one does not need to fly exactly over the target.